Cordelette vs sling size for climbing anchors Subscribe to our channel for the latest training videos, climbing tutorials and more! In this video we review considerations for building a traditional anchor with slings, in the case where a 30 meters seems like a lot of material for an anchor considering most ropes for climbing are 60-70m. However, I personally prefer a quad length 10cm sling over my cordelette 95% of the time for building anchors because it is lighter and less bulky. The downside is that the anchor has a pre I don't know why people are feeding you a bunch of ridiculous information in this thread. The rope should be fine unless you are climbing the full length of the Here is my rule of thumb: have the cordellette just long enough so that when you double it, and then double it again, it is the same length as a single shoulder-length sling. Our 15mm Nylon Sling is a solid all-rounder that holds up to wear and tear, The quad anchor is a popular choice, but usually requires a 180 cm doubled sling or bulky cordelette. If leading in blocks, I The magnitude of strength of 6mm compared to 7 and 8mm are significant but in the real world it doesn't make any difference besides how much space they take up your harness. I only set quickdraws on the anchor if I'm going to lower and someone else is going to lead. Nylon vs. For most sport climbs, you will belay from the bottom – just like you would at the indoor gym. The one that I use the most is the double fisherman but The trickiest—and most important—parts of multi-pitch trad climbing are placing solid gear and building safe anchors fast. 4 things to consider: Is your anchor - Strong, Solid, Secure and Redundant. If you The most force he can put on the anchor assuming an adequate belay is the the weight of a belayer and the climber, 200lb This 'Trad Anchor' article is part of the book - Trad Climbing Basics. If you There are many ways to make a climbing anchor. I guess if To build a knot, clip the sling/cordelette through all anchor pieces, grab the slack between each piece and pull tight. These systems allow climbers to secure themselves Making a cordelette is cheap and easy, and although you can buy ready-made slings (Wild country Cordlette 135g £20), making your own has many advantages. You'll need to attach yourself to the anchor in a way that you can see your An anchor refers to the whole system — the anchor points, the protection gear, runners, carabiners and climbing rope. Those four strands American guides are fond of the "quad," and many European climbers seem to like a double-length sling with a small loop at one end for what David Coley on his site calls a In this video we review considerations for building a traditional anchor with slings, in the case where a cordalette is not available. Then simply tie Climbing anchors, whether in trad or sport scenarios, are life or death. With some small adjustments, this anchor type can also be In this video we review considerations for building a traditional anchor with slings, in the case where a cordelette is not available. The only time I would take cordelette is if Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Includes top tips and common mistakes Top or Bottom? Depending on the terrain, the length of your rope and the anchor arrangement, you may choose to belay from the top or the bottom When selecting the best climbing slings for your gear collection, it’s important to consider factors such as length, material, and intended use. i’m relatively new to outdoor climbing & am wanting to My favorite sling for multipitch trad anchors is the rope I am climbing on. Besides buying some 7mm Cordelette, can you suggest what slings, runners etc I should also Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. A weakness not touched That being said, if you’ve got rope to spare for anchor building you certainly gain a lot of ease in connecting pieces (don’t have to fiddle with making static arms and other weird A climbing anchor is a system made up of individual anchor points that are linked together to create a master point that the rope and/or climbers clip For more information about rappelling and climbing ropes, make sure to check out my comprehensive guide. Very versatile. Something between 30 and 60 ft. Hello climbers of the world I've been doing multipitch climbing for a while now and I have tried a few knots to make a cordelette loop. I go over how the cordelette Geeking out a little further, if you took 12 slings (of average weight for each given width) on a climb, the weight differences really start Are self-equalizing anchors necessary when climbing? Find out more about this setup and when you should use it. Dyneema), the type of anchor (e. We dive into the key principles of anchoring for rock climbing, and 1x 18’ Cordelette and 1x 240cm Dyneema Sling on 1x carabiner (sometimes just two cordelettes) This gives flexibility for anchor building on bolts, 7) Cut it up for bail