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Topic Date User

Self equalising anchor 29-Mar-2009 At 2:37:26 PM IdratherbeclimbingM9

Message

On 31/07/2008 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>I have recently ordered the new edition of JL's book and intend to 're-educate' myself.

After thoroughly reading it (more than once!), and putting into practice some of it's concepts for a while now, I agree that this latest treatise on the subject is a good source of information.

>No matter; ... I know from my own experience that a cordalette does
> equalise pieces, ~> but only for a particular direction. Anything
>outside that alignment becomes less equalised, and the degree of this depends
>upon how far the powerpoint is skewed from the 'intended' alignment for
>anticipated load.

Hmm. I was right, but now understand this to be a 'distributed' anchor, rather than a truly equalised one.

I am not sure I fully agree with his dreaded 'cascade' failure writings in relation to cordelettes. I am not saying they can't /don't happen; but am suggesting that even when using static spectra, provided the protection is up to the task (eg multidirectional loading), the reality is that in most instances (from what I have read and heard), they hold up; ... and this probably due to the time element introduced which gives the dynamic rope more chance to do it's 'thing'.
... (~> maybe the anchor/s were not subjected to FF2 forces to start with)?

>When you have two people (and possibly multiple haulbags), on a hanging
>belay half way up a multipitch your sliding-x is a moot point.
>I won't be leaving my cordalette on the ground.

I shall continue to use my cordelette, but will now use it in equalette fashion for many trad belays where I deem direction of loading to be critical but of unknown voracity in the event of any anchor component/s failing under load.

I found it to be a good thing to re-evaluate and learn from the process.
>:)