Reddit Reddit reviews Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide (The Mountaineers Outdoor Experts Series)

We found 25 Reddit comments about Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide (The Mountaineers Outdoor Experts Series). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Sports & Outdoors
Books
Mountaineering
Mountain Climbing
Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide (The Mountaineers Outdoor Experts Series)
Author: Craig LuebbenISBN: 9781594850066
Check price on Amazon

25 Reddit comments about Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide (The Mountaineers Outdoor Experts Series):

u/seahuston · 9 pointsr/climbing

Is there a comprehensive guide? Yes there is and it's quite good!
https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062

I've also found this article to be a good starting point:
http://www.rescuedynamics.ca/articles/pdfs/EarnestAnchors3.pdf


Pictures would help understand your situations but it sounds like you guys weren't actually building anchors but just running the rope through the rings at the top. Which is:

  1. A total pain for closed rings
  2. Frowned upon in most crags. The rings usually meant for a rappel or lower of the lead climber but not a group of people top roping. It can wear them out faster when you do this. Check with a local on ethics here.

    Based on your description it seems like you should have been able to build a simple 2 bolt equalized anchor with cord and four lockers (2x bolts, 2x for the rope).

    EDIT: frowned upon in MOST crags

    EDIT2: Absiel/Rappelling is apparently only a US Thing so stick to the lower off. The more you know
u/ja1484 · 8 pointsr/financialindependence

A few pointers:

  • Buy once, cry once. This is gear that your life literally depends upon. Do NOT cheap out here.

  • Do some light reading followed by some heavier reading followed by some heaviest reading. FOTH in particular has a lot of good supplemental information on camp, clothing systems, reading terrain, etc.

  • Read a little more if you end up getting more serious than toprope/bouldering/sport climbing. No one makes you go out there, and no one is required to risk themselves to bring you home. Personal responsibility is big here.

  • Last but not least: Find out what YOU like. Do not buy cam brand X or rope brand Y or shoe brand Z because they look cool or your friend loves them. Try them yourself. There are pieces of gear I treasure that my partners hate and vice versa. Your gear needs will also vary by region. I use a completely different rack in the South West compared to the East Coast.


    Feel free to PM me with specific questions...I have over a decade of climbing/mountaineering and outdoor experience on everything outside of the Himalaya. Snowfields, Rock, Ice, Bouldering, Backpacking, summer, winter, poor weather, perfect weather...I've been there.

    As for costs:
    REI credit card may actually be worth looking into, and an REI membership is a one-time $20 fee that will pay literal dividends for life. Other than that, the standard online comparison shopping methods are your best friend.

    DO NOT purchase used life-critical equipment. Let me repeat that DO NOT purchase used life-critical equipment. You do not know how it has been stored, cared for, maintained and thus do not know if it will do it's job when you really really need it to.
u/mlnnn · 5 pointsr/climbing

Self coached climber for actual climbing and training technique. Craig Leubben's [Rock Climbing Anchors] (http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062) and Freedom of the Hills for everything else.

u/DCBarefootRun · 5 pointsr/climbing

Consider supplementing your classes with some books. Bob Gaines new AMGA Manual, the classic Luebben climbing book, and Luebben's anchor book are all excellent. John Long has a new Trad Climbers Bible, haven't read it though. I find him wordy and often not as clear as others.

Note that Luebben suggests to spend a day every year climbing with an expert guide to make sure you're solid.

If you want a specific recommendation: BEFORE YOUR CLASS: Pick up the three books above and read them. Take notes on what you don't understand. Look to online forums and videos for answers. Buy some gear and practice placing the gear outside. Have a piece of rope you keep on your couch. Practice knots while watching TV. FOR YOUR CLASS: Once you've done this, then take a class with an expert. Bring all the questions you've come up with. Take notes and get your guides contact info so you can stay in touch after. AFTER YOUR CLASS, continue reviewing the books (which will make more sense), start climbing easy single pitch stuff outside, email new questions to your guide. Take an anchors course if it's available, particularly before getting into multi-pitch.

Have fun & good luck!

EDIT: Check out r/tradclimbing and their excellent FAQ.

u/bearbreeder · 5 pointsr/climbing

get a safe and experienced friend to show you how and check your setup

he/she will show you all the gear youll need

and get "rock climbing anchors" by craig luebben ... it cost the same as a locking biner ...

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062

;)

u/stevenr12 · 4 pointsr/climbing

Check out Climbing Anchors by Craig Luebben: http://www.amazon.ca/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Guide/dp/1594850062

Also, try and go with an experienced friend or a guide to check your anchor.

u/rocksouffle · 4 pointsr/climbing

If you are truly curious and you want to expand your knowledge such that you can more safely operate within a wider variety of top access scenarios, consider investing in some of these books:

  • Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills
  • Rock Climbing: The AMGA Single Pitch Manual
  • Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide Book

    Sure, you may certainly get by in life perfectly fine with substantially less knowledge, but if you are posting here with a question as thoroughly written out as the one you have here, you are likely interested in having a larger "toolkit" to feel more confident when approaching these types of situations. These books (among others) will, without a doubt, greatly enhance your anchor building and risk management "toolkit".

