Big wall anchors - PHOTOS

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Brendan Gill

Trad climber

Guernsey

Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 15, 2011 - 11:12pm PT

hey all

I have not climbed a big wall yet and so far i have had no problem in building anchors.

BUT

i just want to see some examples of what other people have built so i can compare designs.

the idea is to see things like.
were and how the haul bags are clipped.
what point is the porta-ledge clipped too.
hauling point where that fits in.

i have googled lots. the best picture i have see is the one provided by climbing tech tips.

http://www.climbing.com/print/techtips/AID.224.gif

thanks
Brendan

Moof

Big Wall climber

Orygun

Dec 16, 2011 - 12:16am PT

There's the Sane Way, and the Canadian Assassin's "Better Way".

That pic is the Canadian Assassin's handy work, using about 20 biners for a single anchor. What could be Better than that?

Pretty much everyone I've done a wall with puts up a 3 bolt cordalette right on the anchor, and a 2 bolt hauling anchor with slings to one side, sharing hangers if the bolts allow (most trade routes have decent hangers that accept 2 bolts nicely. Stuff gets layered in using reasonable common sense after that, and it mostly works out. After a few clusters your first time out you get things dialed enough to do Better than 1 pitch a day...

Ideally you run with a tag line and tag up the haul line, anchor kit (cordalette, slings, pile of biners), hauler, spare rack, and go at it.

FYI, most pics you'll find of big wall anchors look like a giant cluster. Stacked ropes, docked pigs, bosun seats, spare rack, etc all make things look awful, but if things are handled a little sanely theings layer on, then back off just fine.

Moof

Big Wall climber

Orygun

Dec 16, 2011 - 12:29am PT

Typical anchor cluster. With all your crap clipped in, it is hard to see that this anchor is just fine, and did not create cluster. Layer things so nothing is trapped, and you'll be fine.

mtnyoung

Trad climber

Twain Harte, California

Dec 16, 2011 - 12:44am PT

Keep a sense of humor?

On South Seas, at an anchor somewhere around the seventh pitch (the dolphin was our mascot - someone else had left the coconut taped to the wall):

Norwegian

Trad climber

Placerville, California

Dec 16, 2011 - 07:49am PT

jfailing

Trad climber

Lone Pine

Dec 16, 2011 - 10:41am PT

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

Dec 16, 2011 - 11:08am PT

Simple, clean, efficient.

Totally fircken bomber, clean and efficient.

as bomber as you'll ever need but still clean and efficient.

I always haul of off one bolt. I never equalize that although I do safety it over to another bolt.

A hanging bivy anchor on the top of the PO.

Notice that it is still pretty clean and organized.

j-tree

Big Wall climber

Classroom to crag to summer camp

Dec 16, 2011 - 11:18am PT

Hudon is my hero.

Anxious Melancholy

Mountain climber

Between the Depths of Despair & Heights of Folly

Dec 16, 2011 - 11:21am PT

Contrary to all the drilled wall anchors illustrated above, don't forget that you can actually use natural anchors too...

course, then again, ya got to remeber that.

yur gonna die!

thekidcormier

Trad climber

squamish, b.c.

Dec 16, 2011 - 11:53am PT

Hudon is my hero.

Same here!

Dos XX

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Dec 16, 2011 - 11:57am PT

I was hopin' Hudon would post some of his pics. Yay!

...making lots of mental notes...gotta figure out that Sheep Knot thing...

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

Dec 16, 2011 - 12:01pm PT

Thanks.

Figure out the Butterfly knot and how to make the loop larger or smaller and how to move the whole knot up and down the rope all without untying it and you'll have easy, fast and cluster free anchors always available to you.

Dos XX

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Dec 16, 2011 - 12:04pm PT

Thanks, Mark. I was gettin' my sheep & butterflies confused.

elcap-pics

Big Wall climber

Crestline CA

Dec 16, 2011 - 12:04pm PT

Piton Pete, where are you? Shot these wankers the real shite!

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

Dec 16, 2011 - 12:10pm PT

I was wondering about that Dos XX ;-)

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

Dec 16, 2011 - 12:13pm PT

I wish I had taken a photo of that totally climber built anchor on top of the second to last pitch of the South Seas-PO.

I had six cams all equalized with Butterfly knots down to two points, one for hauling and one for jugging. Even though it wasn't bolts, it was simple, clean, effective and totally bomber.