Climbing Knots and Anchors

Have you wanted to learn how to tie safe, efficient, and correct knots and anchors? During this 2-hour, hands-on course, running 6:30 to 8:30 PM, you will join experts from the Mountaineers and learn the basics of climbing knots and anchors. This is the first of two classroom sessions associated with the 2023 Los Alamos Mountaineers Climbing School. Registration is limited to 20 participants and advance registration is required. The next session will cover Canyoneering on April 12 at 7 PM.

About the class:

Kei and Zack, supported by other instructors, will introduce basic rock climbing knots and climbing anchors in a two-hour, hands-on session. Knots are essential to rock climbing at all levels, used for anchors, tying into a harness, rappelling, joining two pieces of rope, and many other uses. The instructors will demonstrate and the students will practice four of the most important knots. These classic knots are the Figure 8, the Double Overhand, the Water Knot, and the Girth Hitch. Students and instructors will be given a length of retired climbing rope (for practice), a length of utility cord (for prussik/klemheist), and a length of webbing (sling or personal anchor). Other knots may be introduced as time permits.

Anchors are used to secure a rope above the pitch that is to be climbed. Top rope climbing starts with safe anchors, which will keep the climber, their belayer, other climbers, gear, etc. from going where they shouldn’t go, even with slips, trips, falls, and partial anchor failures. Good anchors are bombproof, redundant, protect the rope from abrasion, and minimize damage to the environment. Instructors will review the theory and practice of anchors. While this brief session is not intended to prepare a student to set an anchor without supervision, it will introduce the basics behind climbing anchors, and prepare a student to critique an anchor that has been set by someone else.

This event will be held at the classroom at the Nature Center, operated by PEEC, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on Wednesday, March 29. Registration is limited, and is at https://peecnature.org/events/details/?id=46753. This event is in-person only.

A rock-climbing anchor with two redundant points of attachment, and equalization of the load between them.