Natural anchors are places on a cliff or cliff-top that are used by climbers as anchor points. These places are rock features, which include boulders, blocks, chockstones, horns, spikes, chickenheads, and tunnels, as well as botanic features like tree branches, tree trunks, tree roots, and even bushes. Natural anchors are used for rappel anchors, belay anchors, and anchor points for protection when you’re climbing.
Natural Anchors are Quick and Secure
Natural anchors were the first anchors used by early rock climbers, who looped their rope over rock spikes for belay anchors and over horns for protection while they led a pitch. Natural anchors are still used because they usually offer excellent and secure anchor points; because you find them on most cliffs; and because they’re usually quick to set up and easy to rig with slings. Natural anchors are often stronger than any gear like nuts and cams you might place.
Where are Natural Anchors
Where do you find natural anchors? Everywhere you climb. A natural anchor is as simple as girth-hitching a tree trunk at the base of a top-rope route for a belay anchor or tying off a large boulder with your rope on a cliff-top for a belay anchor. Smart and competent climbers look for natural anchors as they climb. Natural anchors save gear, are usually secure, and are often some of the best anchors you might find on a route. Natural anchors aren’t fancy. You only need to carry and use simple climbing tools, including a variety of slings and carabiners, to create and tie off natural anchors.
Slings are Basic Gear
Slings, pieces of webbing that are either tied or sewn into a loop, are the basic climbing equipment that you use for natural anchors. Besides carrying a half-dozen two-foot-long slings, usually ½- or 1-inch wide webbing, you should carry a variety of slings make from cord like Spectre. The cords should be a variety of lengths and thicknesses. These are then used for threading through small tunnels and conjoined potholes or girth-hitching around various sized knobs and chickenheads. To tie off trees and boulders, you need long slings.
How Many Slings Should You Carry?
Your basic gear for using natural anchors includes 4 to 6 two-foot slings, 2 or 3 four-foot slings, and 4 to 8 lengths of 6mm or 7mm cord slings. These slings supplement your regular climbing rack of nuts, cams, and quickdraws. Before you climb a route, however, eyeball it and decide how many slings you will need to carry to create natural anchors.
