Tips and Information

Below you will find miscellaneous information that I didn't know where else to include on our site.  Some of it you may find fascinating and some mundane.  At least once over the past three years we have found ourselves asking questions about the topics listed below.

Top Rope Anchors and Equipment:

If you are just beginning to climb on real rock, chances are you will be using a top rope anchor system.  Top roping is the preferred choice in the gym and anywhere that you can hike/scramble to the top of the cliff.  As common as top roping is, there seems to be only a few sources that explain how to set up an anchor.  To set up a solid anchor you first need to have a couple of things and be able to perform a couple of activities, namely: one 10.5 mm dynamic rope, about 200 feet of 1" nylon webbing, a couple additional locking carabiners, two or three beefy natural anchors (rocks, boulders, or trees), the ability to join two ends of webbing together using a water knot, and the ability to tie a figure eight on a bight knot.   The above mentioned grocery list should suffice for most top rope areas.  There are more complex top rope anchor systems, but I will try to explain the basics.

Method #1:

1. Locate two, preferably three solid anchor points atop the run you wish to climb.  Medium to large trees well rooted into the soil and/or medium boulders usually will do the trick.  Nothing that you will be able, in you wildest dreams, to move.

2. Break out your webbing (available at an outdoor/camping/climbing outfitter for approx. $0.30/ft). Wrap the free end of the webbing around one of the objects you wish to anchor to, a minimum of two times. Leave approximately 1 foot of tail at the free end (this will be the "follow-through" end of your overhand knot).

3. Tie a Overhand Knot in the long end of the webbing close to the base of the anchoring object.

4. Follow the tail end through the overhand knot in the long end to complete the knot.

5. Repeat the above steps at remaining anchor points.
   NOTE:    The goal here is to create a system that shares the load at all the anchor points equally.  The more anchor points, the less load each one feels when you load the system, i.e. fall.  Try and find anchor points as equally spaced horizontally, as possible.  Keep in the back of your mind that you want to form a triangle.  If you do this, you should be OK.  If there is any doubt seek advise from an experienced climber.

6. Bring long ends of each anchor point to the edge of the cliff, above the route you want to climb, and dangle all of them a good 3 to 4 feet over the edge.  This will allow you to place an equalizing knot and top anchor both above the run and at the correct location within the anchoring system. 
   NOTE:    If one piece of webbing does not make it over the edge with plenty of extra length, tie an additional piece of webbing to the free end, using the overhand follow-through knot mentioned above.  If you do not have enough webbing, find another run where the anchor points are closer to the top of the route.

7. Grab all of the long ends and pull on the anchors until the webbing is taught.  Reach a full arms length down towards the free ends that were overhanging the route and form a bight in the webbing.

8. Using the bight in the webbing tie a figure eight on a bight knot.  This may take a couple of tries to get so that all pieces of webbing leading from the anchors are equally taught.  Make sure that they all converge at the knot.

9. Place two locking carabiners opposite and opposed through the loop at the end of the knot, lock the gates, and gently lower over the edge.  Try to position the anchor directly above the route you wish to climb and try to avoid having the carabiners rest directly on the rock.  You may have to repeat steps 6 through 8 to achieve this.

10. Once in position, pull the anchor up again, unlock the carabiners, clip the center of the rope into the carabiners, lock both of them, look over the edge to make sure no one is underneath, yell "ROPE", and toss her down.  You should be in business.  Getting down is another problem.

Method #2:
Multi-directional sliding knot

1. Locate two or three anchor points

2. Tie the two free ends of a 20-30 feet long piece of webbing together using an overhand follow-through knot, as described above, to form a loop.

3. V-hitch the piece of webbing around the anchor point and clip the two loops together with a locking caribener.

4. Repeat the above at the other anchor points in your system.

5. Tie the two free ends of a 50-100 feet long piece of webbing together using an overhand follow-through knot.  If you only have shorter pieces, joint a couple of them together to form a large loop.

6. Make a slider knot by clipping the loop into the three anchor points, grab the section of webbing between the left-most and the center anchors and pull the webbing toward you, twist, and clip the new loop and the bottom piece of the large original loop together with a locking biner.  Grab the section of webbing between the right-most and the center anchors and pull the webbing toward you, twist, and clip the loop into the biner that links the left and bottom loops.
   

7. Clip your rope into the locking biner that joins the three loops of the sliding knot, lock the biner, pull the system taught and toss your rope off the side of the cliff.

Bolted Runs:

I always wondered how they got there, whether they were safe, what materials should you use to bolt a run, etc.  I have to point you in the direction of the experts here.  There is some fascinating information about bolts located at the following sites:

For information about purchasing bolts try fixeclimbing.com.
For information on how they got there, how to put them there, and how to replace them if they are bad try safeclimbing.org.
Additional information can be found at Petzl.com or at Toadhall.

Guidebooks:

The following is a list of guidebooks we have found useful in our endeavors:

The Complete Great Falls Climbing Guide, by Marida Brinkworth
Carderock: Past and Present, by The Mountaineering Section of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
Red Rocks Select, Second Edition by Todd Swain
The Climber's Guide to North Carolina, Third Edition by Thomas Kelley
Costa Blanca, Mallorca, El Chorro, Second Edition by Alan James, Alan Cameron-Duff, and Rab Anderson

Additional information about technique, leading, and anchors can be found in:

How To Rock Climb Series: Advanced Rock Climbing, by John Long and Craig Luebben

Links:

	Pete & Ed Books	These guys not only provide a ton of additional regional climbing information, but they also have the finest books and maps on outdoor recreation covering biking, hiking, canoeing, fishing, and skiing.  Amazon is OK, these guys rule.
	Rockfax	This British oufit has some great information on international climbing and the Happy and Sad Boulders out in Bishop, CA.
	Tucson, AZ	This homepage provides great information about climbing in and around Tucson, AZ
	The Sharp End	A great resource for some free climbing images.

More To Come Soon ...

Check out CLIMBTHESTATES.COM, coming to the web Summer 2000!