Ask the Master: How Do You Anchor Yourself to a Multipitch Anchor?
Quick and simple Q&A with the Master.
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This article originally appeared in Rock and Ice issue 239.
How do you anchor yourself to a multipitch anchor? I’ve seen folks toss a clove hitch onto the powerpoint carabiner and call it good, where other methods involve girth-hitched slings, purcells or commercial Personal Anchor Systems. What do you teach?
—Nick Belcaster
Hi there,
You could get several answers depending on who you ask, but here is mine.
I look to get myself safe very quickly without much effort, create a bit of redundancy, and I also want to make sure that I didn’t bury my system so I
can quickly and easily get free of it when it is time to move again.
I often anchor with a clove hitch tied in my climbing rope on a locking carabiner, which gets clipped to the first anchor piece I place. The clove hitch is a great knot at the anchor, because it is quickly built and adjustable with the carabiner closed and locked. Once the entire anchor is built I clip
my PAS into a point above the master point, although sometimes I do it the other way around.
Keep it safe, simple and clean.
—Martin Volken
Got a question about climbing? Submit your question to Gear Guy at rockandicegearguy@gmail.com
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