Sunday Skill Builders: Sport Climbing Anchors 101

Activity Notes

• Sunday Skills Clinics: Sport Climbing Anchors 101
• Class date: Sunday, Sunday July 9
• Registration opens: June 9
• 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• Mazamas Mountaineering Center (SE 43rd and Stark, Portland)
• Mazamas members $25, non-members $35
• Recommended experience level: beginner/intermediate. Please be familiar with basic climbing knots and top rope belay commands

New for 2023, the Sunday Skill Builders happen on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, usually from 6 to 9 PM. The second Sunday is more for beginner/intermediate topics, and the fourth Sunday is more for intermediate/advanced techniques.  Registration opens one month before the class. Topics will rotate and repeat, so if you miss one and want to take it, keep an eye out for it again.

Students are generally accepted first-come first-served. Please apply ASAP after the opening of registration to have the best chance of getting in the class.

If you need to cancel, please be courteous and do so early to give those on the waitlist a chance to get into the class. Don't be a no-show.

Have you been climbing indoors for a while and are ready to transition outside? A key skill to learn is how to properly build and clean bolted anchors.

What you’ll learn:

• Get familiar with common types of anchor hardware
• Learn how to build an anchor on bolts with a sling, 2 quickdraws and a quad
• How to clean and lower
• Uses of a locker draw
• Rigging an anchor so the second can easily clean and lower

Gear needed: harness, a few locking and snapgate carabiners, rappel device, and a 120 cm sewn sling. A cordelette and a locking quickdraw will be handy as well.

You don't need to have all of this gear, we can share. This will be "ground school", so no helmet or rock shoes are needed.

The links above go to articles (mostly) from my website Alpinesavvy that cover these topics. I highly recommend you read these before class, as it will make your learning much more effective, hint hint.

Look forward to seeing you, hope you can make it!

John Godino and Andy Nuttbrock, Sunday Skills Clinic coordinators