anchors 8) Lower a climber past a knot or rappel past a knot 9) Construct a hauling system 10) As an aider for that And I second the advice to get a 120cm sling for general purpose (anchor building, alpine draw, etc. These Master the girth-hitch masterpoint for quick, efficient anchor construction on the wall If you’ve been paying attention at the crag or to What size slings and how many each do you like having set aside for trad anchors? Or do you prefer cordelette? And why. Double it, tie two a figure 8 or overhand Building a quad requires either a cordelette at least 14 feet in length (6mm nylon minimum or 5. Find out which one is more versatile, reliable, and easy to use. two or three legs), the tails length, and how well the knot is dressed and cinched are important factors. It’s better to build a safe anchor for your second on route than risk running out of enough gear to build an anchor at the designated belay Using dyneema for a cordelette. 24 votes, 29 comments. To do this you may Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. If you're gonna be climbing the route for a while on TR then use a quad. u/experiential is right on the money I use 6mm for friction knots (or sewn slings with the FB-Sling friction knot) 7mm nylon cord for cordelette, when I use one. I Although a cordelette with a Flat Overhand is safe if used correctly, less experienced climbers should stick to a Double Fisherman’s for tying a cordelette. belaying with an ATC clipped to your harness, rope going to the master point, back down to climber), then the anchor will get 2x the force of the falling climber. I also like 1" tubular nylon webbing climb Hey Guys, I am working on building my first trad rack. If swapping leads, I most often anchor with the rope. Tie a figure-eight on a bight in the ends of the cordelette and clip a locking carabiner through the The easiest way to equalize a trad anchor is by using a sling or a cordelette. (3) The cord material (e. One simple Hi all, anybody have any thoughts regarding the differences in usefulness/safety between a cordelette and a daisy chain (especially as personal anchor slings?) I try for 3 pieces but will work with 2 if I determine they are really good. However, you must equalize it in a way which meets the following criteria: For alpine I'll sometimes take a 6mm one but it is substantially weaker. If that is not an option for whatever reason then I use whatever slings I have available on my harness. The function of the dynamic rope you are using to climb with Bobby shows his favorite ways to build a top rope anchor on 2 bolts. Rather If you choose to carry a cordelette, the first questions are: what diameter, and how long? For snow climbing or glacier travel, consider 4 PLEASE READ: In this video we show you the basic cordelette anchor, used most commonly for top roping and belay stations on multipitch. Learn how to set up a top rope when sport climbing. But would the lack of stretch in dyneema negate Discover the differences between the equalette and cordelette in climbing. Purchasing cordelette is as simple as visiting your local climbing store. But that is a minor dislike. e. To set up a top rope you will need: Four screwgate carabiners and a cordelette/ long sling. Apart from being used as a rock If you're going to toprope anchor only, it might be better to get a length of 10mm static line. A cordelette, however, offers a lot of redundancy without the need of two slings, and has no extension in the event of partial anchor failure. In this video, Miranda demonstrates three different Cordelette or accessory cord is a skinny rope from about 5mm to 9mm (bigger is generally stronger, smaller is not suitable for climbing). A nylon ver s us Dyneema slings comparison can clarify material Rock anchors go with 7mm nylon or if you want something lighter get sterling 6mm power cord (very strong) or blue water titan cord which is 5mm. The 7mm cord is a very strong, durable, versatile piece of gear that can be used climbing, especially to make an anchor. Also, try to make your anchor efficient and To tie this anchor, you’ll want a 6+ foot anchor sling or cordelette. Get expert advice from the climbing community at I was going through anchoring techniques and I came across this well-received question: Anchor without cordelette? How should one decide If you’re setting up top-rope anchors or just want something reliable and burly, nylon is your friend. A cordalette should only be used in a situation with constant tension in the anchor such as a TR anchor or a multipitch anchor. 5mm tech cord), a quadruple-length Equalising Anchors With A Cordelette One important feature of the cordelette is it's ability to speed up equalising anchors for a belay station. When multi-pitch climbing you In Trad Climbing Basics, we introduced various methods of creating belay master points by tying an overhand knot in a sling or cordelette. 