Girth Hitch In?

Some are girth hitching the anchor webbing or cord to a master Carabiner instead of a clove or overhand on a bight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkx02ANJiDY

Potentially instead of cloving in with your rope you could "girth in" also?

Clickable link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkx02ANJiDY

I saw this as well. Interested to see others thoughts but I think I might adopt it. Seems better for a few reasons, easier to adjust, easier to untie, need less material (shorter slings), seems perhaps a bit quicker. 

There are 50 ways to skin a cat. Those euros do all sorts of different stuff, just be sure you understand what you are doing.
They have some beautiful Mts in Austria - did my very first climbing in Tyrol.

How does girth hitch react if one of the pieces blows? Does it slip at all?

Dan Daugherty wrote: My concern is that if any one leg gets cut, the girth hitch will have to remain weighted to prevent the loose strand from pulling through and completely blowing the anchor. With an overhand or 8 for tying the masterpoint, that's not possible. I don't think its a high risk, but for me, I'd call it moderate and just for that, I wouldn't use it.

If you’re using a Dyneema sling I think the risk is about the same that it slips through. Also, not scientific at all but in my limited “testing” once the girth hitch has been weighted it is essentially locked in and does not slip even when I “cut” a strand. There’s a time and a place for everything sure,  for me I think I’ll start using this as a go to method for multi pitch applications. 

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know of any real world incidents where a strand of an anchor was cut? Everyone always talks about it but I’ve never heard of it happening. 

Climbed with a random dude recently and he insisted on the girth hitch. Super weird. I tried to make it slip by trying to feed the slack end through while I told him to yard on the other end. But I have a feeling he wasn't giving it 100% effort.

Travis S wrote:

If you’re using a Dyneema sling I think the risk is about the same that it slips through. Also, not scientific at all but in my limited “testing” once the girth hitch has been weighted it is essentially locked in and does not slip even when I “cut” a strand. There’s a time and a place for everything sure,  for me I think I’ll start using this as a go to method for multi pitch applications. 

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know of any real world incidents where a strand of an anchor was cut? Everyone always talks about it but I’ve never heard of it happening. 

I've read of accidents happening when a double fisherman or water knot comes untied, if you had that for your anchor that would be the same effect. 

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know of any real world incidents where a strand of an anchor was cut? Everyone always talks about it but I’ve never heard of it happening. 

Yes.  Here is a documented case.  One strand of a two bolt anchor was cut in a rockfall event.  Two people would have died if they had been using a sliding X or other method that fails when one strand is cut.

http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213756/Rockfall-Anchor-Chopped

Slow pull tests of girth hitched slings by Walter Siebert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyWt30VisZY

I was skeptical at first myself, but I’m using it tomorrow.  

Seems like a clove hitch is better for this application. I believe it locks up better than a girth hitch and is easier to adjust. I’ll have to try this and compare. I’ve been using a clove hitch as opposed to an overhand or 8 almost all the time now. 

There's already a thread about girth hitch anchors: https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/118091479/girth-hitch-ice-climbing-anchors 
The OP there claims that a clove hitch anchor slips *more* than the girth hitch in pull tests (simulating the case when one strand is cut).
If you build a rope anchor you don't have to worry about any of this.

Glowering wrote: Seems like a clove hitch is better for this application. I believe it locks up better than a girth hitch and is easier to adjust. I’ll have to try this and compare. I’ve been using a clove hitch as opposed to an overhand or 8 almost all the time now. 

That's what immediately occurred to me while watching this too. The same method but a clove hitch would be just as easy, just as equalized, but more slip-resistant.

Pros: uses less material than a knot, fast/easy, especially with gloves or in the cold, adjusts as readily as a clove hitch.
Cons: potentially costs an extra locker (or a ring), shelf is dubious, partner might not be stoked.

Saw a video from the CAI testing the clove and girth hitch in high force drop testing (as opposed to slow pull) and there is very little slip.

Apply the tool accordingly. 

I’m a big fan of cloves, but after considering this, it does seem like this is slightly quicker and easier by a hair....Both to employ and to get the ideal direction of pull.   One consideration is the master point biner will be 90 degrees offset for each method (clove vs girth)....if that matters to your particular setup.    I’m adding it to the ol toolbox. 

Been doing it for years, it's fine. Great for working with gloves or icy slings. If you have already weighted it then it won't slip much or at all. If a sling is cut within a centimeter of the clove then you'll probably die. I don't expect anything different from a masterpoint knot cut that close in Dyneema either though. Do what you want.

Derek DeBruin wrote: Pros: uses less material than a knot, fast/easy, especially with gloves or in the cold, adjusts as readily as a clove hitch.
Cons: potentially costs an extra locker (or a ring), shelf is dubious, partner might not be stoked.

Saw a video from the CAI testing the clove and girth hitch in high force drop testing (as opposed to slow pull) and there is very little slip.

Apply the tool accordingly. 

Link to video?

Evan Bosso wrote: Yes.  Here is a documented case.  One strand of a two bolt anchor was cut in a rockfall event.  Two people would have died if they had been using a sliding X or other method that fails when one strand is cut.

http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213756/Rockfall-Anchor-Chopped

They would have died if the rock had hit the masterpoint instead of the strand.  Just luck they didn't get killed.  There is a picture on mountain project somewhere.

Slow day, sore throat. Goofing around.  Make a Quad by girthing the carabiners. Quirth? Gird?

Sliding X with redundant legs on single length runner.

Start with girth hitch on both ends.

Add carabiners at x.

A while ago I talked to Dylan Taylor about this. He said it's common in the Dolomites, where anchors are a ton of old pins at stances. From my faulty memory here's how it goes: Folks take a thin piece of tech cord, thread it through the eyes of a bunch of pins, tie it into a loop, and then girth hitch either a big biner or even a cast ring as the masterpoint. As long as there are an odd number of pieces, if one pulls then the master biner will stay in the system.

That said, haven't done it or played around with it.