TR Anchor with only 1 tree
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There's a route I found that I'd like to climb but there's not much in terms of building an anchor. |
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although redundency is always better its pretty commen to use one tree for an anchor. just give it a good inspection beforehand. |
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Sorry. Not trolling. I'm still new to building anchors and have only been taught to make it redundant as possible - probably why I posted on the beginner thread. |
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Let's remember that it's a beginners forum - be nice. |
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Thanks for the info. May need to think twice about posting here. |
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Hey kday, |
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I get asked about this a lot, and my typical response is something along the lines of: "if a three-foot diameter tree, near the top of my climb, fails, I will have more to worry about than the redundancy of my anchor." |
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I like the fist rule...if the width (diameter) is bigger than or equal to your fist your good to go. Aside from catastrophic failure in the soil etc. |
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Anson Call wrote:Hey kday, Sorry for all the attitudes here. You had a great question, and I think George and doligo have answered it well. Please stick around! MOST of us are happy to answer questions, even simple ones. To those who responded sincerely, thanks for making this forum a great community of climbers.Hey kday, Anson has it right. The majority of folks on these threads are good people and happy to answer questions. Unfortunately there are a handful of folks that are more vocal and generally not as friendly (jerks) but learn to ignore them and don't even give them so much as a reply and we'll all be better for it. Internet forums, in general, have this problem so the ignoring skill will prove useful any many internet situations. To answer your original question, Dolgio's advice is great. A big tree like that is bomber (assuming the tree is healthy-looking). The weight of climbers on the lowest part of the tree trunk, near the roots, will be easy on the tree. I'd still like two strands of static line just to make me feel better but in reality, if the edge of the cliff is not sharp (or you pad the edge well) a single strand would be plenty adequate. |
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kday, I wanted to ask before I went into a long response. This website gets lots of trollers asking similar type questions. It looks like you've got a few good responses now. I suggest trying to find a climbing partner with lots of experience. It is really nice when you can find someone to "show you the ropes" while you're learning. Books and professional guides are other options. |
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Generally speaking, a big living tree is absolutely bomber. The amount of force you can put on it, wrapped around near the base, is trivial compared to the amount of force a bit of wind through the upper branches will exert. |
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^^ I didn't quote you, but since you asked I took your name out of my post. |
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doligo wrote: Re: finding experienced partners, mentors - easier said than done. As a beginner, you can't tell well if the "experienced" partner really does exercise the best practices. If anything, there are many oldschoolers out there stuck in their pre-SRENE ways. A lot of times people blindly entrust themselves into hands of mentors, don't ask any questions and develop a casual attitude about safety.Very true and something I agree with. Since kday is asking questions now, it makes me think he'd also ask questions to people that show him new techniques outside. But likewise, as a beginner, you can't tell if randoms on the internet are giving the best advise either. |
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rescuedynamics.ca/articles/…
they have a part on tree anchors best free anchoring resource on da intrawebs ;) |
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A live tree with a 3' trunk with a solid foundation is pretty much bomber in most books. Loose soil, or recent rainfall could destabilize the tree, so be sure to check it every time you set up. Seemingly bomber trees have failed, and they all eventually will. Climb safe.. better to ask this question now, rather than having to answer one like "what caused this accident?" |
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If you look in a broad area you may find a crack or another tree if you're really concerned. A long piece of webbing or static rope can extend your usable anchors to a wide area. E.g. I have a 60 foot piece so if there was a second tree 40 feet away I could sling it too. |
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Is there a general consensus on the minimum diameter of a tree? I believe I read somewhere maybe in a guide book that it should be a minimum of 6 inches in diameter at the base. I would think it would also depend on the type of tree? |
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I would advise purchasing a book on anchor building (or 2) to get good information about your question and others that might come up along the way. |
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michael s... wrote:I would advise purchasing a book on anchor building (or 2) to get good information about your question and others that might come up along the way.Something tells me that the OP has read the book, hence the question. |
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There was a paper presented at the ITRS (International Tech Rescue Symposium) in 2010 by Rick Weber - "How to Determine Tree Strength and Build Tree Anchors". |
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doligo wrote: Something tells me that the OP has read the book, hence the question.I was not aware there was only one book on climbing anchors. Thank you for your helpful feedback. The pointlessness of my original suggestion has been made clear to me as a result. |