    Consider, for instance, that if you are carrying a static "setup rope" for top rope anchors, there are numerous ways to leverage it to establish both a high master point (away from the edge) and an instructor tether to allow yourself to control your movement around, near, and over the edge without exposing yourself to the risk of falling while you establish a low master point over the edge for a top rope anchor. Sometimes this may be overkill and sometimes it may be precisely what you need to feel confident in this type of situation. Having this knowledge on tap allows you to make more informed decisions.

    Two examples of these types of systems are

  • the backside system
  • and perhaps more awesomely the three in one.

    If you want to learn more about those systems, the SPI manual has a reasonable primer on each of them. Personally, I like the Donahue/Luebben Mastering Basic Skills book a little bit more if I had to pick one of the two, but you cannot go wrong with either one.

    Best of luck.
u/EricTheBarbaric · 4 pointsr/climbing

Glad to hear your making the transition to the outdoors. It's an amazing and well worth while endeavor.

Honestly, i would take a class or go with someone well experienced. I know this is what a lot of people say and i might seem redundant, but it really is true.

The reason I stand behind my opinion is that it's not very hard to learn how to set up a top rope on bolted anchors and master that skill. The hard part is knowing how to keep your self out of danger during the process and if you get into danger, how to bail yourself out.

The gym is a very controlled and regulated environment. The outdoors isn't. When climbing outside, there are always unexpected issues and problems that you need to make a judgement call on. I would just recommend that you have a solid foundation of knowledge and at least some first hand experience from someone that you trust, before you potentially get into a situation over your head.

When i first started, this book helped me a lot to fill in any small gaps of knowledge. It is not a supplement for first hand experience though.

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062

u/ghetto_dave · 3 pointsr/phoenix

Get a buddy and go indoor rock climbing first, second and third. I love PRG. There you will learn several important things like the basic tie in knot, how to trust the rope and how to belay with a grigri. You will learn to use your whole body without trying to do pull ups. Its really pretty easy to get people to go indoor climbing vs outdoor, and then you can find the people who like climbing and you trust with your life.


If you are the kind of person who likes to read about things before going out and trying them, try this and if you want to do trad (not pre anchored sport routes) this.


When I first started climbing, I almost took a class here. If you don't have a bunch of indoor climbing experience, some experienced friend, or just a mind for detail and a crap load of overconfidence - take the class. I learned as I went with a few good friends, but there were a few lessons that we almost learned the hard way. Have fun up there!

u/ChrispSharma · 3 pointsr/climbing

I bought mountaineering freedom of the hills as everyone recommends, it's very comprehensive, so much so I end up using it as a reference.

One of my favorites is [Luebben's Rock Climbing Anchors] (http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062). I've used this one the most and to initially teach myself. Also have more experienced people look over your anchors.

People recommend John Long's Anchor book but I've never read it.

Remember to build and weight anchors ground level and place tons of gear on easy climbs when you're starting out.
I was always very redundant with gear and of course we practiced on low traffic climbs.

u/erikb42 · 3 pointsr/climbing

This book is crucial: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062

I’ve heard the John Long one is great as well.

Also, definitely get a copy of Freedom of the Hills.

u/pehvbot · 2 pointsr/climbing

Lots and more literature, but it basically breaks down to:

  1. climbing (often trad)

  2. anchor building (sometimes with bolts, sometime not)

  3. belaying from either above or below

  4. gear management (much more complex than single pitch)

    Seconded on Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills as a great overview of all of this (and much more).

    My favorite anchor management book is Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide

    EDIT: and of course the usual caution. Don't try this without proper instruction.
u/leslieyes · 2 pointsr/climbing

This is an excellent book for learning to set TR anchors.

u/wrinkledknows · 2 pointsr/climbing

I've used different methods: (1) find a patient belayer willing to belay you on top rope while you climb and set gear. I have one good buddy who had done a lot of trad back in the day but wasn't interested in leading any more so this approach was great because he was experienced enough to check my gear and give advice. (2) set a bunch of gear and build anchors while on the ground. (3) bring along some trad pro while sport climbing and try to find somewhere to place it even if it's unnecessary. (4) while seconding and cleaning look closely at the gear you're taking out and understand why it was placed however it was. (5) a lot of reading - the books on anchor building by John Long and Craig Luebben are great. I prefer Luebben's because he tends to be more descriptive of why certain placements are better/worse.

u/0bsidian · 2 pointsr/climbing

Climbing Anchors - John Long, Bob Gaines.
https://www.amazon.ca/Climbing-Anchors-2nd-John-Long/dp/0762723262

Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide Book - Craig Luebben.
https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062

u/el___mariachi · 2 pointsr/tradclimbing

The Mountaineers put out a great anchor books as well (I've never read the Long so I can't comment on how it compares):
http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/climbing

Prusiking is tiring, and it takes a little practice to get the rhythm down. I'd imagine that the skill could be life-saving, someday.

