Upcoming Introduction to Top Rope Setup

We are excited to offer a natural top rope anchor building clinic on Saturday, May 31. Topics will cover knots, anchors, rope management  & care, edge safety, and anchor-building practice.

The clinic will be at the usual climbing area at Carderock.  Meet at 8 a.m. in the normal parking lot.  If you are not sure where this is, the details are listed below. If you have questions, contact Alex Ovodenko (alexovodenko at me.com).

In other parts of the country, it is often common to encounter bolted anchors at the top. That is not the case here at Carderock, Great Falls, Sugarloaf and many other local climbing areas.

Please review the following before class. Anchor principles, Friction hitches, Bowline knots (please note what he refers to as an improved Bowline is actually a double Bowline and what he calls a double Bowline is actually a Bowline on a bight).

If you do any reading in the climbing literature you will find numerous acronyms for building anchors: ERNEST, SERENE, NERDSS and there are others. These checklists/guidelines are primarily for building gear anchors for single and multi-pitch trad climbing. Top rope anchors tend to be overbuilt as compared to trad climbing, not because they need to be stronger, but rather that they are used many times and are often totally out of sight and unsupervised and are continually being loaded when lowering.

Clinic Details 

This clinic will only address natural anchors, trees and boulders: 
– trees – healthy, suitable size, well rooted, etc.
– boulders – boulder (and outcroppings) size, stability, slope of cliff edge, etc.
Webbing can be used to construct anchors, but static line is much more robust and user friendly. We will concentrate on using only static line in this clinic.
Useful knots to know:
– figure 8 (includes 8 follow-through and 8 on a bight)
– bowline (with backup)
– friction hitch (prussik or other)
– clove hitch
– BHK – big honking knot
– there are other knots that may make your life easier, but these will cover almost all scenarios

Please bring the following:

  • Helmet
  • Harness
  • Belay Device
  • Snacks & Water
  • If you have them:
    • top-rope anchor setup – static line and two locking carabiners
    • Prusik loop/Autoblock

Please cancel your registration if you are no longer able to attend  so that someone else can have your spot. If you can’t make it the morning of the event, give the trip leader a courtesy message so no one is waiting for you in the parking lot.

If you do not contact the trip organiser, this counts as a no-show. If you no show once, you will get an email from the Chair. If you do not show up twice, you will not be allowed to sign up for another event for 3 months. If you continue to not show up, your membership will be cancelled and refunded.

Please note that this is not a guided event and none of our trip leaders are professional guides. Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport and you do so at your own risk. You are responsible for yourself and your own safety at all times.

  •  May 31, 2025
     8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Admission


Venue:  

Venue Website:

Address:
38.5579376,-78.325019, Carderock, Maryland, 20817, United States

Description:

Carderock Recreation Area  is on the Potomac River just outside the 495 Beltway. Carderock is part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and is well known for top rope climbing and hiking.  The Potomac Mountain Club has published a guidebook to Carderock.

To access the climbing at Carderock, park in the north most parking lot and follow the trail westwards past the toilet that leads down to the base of the cliffs.  The climbing is only several hundred yards from the parking lot.

Note that cars have been broken into in this parking lot so do not leave valuables in your car.

PMC Social Events are often held at the Carderock Pavilion.  This is near the parking lots you first encounter when entering Carderock