By chopsticktown
From Blandon, PA
Oct 7, 2012
| Bomber or not?
Used something similar the other day while belaying a second. It only made me second guess myself while we were back on the ground after the rappel.
1. At the top of the pitch there were a redundant set of metal cables around a tree used as a rappel station. The cables are represented by two slings basket hitched around the tree in the right hand corner attached to two Quicklinks.
2. The left hand side of the picture is a cordelette basket hitched and tied off around the base of the tree.
3. There is one sling basket hitched from the quicklinks to a locking carabiner attached to below the knot of my master point on my cordelette.
So, bomber or not? | 
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By FrankPS
From Atascadero, CA
Oct 7, 2012
| The cordelette, by itself, would be an adequate anchor. The additional slings on the right side are unnecessary clutter. |
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By kennoyce
From Clearfield, UT
Oct 7, 2012
| FrankPS wrote: The cordelette, by itself, would be an adequate anchor. The additional slings on the right side are unnecessary clutter.
+100 |
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By Em Cos
From Boulder, CO
Oct 7, 2012
| What was the thought process here? Are you trying to back up the tree to... half the tree? |
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By rock_fencer
From Columbia, SC
Oct 7, 2012
| This reminds me of a time when i was super new to anchors and i backed up a BFT (big F*#$ing Tree) with a green c3...My partner still makes fun of me for that one ten years later |
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By chopsticktown
From Blandon, PA
Oct 7, 2012
| FrankPS wrote: The cordelette, by itself, would be an adequate anchor. The additional slings on the right side are unnecessary clutter.
That was my initial thought, sometimes my mind plays tricks om me. |
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By T.C.
From Whittier, NC
Oct 7, 2012
| Why not just use the rope ? |
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By Anthony Milano
Oct 7, 2012
| Em Cos wrote: What was the thought process here? Are you trying to back up the tree to... half the tree?
+1
You couldn't find another tree to use as a back up???? I mean come on. What if that tree rips out or breaks. Then what??? |
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By Reginald McChufferton
Oct 7, 2012
| What's with all the clutter in your anchor? Just wrap the rope a time or two and tie it off. All that extra crap makes your anchor less safe by introducing more fail points. You need to find a mentor. |
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By chopsticktown
From Blandon, PA
Oct 7, 2012
| Perhaps I did forget the KISS principle. |
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By BWIce
From Carlisle, PA
Oct 7, 2012
| With a tree that large, your redundancy comes with a knot in the cordelette. The concern isn't that the tree will fail and that you will need to back up the tree (you have bigger concerns if that tree fails) - your concern is that your system shouldn't rely on a single strand. An elegant approach is to take a bight of your climbing rope around the tree and tie a BFK between the bight and the tails. The knot creates two independent ropes around your anchor and distributes your load evenly through the master point knot. Otherwise, do the same thing with a cordelette and call it good. |
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By chopsticktown
From Blandon, PA
Oct 7, 2012
| Thanks everyone for the input.
Lessons Learned:
Keep it simple stupid.
The one cordelette that I tied off would have been sufficient.
My nerves got to the best of me and I just threw in some unnecessary things. |
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By michaeltarne
Oct 7, 2012
| K.I.S.S. is always a good thing, but more is usually better than less as well. |
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By T.C.
From Whittier, NC
Oct 7, 2012
| Or, climb with twin/doubles and just do a bite with overhand on each rope separately, then clip them to the quicklinks. Two ropes, always redundant, and you never need to do 1/2 length raps. Makes climbing with a group of three way fast.
Once you use two ropes for multipitch trad, you won't go back. |
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By Medic741
From Pittsford, New York
Oct 14, 2012
| If you do use just cordalette make sure it is tied in such a way so if one strand fails (like the one around the tree) you don't have total anchor failure.
Just a thought: when I have a bft throw an overhand on a bight and girth hitch the tree
With the leg from the girth hitch tie a figure 8 follow through around tree again.
Tie master point. Bam easy, redundant anchor. |
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By Mark E Dixon
From Sprezzatura, Someday
Oct 14, 2012
| I like to carry a few acorns on Grade III+ climbs, so I can plant them for anchors. Sometimes takes a while, but safety first! |
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