Monday, June 29, 2015

More miniature hardware.

Two tiny nuts for an anchor.


The real anchor is a single strand of 9/16" webbing. It is under tension, the nuts aren't.
The second climb has an 8MM correlate for an anchor, period.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Hardware epidemic.

OK, once more, this rock breaks. It doesn't care how long you have been climbing, who you work for, or how good your gear is, it just breaks. The cam at the center moved when the flake moved. 

More of same.

At least this was bedrock.

Nice tree. See the pile of sawdust at the bottom? Somebody is eating it from the inside.

The blue sling is around a bunch of sharp edges, at least there are 2 other anchors, but the blue sling appears to be holding all the weight.

Two slings around the refrigerator. It's big, but attached to absolutely nothing.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

He said, "I've got 180 feet of static." I said, "That doesn't mean it"s a good idea to use it all."

Shiny new carabiner and webbing. This was club night, people are trusting members' anchors.

He made a gigantic loop, the climbing rope is 25 feet further into the foreground. He said, "I wasn't sure if I could trust the rock here." Cautious, OK ASK SOMEBODY.

This is what he went 90 feet in search of. Note the figure 8, overhand knot, and carabiner just in case.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Hot, wet, OK if you're desperate.

Almost perfect, a more secure tie off would be better.

A lot of thought, but not so good. He could have used the rope, instead he added the runner, a single carabiner, an unstable clove hitch, and the so-called backup knot and carabiner. The 1" runner is great protection from friction, too bad it is in the air.

Maybe when they load the rig, they won't have as much friction.

Could be worse, lots of air around the hex but nowhere for it to go. OK if the rock wasn't prone to breaking and kids steal hardware from anchors.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

A hot mess.

This is one long rope, doubled, a figure 8 knot on one side, an overhand on the other, total nonsense.

8 mil cord for anchors

When you use 8 mil you run it up the tree to avoid friction on rock.

Same with 1 " webbing as a single strand.

Now it gets weird, some of the draws are under tension some are "backup."

A closer view.

Finish off with more 8 mil, draws connect to the climbing rope.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

He said he had 4 anchors.

They don't make pieces much smaller.

That's a #4 cam

This one was doing a lot of the work. That's 8mm cord.

Well, you cold do that.

8 MM cord and a single biner make 2 unnecessary links in the chain.

Super thin alpine runner?

Monday, June 8, 2015

What should you not tie off to at Carderock?

Remember this tree above Nubble Face?

Well here it is. Apparently nobody was attached to it.


This tree above the X lost some of its roots but survived a blight. Use it with other trees.
It's big and heavy but hanging over the edge and completely unattached. This is near Easy Layback.

The tree looks healthy, but...

Lots of air, not roots. Sling it at the base, it should be OK.

This tree looked great but the pile of sawdust at the base revealed the problem. This is near Herbie's Horror.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

A tree disappears.

4 feet up the tree, why not?

8mm rope around a loose rock with sharp edges.

The yellow rope is slinging the 6 inch horn again.

More 8mm on a single chock.

The tree disappeared recently. Looks like it broke.

Adding 2 points of failure with the webbing and carabiner. The carabiner on the white rope is doing...absolutely nothing.

How much wood should a tree have?

Let's add 2 unnecessary links in the chain
You can run your fingers from one hole to another.

Use your climbing rope for an anchor

The sling is a tri-cam added to the anchor.

Here it is

Saturday, June 6, 2015

How small a horn is big enough?

The yellow and red single strand webbing is one anchor. The purple webbing slings a 6" horn.

Yeah, right angles are good.

Why is he anchored only to the webbing? Because the rope isn't his.