Most climbers begin their career by toproping. If you’re reading this blog, it’s likely that you’ve toproped before. So I’d like to try something new with this blog. I’d like to ask each of you out there in the dark corridors of the internets what you see wrong with each of the set-ups in the following pictures.
Don’t jump ahead to the answers. Just see what you think. If you’re really good, you’ll write down all the things that you think are wrong before scrolling down to see if you were right…
Picture #1 — This first photo was taken at Barney’s Rubble in Leavenworth. What’s wrong with this picture?
The Answers:
Picture #1:
This first anchor is a mess. Here is a quick breakdown of the problems:
- The rope is going through a single quickdraw. This is not what is considered industry standard. There should be redundancy at the power-point. Most often, the redundancy is reached by using two opposite and opposed lockers or three opposite and opposed non-lockers.
- The entire system is an massive Magic X or Sliding X. If your goal is to build an anchor that meets the standards of the anchor building acronyms SRENE or ERNEST, then an open Sliding X is the wrong choice. The problem with a large open “self-equalizing” system is twofold. First, there is the potential for a shock-load if one of the pieces fail. And second, there is no redundancy in the sling. If you need some level of self-equalization, the best thing to do is to add load limiting knots to the system. Load limiters will decrease the shock-load while creating redundancy in the sling.
- It’s not at all clear what the sling on the right is for.
- Some people might believe that there should be two locking carabiners into the bolts. I don’t believe this to be necessary. As there are two bolts, and a carabiner into each bolt, there is redundancy.
Picture #2:
- One should not directly toprope off of chains. The constant lowering motion of the rope slowly damages the anchor. It is best to toprope directly off of your own gear and then to rappel with the ropes through the chains.
Picture #3:
- Yep, that’s an American Death Triangle, which means it’s bad. There are dangerous vectors between the two bolts, and there is no redundancy in the system.
- In a toproped setting, the power-point should have at least two opposite and opposed locking carabiners or three opposite and opposed non-locking carabiners.
- Like Picture #1, some people have stated that they would put locking carabiners into the
bolts. I don’t believe this to be necessary. As there are two bolts,
and a carabiner into each bolt, there is redundancy.
–Jason D. Martin