Discussion Topic |
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This thread has been locked |
rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Jul 13, 2007 - 11:21am PT
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This is Locker's fault...
I love to go a' anchoring
pitch after climbing pitch.
But as I go, I'm stymied 'cause
arm-length is such a bitch.
[Chorus]
Equa-lette! Corda-lette! Equa-lette!
Corda-lette tet tet tet tet tet
Equa-lette! Corda-lette
I just don't have the knack.
[/Chorus]
How I miss the good ol' days
when no one had to think,
"our anchors are SRENE," we thought
although they sometimes stink.
{chorus}
Discussions hypothetical
are begging to be dissed,
repeated o'er, 'cause folks can't read,
I think I'll slash my wrist.
{chorus}
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
St. Looney
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Jul 13, 2007 - 11:58am PT
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Mwahahahahaa! That should go in the next edition! hahahaaa
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wootles
climber
Gamma Quadrant
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Jul 13, 2007 - 12:15pm PT
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Thanks Rgold!!! I really needed a good laugh today.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jul 13, 2007 - 02:33pm PT
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Aside from Crimpgirl´s rundown of the book, a key idea, maybe THE key idea is to never put yourself in a position for the anchor to absorb a leader fall. That is, never fall directly on the belay anchor. Ever. Trying to build a belay anchor that will withstand any amount of direct loading is not nearly as important as making sure the top piece of gear, the piece that will catch the fall, is bomber. Only when rope is out and in the system and dynamics, flex and rope slippage enter the game does the roped safety system work as advertised.
As Rich G. and many others have observed, total anchor failure is rare not so much because everyone builds bomber anchore but because our anchors are so rarely tested in the extreme. A climber of 30 years experience might never have run into a case where someone ripped straight onto the anchor. It is amazing that it does not happen more frequently, especially on big aid routes.
JL
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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Jul 13, 2007 - 03:53pm PT
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Good advice.
If I can't place pro near the belay, (e.g. Snake Dike where you lead out from a 2 bolt anchor for a ways before you can get pro), I use a screamer on the belay redirect, and I'm ready to give a soft catch. It would absorb some of the force. Of course two bolts *should* be bomber, but better safe than sorry. You could belay directly off your harness in that situation, so you don't have the pulley effect of a redirect, but that introduces other drawbacks (e.g. maintaining control when catching a fall directly on your harness, more difficult to escape the belay in a self rescue situation).
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