Page 57 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

object. But it is a destructive hitch, and its applica-
tion can greatly reduce the material strength. There is
almost never an occasion where the application of this
hitch does not have a perfectly viable alternative, like a
basket or surgeon’s knot.

Guide’s Insight

When I teach aspiring professionals to build
toproping anchors, I try to help them see that
the aesthetic qualities of an anchor make a dif-
ference. How does it look? Does it look elegant?
Interestingly, AMGA-Certified Single Pitch
Instructors can recognize elegance when they
see it, and so can their students. At first, how-
ever, it can be difficult for them to explain or
qualify what exactly makes an anchor look
elegant. There are a few things: the precise use
of anchoring materials, no material wasted, no
carabiner or tool wasted when a knot would suf-
fice, and the visually pleasing sight of one rope
used to connect all the components and create
a master point. The more familiar anchor build-
ers become with the bowline and the bowline
with a bight, the more elegant their anchors will
become. Eventually, any toproping team can
create anchors that have the same signature
elegance and efficiency as those made by an
AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor.

44 CLIMBING: KNOTS