Page 38 - Rappelling

chapter tw o

Rappel Anchors

Natural Anchors

Natural anchors utilize the features you’ll find at
the crag environment, such as trees, rock structures,
and the configuration of the rock itself. Assessing
natural anchors, especially if you’re committing to a
single natural anchor for a rappel anchor, is where
critical judgment becomes all important, because
your life, and the life of your rappelling partners,
depends upon your decisions.
Trees

Trees are one of the most common natural anchors,
plentiful in some areas, rare in others, like in a des-
ert environment. When assessing the reliability of a
tree, there are several considerations. Is the tree live
or dead? What is the environment (dry or wet)?
What is the diameter of the tree’s trunk? How
deeply rooted is the tree? When using a tree as your
anchor, a good rule of thumb is to choose a live,
healthy tree with a minimum trunk diameter of 12
inches. Trees at climbing sites in the southwestern
United States, because of the drier climate, are gen-
erally more reliable than trees in the Pacific North- Simple rigging of a fixed line tied directly to a
west or East Coast, where the climate is wetter and 15-inch-diameter live pine tree with a figure
more humid. eight follow-through knot.

Todd Gordon rappels off the
Long Dong Silver Spire, Utah.
Pho to by Gre G ePPerson

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Rappelling_i-174_3pp_CS55le.indd 27 7/24/13 10:15 AM