Building Rock Climbing Anchors

Anyone who is interested in rock climbing needs to know about building rock climbing anchors. It is one of the main aspects of rock climbing and something that will be used often. When setting up an anchor it is good to keep in mind that every anchor is different and the key is to understand how each anchor must be handled. Whenever you're climbing on multipitch climbs, you'll have to worry about upward and downward forces on the anchor. This is very important to consider. When considering anchors it's also good to keep passive protection or natural protection in mind. Passive protection is best for when you want to go one direction. Natural protection is for when you're using sling horns or natural rock formation. You will need the following things  when setting up an anchor:

• Static Line
• Anchors

There are several different ways to set up an anchor. The 'Sliding X' is one of the most common anchors. It helps you shift your body weight and will auto-equalize. The most important part of the 'Sliding X' is the twist in it that looks like an x.

1. Create this twist by  taking one side of the webbing and twist it to a 180 degree
2. Making a loop. 
3. Use two carabiners for redundancy.

 Another way is to set up is equalizing two anchors with a sling. It's very simple to do this.

1. Clip the anchor with a large sling then put a twist in one strand.
2. Then clip both strands keeping the twist in one of them.
3. After words, put an overhead knot in the sling strands and add the clip to the strand sticking out.

Rock climbing can be done safely with a little knowledge and some practice. So before you dive in, head first make sure you know what you're doing. Basic knowledge on how to tie knots and knowing your angles can go very far. Make sure you are placing your anchors in the proper areas to ensure that you're having a safe and fun rock climbing experience.