Talking point using two quickdraws for an anchor
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- This is a surprisingly complex topic with a lot of consider, so naturally, it would make a good subject for a video.
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I've been climbing for 6 years, just finished taking my SPI and this is the first time I've seen someone define what "opposite and opposed" actually means... Thanks for taking the time to raise climbing safety awareness.
Really great video. Thx! I have a buddy who just automatically uses 2x quickdraws, simply because that is what he was learned once and it is easy (he likes easy, while I am definitely more on the paranoid side 😅). Now I have a bit more understanding about when it is a bomber anchor and when something else might be the better choice, we can talk about it and both learn.
Cheers Ryan. I remember my very first time heading out sport climbing with a mate and we were planning out anchors out on some practice bolts near the car park. I had the quick draws incorrectly opposed (facing together) and a climber that was just packing up nearby noticed, came over, and demonstrated the correct opposite and opposed orientation, easy mistake to make and even though it probably would have been fine it was great that he took it upon himself to teach us.
Keep them coming Ryan I enjoy your videos a lot. I'm always thinking about safety . I bought some gate bumpers to keep from cross loading screw gates witch I thought was a great idea.
I recently changed my TR quad anchor to have one bulletproof screwgate (just the smaller D shaped) and one bulletproof non-locker. Mitigates the issue with a 2nd leader, and makes it much more visibly obvious which to try to clip. I also have bulletproof quickdraws, and I put a locker on the rope end of one and a slider locker on the bolt end of the same one, and I'll pair that with a non-locking bulletproof quickdraw for a basic 2-quickdraw anchor. Both options are more secure than 2 non lockers and I feel better about putting either up for groups to TR, especially if the route wanders at all.
Good video! Merry Christmas and happy New Year Ryan!
I always interpreted it as opposite meaning the gates face different ways, opposed meaning they face outward, i.e. gates away from each other. I would say the main reason is not so much that something (like the rock) is accidentally going to open the gates allowing the rope to 'fall out', but rather that a flick of the rope causing a bight or a climber going slightly above the anchor can result in the rope unclipping itself, in a similar way as back-clipping the quickdraw can. If that happens with the gates opposite but not opposed, it very likely unclips both.
Keep the videos coming!
One situation where locking carabiners could be critical at the anchor: the route wanders and lower quickdraws are left in as directionals to mitigate pendulum potential for a top rope follower. If the follower gets into a rhythm of unclipping from directionals on their way up, they might proceed to unclip form an anchor consisting of the same quickdraws. People I know have firsthand experience with this.
It seems like that’s on them to realize that and mitigate that risk, just my opinion on it though.
Yes, when climbing with beginners or kids an anchor that is not obvious to unclip is much safer in my opinion. People do weird things sometimes. Personally I would pre-thread the rope through the rap ring with my own gear above to take the weight/wear if possible, so it's actually impossible to fully take out. Bonus is that anyone can safely clean by removing the gear that way.
@@IAmMaarten that’s a good idea.
@@IAmMaartenwait how are you putting the load on your own gear? Having a lot of wear on the permanent rap rings is not ideal to day the least
@7:05 You say "this isn't opposite and opposed" but, based on your later description of what opposite and opposed is, those two carabiners *are* opposite and opposed, right? (Notice that if you keep the rope clipped in to the two lower carabiners, and swap the two top carabiners between the two anchor bolts, you'll be in the correct "gates out" configuration.)
I guess we could say that, under tension, the dogbones move the carabiners out of the "opposite and opposed" orientation --- with "gates in" rotating them out of orientation in a less safe way, and "gates out" rotating them out of orientation in a safer way.
Maybe there's a better way to describe how to orient carabiners than "opposite and opposed" --- like, "gates down and out" or something. Or maybe it's not a big enough problem to worry about.
"Gates down and out" also reminds you to "screw down so you don't screw up" on locking carabiners, avoid a gate against rock, etc.
Happened to climb a single pitch route at a busy crag this season where another party left a fat quad on the anchor. I've climbed the route before and the clipping stance isn't the comfiest so I was not about to deal with the faff of messing around with it. I simply grabbed a draw and clipped where there was space on the anchor.
Our climbing gym in the UK does have lockers at the top but generally you only lock them if someone is going to second your lead after you've lowered down
Hey Ryan, what about the pretty common option like just locker plus quickdraw?
A locker left intentionally unlocked may lock itself due to vibrations ;)
why did you remove the rubber stopper on the rope side?
Quads are gimmicks. You don't need locking carabiners in TR settups. Ever. Anyone who tells you differently is a gumbie.
Two quickdraws are fine unless you want to extend it over an edge or something.
You're using magnetrons for top roping??? ToT
That’s exactly what I thought. Wish I had a few more of those for my personal anchors.
@@Govanification 18:56