Using the Climbing Rope to Construct a "Webolette" Belay Anchor

Tip/Trick/Gimmick: Using the climbing rope to construct a "Webolette" type belay anchor

Source: Not sure 

Contributed by: Marty Comiskey ( martycomiskey@yahoo.com)

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Description: At the recent "Leader's Skill Day" at Carderock on 4/10/10 while taking a lunch break, we spent some time (at a participant's request) constructing different belay anchors using various schemes.

One system that I demonstrated used the climbing rope to construct a "webolette" type anchor.

It's advantages include:
- fast to build
- fast to break down after use
- super strong (uses the climbing rope vs. 7 mm cord or thin webbing)
- more dynamic/elastic (uses large diameter stretchy climbing rope)
- no dedicated cordalette or webolette to carry
- more flexible than using standard length (~20 foot) cordalette as much more rope available to reach/connect distant pro/anchors

Disadvantages include:
- requires climbing rope that may be needed for next pitch
- not efficient if not swapping leads, as "tie in" at harness may need to be untied/retied swapping ends of rope.

This is just one of many different ways to construct a belay anchor. If you find this of value/interest, file it away in your "tool box."

A very crude diagram is attached showing rigging of this anchor scheme.