Anchor tear down

[mathieu]

Here is an account of an accident that happend in Skaha recently.

http://www.live-the-vision.com/wwwboard/messages/14420.html

I know i've had this conversation/debate with some of you folks about 2 draw anchors. Anyways i'm just posting this so that people can read about it and maybe start a good conversation/debate. Please no mud slinging or childish comments there is plenty of those on the message board where the original message came from.

[Fred]

I realy think the title should be "Unexperienced Climbers: A word of Caution" not sport climbers.

Clearly a case of an unexperienced climber trying to retrieve the anchor. You see it all the time and it's quite frightning. How many times have you been to a crag and seen people shouting up to an unexperienced climber and coaching them on retrieving. You see it even more at sport crags.

They could have easily done the same mistake with a full out anchor.

I don't think the set-up is the fault here but rather user error.

[Fred]

there is also a 4th possibility. She didn't tie in properly before leaving the ground. This happened to Lynn Hill.

[The Teth]

Not properly tying in would be the most likely explanation, except that she reportedly asked to be taken off belay, which suggests she thought she was anchored in. Maybe she attached the anchor to something which was not load barring, such as a gear loop, or that little strap which on some harnesses keeps the rope centred.

When I am performing a manoeuver such as she was attempting, I like to methodically think through all my connections before each move. A less tragic and much funnier consequence of not taking the time to think things through is when someone drops the rope and is left stranded on the anchor. Taking the time to carefully think through each step can avoid humiliation, injury, or death. This goes for both new climbers and old climbers alike.

The Teth

[Fred]

I had to solo off Greenlaw one day when I dropped the rope. Some sketchy 5.4 scrambling at 200 ft. Yee haw! People kept telling me I'd drop it some day because I never secured it to myself before passing it through the anchor. nah nah I said... Ever since the incident I tie it everytime no matter what the circumstances.

[Fred]

it just came to me

when I was going throught the Kentucky footage the other day there is a part I cut out where Jeff reaches the anchor, clips the rope through, then starts to lean back and says "Secure" at which point I yell up to him and remind him he means "take" and "ready to lower"

perfect example of what inexperience can do and poor communication. never send someone to retrieve an anchor unless they are absolutely qualified but more importantly competent.

Jeff in this case was competent but just goes to show how communication can lead to error. 9 times out of 10 it's not the set-up failing but rather a mistake