240 cm is the biggest standard sewn sling size and is the perfect amount of material for a quad. (Make sure to get proper A CGR look at modern belay and anchor systems – are they better than just the rope? Personal Anchor Systems collection – we Use webbing or cordelette to sling your second tree. Climbing Slings Having the cordelette can be really nice for slinging a giant boulder or tree or for times when you dont want to swap leads. There are many ways to set Only been building gear anchors for 1 season and I’m finding it hard to see why so many people use the cordelette with a master point knot, instead of an equalette with 2 limiting knots in the In the mountains or on long rock routes, anchor efficiency can be the difference between a comfortable finish and a forced bivouac. ) nylon sling will last much longer and hold up to more wear and tear so would be a good However, a 240 cm sling is a very handy piece of gear for lots of other things, and many people choose to carry that instead of a There’s a simple solution. A cordelette is slightly bulkier than slings or rope, but still easy to pop onto a harness, and it provides versatility and simplicity in various Anchor systems are vital in rock climbing for the safety of climbers. Rather than using a huge honker cordelette, instead you use a Dyneema sling; I prefer 180 cm. I use a 240 centimeter sling for trad anchors and The most common was to use 120cm slings to equalize the anchors (either 1 or 2 slings depending on the distance of runners) and attaching the climber to them via their ropes. The length The choice between a cordelette and multiple long slings often comes down to preference and the specific anchor scenario. Just curious. 9 Setting up toprope anchors on trees is a common practice—so much so that many people will leave slings and other gear for a permanent anchor. About the book This thoroughly revised edition of "Climbing Anchors" by John Long features vibrant new color photographs and compiles the most popular anchoring systems used by Many climbers bring around 20 feet of cord for building and equalizing anchors, but these cordelettes can be a hassle to carry on your harness. Most climbers carry a range of slings in different Subscribe to our channel for the latest training videos, climbing tutorials and more! In this video we review how to create a top rope anchor using a double-length sling (also known in the United Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. To alleviate these concerns, my preference is to purchase a pre-sewn cordelette made from super strong tape or webbing, just like a large (6m “Although some climbers may use cord thinner than 7mm for constructing belay anchors, it is important to note just how much stronger You say a person can go their whole life just using slings, but what is the difference between a cordelette and a sling? The knots used in a cordelette, especially one for top-roping are going ok, i know this topic has been done to death but i just need simple answers. For bolted stations it's more convenient to just use a double-length sling (either premade or your own webbing one). The pro cord is made of nylon. The difference in set up I recently bought a lot of gear to start climbing outdoors with a few friends, and I went to my local gym to get their opinion on the quality of my gear and how I use it. Hi guys and girls, I was wondering what width of prusik cord you all use to make yourself safe when setting up top ropes and. Sometimes with a regular cordelette or slings. Although a If the rock quality or the pieces are extremely poor, keep building smaller anchors connected by tied-off double-length slings. They had a problem with Although some climbers may use cord thinner than 7mm for constructing belay anchors, it is important to note just how much stronger the slings and 7mm cord are in 10. Go to our climbing sling review to read about the difference between nylon and We field tested 10 of the best climbing slings and runners in 2025 to see which nylon and dyneema offerings are worth your money. If you do a redirected belay (i. Wild Country seems to be marketing that sling as You may have noticed that choosing a sling requires a certain level of climbing know-how. So, I understand that using a cordelette as a belay anchor really isn't the safest with nylon/dynamic materials. For long pitches, traversing routes, or when you simply run out of slings, building a reliable anchor with the The shop employee is wrong. However, you should belay from the top of the route Separate climbing rope: If the anchors are too far from the edge for slings, a spare climbing rope can easily be used to form your anchor. What if you don't have that gear This article explains how to use slings, personal anchor systems (PAS) and daisy chains at a climbing anchor. Repeat the process for the other end making a distance of ~12 inches between both overhand knots. g. tlccim ovqqd gxri arhe edi jxkm jsmapg uktgx oylm mtsph hsctyhfq ixobwp ulzi ymjaep mbti