Page 58 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

CHAPTER 5

Using the Rope for
Anchoring

f a rope can be tied to several objects, it can eas-
I ily be used to create an anchor. The difference
between simply tying a rope to an object and building
an anchor is that an anchor is a system used to safe-
guard life and limb. Since the purpose of this text is
to focus on knots and hitches and the application of
the rope, a lengthy discussion of anchoring could be
distracting.
We shall assume, therefore, that the fundamental
principles that should apply to all climbing anchors
will apply to those presented in this chapter. They
will be adequately strong to sustain all potential loads
in the climbing system. So the components used to
construct the anchor are assumed to be living trees,
well-situated and sturdy boulders, strong and cor-
rectly placed bolts in good rock, or well-placed
artificial/removable protection. The anchor should
be redundant and distribute load intelligently to the
components.
A static setup rope is an excellent tool for building
anchors that accomplish all these tasks when the com-
ponents are far apart from each other. A cordellette or
sling is a great tool when the components are closer
together.

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