Base anchor

[D Mc]

and heres the cheaper option...

 

And in my opinion a better one.

 

With base-tying making a ground-based rescue a possibility, too many go overboard with a complex setup. A rescue should be a very rare event, while the safety of the tie off needs to be 100% every time it is used.

 

With a base tie, after climbing up to the redirect crotch, it is not uncommon that it needs to be moved. If it is to be the primary support point of the climb it is worth pulling up the tail and run it through the new crotch.

 

It is in this simple maneuver that can cause a complex base tie to fail. As you pull up the tail for the new support point, all of the rope, knots and hardware on the base tied side will fall into a mass of coils at the tree base. It is more than just a possibility that as you re-tighten the line for use, things will not be as they were. So for this reason, base ties must be able to pass, what I call a flop test. Can all the components and configurations of the base realign without compromise after being loosened and jumbled on the ground?

 

Drew, even on the simple one you just pictured, I would make the eye of the choker knot smaller so as not to allow the butterfly or hitch to become snagged on it.

 

Dave

[Ian Flatters]

and heres the cheaper option.

to lower in an emergency, put a second climbing system through the ring, tension it up and cut the rope below the alpine. simple.

 

Drew i have to say that is genius (of which i will be using it) :thumbup1:

[gibbon]

Drew i have to say that is genius (of which i will be using it) :thumbup1:

 

I agree that looks good, better than I would have come up with. But, what if you have one grounds man, he tries to lower you and the ring, knot or something else gets stuck before your on the ground. Things could turn bad if your dangling from a.rope tied to your groundy and unable to get down

[DrewB]

i agree on all the points above-ill use diff setups in diff trees. lowerable when possible as would prefer to not see people cutting ropes just in case they cut the wrong bit! but if a long way from vehicle theres no way im carrying all that gear to the trees. one of the big problems is that it can make people think it cancels out the need for aerial rescue-as stated by a few people it can also cause more headaches and scenarios than it solves. anyway, its all good fun:)

[Scottish]

and heres the cheaper option.

to lower in an emergency, put a second climbing system through the ring, tension it up and cut the rope below the alpine. simple.

 

Why not just whap a line on the alpine butterfly with a krab and lower them down? That's how I do it anyhow.

[DrewB]

Less carabiners the better for me bro but all good

[softbankhawks]

http://db.tt/91xnnZhy

http://db.tt/IeECnWtJ

http://db.tt/dqYt8QIi

http://db.tt/ztfp8pDL

http://db.tt/6KnjQsw6

 

This trunk anchor evolved because I started trekking and climbing in steep terrain and wanted a lighter weight system but definately not trunk wraps cause I needed every spare foot of climbing line for climbing. The cow hitch with aluminium ring serves this purpose and additional 6mm hitch cord is incase I come up short on a monster trunk. This was for lone rec climbing and had to pass, as Dave puts it, the 'flop test'.

I like the load releasing hitch with alu ring on the trunk wraps too.

I think that the three variations could accomodate a variety of needs.

[Paul Smith]

Paul, did you splice the OP? How does a casualty get lowered in pic 4&5?

 

You got too much time on your hands!

[softbankhawks]

Ha Yes, much to much time )

Pic 5, the trunk wraps, this is where the load releasing hitch works well. Simply remove LRH and lower, of course you can easily add more line in the system as knots do not pass through any hardware. Pic 4 is much like yours Paul, the LRH serves no working function, it enables a clean connection to the aluminium ring is all.

Someone mentioned the possibility of getting into difficulties while lowering a climber. Can we safely re-attach the trunk anchor in this scenario? Are we able to lift the climber at all?

Trunk anchor's should not become a rescue safety blanket.

[Al Baker]

[quote=softbankhawks;

This trunk anchor evolved

 

Thanks for the pictures