Questionable Guide Behavior
- Author:Aurora
- Source:climbing helmet
- Release on:2016-03-16
LESSON: We can learn a lot from this guide. First, he's right about boulders. You should always make sure a boulder is completely solid before using it in an anchor. If you can move it at all, even if it's just a wobble, avoid it. A tank-sized block can skitter off a cliff with little provocation if it's perched precariously. No matter how many backup nuts you've placed, it's not good for a big block to fall off a cliff while it's attached to your anchor.
This guide also teaches us what not to do. Don't mess with the integrity of another climber's anchor. Ever. This maniac should've waited until Benjamin and his partner were both off belay at the top of the cliff before he even touched that boulder. If you think an anchor is unsafe and want to help, talk to the climber using it. You can offer to place another piece, screw an open locker shut, etc. Don't mess with it without asking. Anchors are too important for that kind of behavior. Proving that a block is unsafe by jumping on it,while a climber is weighting it? That's completely insane, bordering on attempted murder.