Everything looked fine until...

Nice new gear, perfect knot around and OK tree, but not a bomber anchor. Then this. This block is the best anchor. Rather than tie a knot, they went with a single carabiner, gate down towards the rock. Is that gate locked? Better hope it is.

Going, going...

You can see where the fibermat runs out. This tie won't last long. 

It's still dead.

So dead. This is a summer camp with good workers, nice new equipment. If this tree falls, the camp would be out of business.

Gate down towards the rock, yes it is a locker. There are two kinds of climbers, those who HAVE found an unlocked biner, and those who WILL.

It's dead, not "Pining for the fjords of Norway" just dead.

When a tree has no leaves, losing bark, and covered in fungus, it is really dead.

When you can't tie the knot right, tie two of them.

The all important quadruple knot.

Tie a knot, secure the tail, done.

Broken malt liquor bottle at Carderock, never seen before. It can't Valley climbers, they drink King Cobra or Olde English 800.

How do locking carabiners open?

This is a twist lock carabiner. One twist and it opens. It was opening every time the climber weighted the rope. A screw collar is safer, and even 2 non-lockers would be better.

Yes, that's 5.5 mm Dyneema cord, plenty strong, more resistant to cutting than nylon, but it doesn't have to cut much to fail.

Too much thinking is totally a thing.

When more is too much. The friction knots in the blue webbing (probably Hedden knots) use weaker knots and materials than the anchor ropes. The blue runner at the center is actually holding all the weight.

A friction knot on a carabiner is actually weakening the ropes.