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Climbing Anchors
Anchors for top-ropes and belays are essential for safe climbing. Learn here about different kinds of anchors; gear for anchors; how to choose anchor placements; and constructing safe anchors.
Don’t Top-Rope Through Bolt Anchors
A cardinal rule of top-roping is to never rig a top-rope through bolt anchors. The sawing of the rope wears out the metal anchors, requiring expensive replacement.
The Top-Rope Anchors and the Belayer
The most important parts of the top-rope climbing safety chain are the anchors and the belayer.
Building a Safe Top-Rope Anchor
The 3 basic skills you need to know to build a safe anchor system for top-rope rock climbing.
Choosing the Best Site for Top-Rope Anchors
The first skill you need to safely create top-rope anchors is to select the best site for them on the cliff-top.
Never Trust a Single Anchor -- Analysis of a Climbing Accident
Top-roping is dangerous. You need to use good equalized anchors. Read this article about a climbing accident at the Garden of the Gods and learn how not to set up your top-rope anchor.
Natural Anchors
Natural anchors are points on a cliff or cliff-top that are used by climbers as an anchor. These points include rock features like boulders and spikes and tree features like branches and tree trunks. Climbers use slings to tie off these points to create secure and safe climbing anchors.
How to Tie an Equalizing Figure-8 Knot -- Essential Rock Climbing Knots
How to Tie an Equalizing Figure-8 Knot -- Essential Rock Climbing Knots