I've found the ascending videos by the Cornell Tree Climbers to be really informative: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2FED1B889E749C21

The "Texas Kick" video illustrates the most common ascending technique.

As for self-rescue, I have this book. It has a lot of information, but I found it really difficult to read or learn from. I think the best way to learn the complicated self rescue stuff is hands on with a trainer. Black and white pictures of knots didn't really work for me, but you might find the book
helpful!

Strangely, I really liked the climbing anchors book from the same series. I thought that its layout was more textbook-like and easier to understand that the frequently recommended Climbing Anchors by John Long. They're both good if you want resources on anchor-building.

u/hatmatter · 1 pointr/climbing

Grab this book Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide, its a great resource for learning how to build anchors.


Rope drag is generally a bad thing, even smooth surfaces will cause your rope to pick up grit and accelerate wear on your gear. Everyone should know how to properly set up an anchor, its easy once you know some things to avoid and get an idea of what you're looking to accomplish. It gets really interesting in the alpine when you're having to improvise points of protection and your general station set up! Like /u/cardina16 said, make sure you are ERNEST.

u/steveheikkila · 1 pointr/tradclimbing

The late great Craig Leubben also has a very good climbing anchors book published my the Mountaineers.

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Anchors-Comprehensive-Mountaineers/dp/1594850062

u/____Matt____ · 1 pointr/climbing

Rig up a ground anchor for her.

This can entail placing a piece of traditional protection at the base of a climb (not always an option) near where she will be standing, and then running the rope through said piece of protection or attaching it to her harness via use of say, a cordelette and a locking carabiner. Good options for attachment to the harness include the belay loop or the haul loop (providing her harness has one, and it's a rated haul loop, which it should be--look at the back of the harness), and which one makes more sense depends on what is going to happen when you fall as far as forces, etc. go and the terrain. Of course, this requires you to have traditional gear and be relatively proficient at placing it, such that you can be sure the gear will resist a pull in the necessary direction(s).

Another option is to rig up an anchor to a sufficiently sized tree, a rock, or some other object that is not going to move if loaded with the force of a fall. I am assuming you have some experience building top rope anchors from trees and similar, and can probably figure out a way to rig this up. If you don't, a book like this one or this one or both wouldn't be a bad investment. Another good investment is a longer than usual cordelette, say 30-40 ft (of 7 mm accessory cord), instead of the more typical ~20-25 ft. In these cases, you'll probably end up attaching what you're using as an anchor to the haul loop on the back of her harness. Make sure that there isn't a ton of slack (but still enough slack) from where she's initially going to stand.

A final option is to use a heavy pack to help anchor her. Same idea as the other two options, the anchor is just not quite as solid, and odds are won't help too much given your weight differences unless that pack is SERIOUSLY heavy.

If you're in a gym, they should have either floor anchors or belay melons (with specified weights) that can be used.

As for things to watch out for, keep in mind that you're going to have to be extra cautious of falling on the first few bolts, and also that you have to be extra cautious of falling when there is a ledge below you. Pretty much any decent fall you take is going to result in her being sucked up to the first clip, and that means you're going to fall much farther than you would if someone of a similar weight was belaying you.

u/pooinetopantelonimoo · 1 pointr/tradclimbing

I have the other two in this series;
rock climbing anchors
and

rock climbing mastering basic skills

would that do?

u/jbnj451 · 1 pointr/climbing

Don't do it by yourself the first few times. While anchor building isn't rocket science, if your anchor fails while TRing, your climber will deck and will get hurt or possibly die. So... Read some books (Luebben's Climbing Anchors is a good start) but have an experienced mentor come and check your knowledge and setup.

Climbing anchors can be somewhat situational, depending on the crag, but usually if there's two bolts up top or chains you can use a pretty simple setup that isn't too complicated and can be learned pretty easy. But please have someone check your setup.

u/un_poco_lobo · 1 pointr/climbing

You should read Climbing Anchors by Luebben. It goes over sport and TR anchors very well.

As far as a PAS goes, sure you can use 2 PAS's but I will tell you that the PAS isn't what you need to be worried about when it comes to redundancy, it's the anchor. As long as you're not using your PAS beyond it being a rap tether and are continuing to monitor its wear, just as you would with a harness it has the exact same strength rating as your belay loop which you trust without backup when you rappel.

I'm still a little concerned about your rope as it looks short for most crags.

Lastly I'm not sure where you'll be climbing but if you're going to be setup TRs on bolted routes just make sure you have a safe way of accessing the anchors from above. A lot of times the bolts are over the edge of a route and the last thing you want to do is factor-two on your PAS.