Using Natural Protection

A tree tethered with a Girth Hitch in a runner.

Natural forms of protection are some of the most common types of anchors you will use, especially for building toprope anchors and on large ledges. Trees and rocks are the most common objects, but you can also use large bushes, logs, and natural features in the rock, such as chickenheads, spires and arches. Each requires a slightly different placement, but all can be effective in bearing the weight of a fall.

Here we will discuss the most common types of natural anchors, and how to attach gear safely to them.

Remember, to really understand the nuances of natural protection, you need to learn from a professional. Do not use this as your only training for rock climbing. It is imperative that you learn from an experienced teacher.

At a Glance:

Use natural features to protect your climb.
Girth hitches are almost always the optimal configuration.
Ask these questions for a stable anchor:

Trees: Big enough? Well rooted? Dead?
Rocks: Solid rock? Immobile? Big enough? Shaped correctly?
Chockstones: Does it wiggle? Solid rock?
Features: Solid rock? Any cracks? Shaped correctly?
Bushes, Logs, etc: Is it solid? Immobile? Easy to clean?

Check your girth hitch:

Can it slide or rotate?
Can it fall off?
Is it multi-directional?

Trees

Cristina used this tree as an anchor on PVTA (5.8) at Rose Ledges, MA.

Trees are probably the most common type of natural anchor. In wooded areas, the tops of routes will often be covered in trees, and you will find trees in quite unlikely spots (there is a tree in the Shawangunks in New York that grows out of a crack, out an overhang, then bends upward!). Some trees are unsuitable for anchoring. You need to check by asking yourself these questions:

Is the tree big enough? A one-inch diameter tree might hold your weight, but what about the force of a fall? Don't sling anything too small.
Is the tree well rooted? Sometimes a tree will grow out of a crack, or the dirt around the roots will have eroded out. It may seem stable, but there may not be much holding it in. Don't trust your life to something that might tear out.
Is the tree dead? John Long tells a classic story of easily kicking out a longstanding dead tree with dozens of slings from previous climbers using it as a rappel anchor. Wood that sits out in the elements quickly loses its integrity and becomes brittle. Don't immediately trust a dead tree.

There is an easy way to check any tree to see if it is strong enough: yank on it, kick it, bang on it with your hand. If it moves, sounds hollow or dislodges dirt, move on. Sometimes you can even pull a tree out, but be careful not to drop it on anyone or yourself.

With almost any tree, you should use a Girth Hitch, such as the one in the picture above. Girth hitches provide a lot of friction to resist rotation and sliding, and convert the linear force of your fall into a rotational force. Pass a runner around the tree, and pass one end through the other. Pull it tight, and make sure the intersection of the runner is aimed in the anticipated direction of pull, and situated as low as possible on the tree trunk. This reduces the torque on a tree, making it more likely to hold in the event of a fall. Also, you should make sure your girth hitch is located at a consistent or slightly narrowing section of the tree. This will stop it from riding up or down the tree.

Rocks

A nicely girth hitched rock. Note that it is not good for any upward pull.

Rocks often protrude upwards, creating a vertical element that you can girth hitch, such as the horn in the image to the left. Rocks are incredibly heavy and usually make great anchors, if you can get a runner or cordelette around them. Sometimes a rock simply sitting on a ledge is heavy enough to bear massive forces, and you can sling the whole boulder all the way to the ledge it is sitting on. You need to make sure that the rocks you want to use are suitable anchors, so ask yourself these questions:

Is the rock steady? Sometimes even very large boulders can be precariously balanced. Check by pushing on them with your arms or legs, but be REALLY careful not to knock large boulders off the cliff. If you do push off a rock, make sure to yell "ROCK!" as loud as you possibly can. If a rock looks unsteady, but you can't move it, don't trust it.
Is the rock large enough? A small rock, or even a small part of a large rock, can move or break. Eyeball it, thinking about other rocks you have moved.
Is the rock solid? Some rock is weak and crumbly, or chossy. Hit it and listen for hollow sounds, and to look for crumbling. Don't trust chossy rock.
Could the runner possibly slip off the rock? Is it shaped correctly? This may not be an issue while the climber is below the anchor, but consider what will happen if they are above it. A rock like this is not necessarily useless. Just consider directionality when you are building an anchor. You can extend your runner with another runner to avoid pulling the girth hitch off the rock.

The same rock, but slung instead. Not as secure as a girth hitch.

Always check the rock if you are not sure if it will hold. Bang on it and kick it, try to move it around a little. If you can't it is probably fine. To anchor off a rock, use a girth hitch if your runner is long enough. If not, you can simply throw the runner all the way around the rock. If you do this, be extra sure it cannot slip off the rock. A girth hitch provides a decent amount of friction to resist upward pull, but a loose sling will fall right off a horn. In the image to the right, this sling arrangement is not as secure as the girth hitch above. If the climber were to climb above the rock and to an angle, the sling could fall off. A girth hitch is preferable in this case.

Chockstones

A gorgeous chockstone at Otter Cliffs, Acadia National Park.

Chockstones are sweet. They use the same principle as chocks (thus the name): a rock gets wedged in a constriction in a crack, so that it can't fall any further. Even a relatively small chockstone can make a great anchor. Again, you need to check to see if it is a suitable anchor:

Can it move? A chockstone may rotate or wiggle. If it does, don't trust it.
Is it made of solid rock? Soft sandstone can fall apart under force, and fall out of the crack (or, if you are Aron Ralston, onto your arm).

If your chockstone passes these tests, you can sling it with a girth hitch, making sure the hitch is located at the bottom of the chockstone, and to one side or the other. It may seem illogical to place the sling on a side, but you are less likely to rotate the stone this way, and that is the most likely reason for it falling out.

Features

An anchor using features. Image: www.rockclimbing.com

Sometimes the rock creates other types of features, such as chickenheads, arches or horns. These are protrusions from the rock, and make great holds and occasionally great anchors. Apply similar logic to checking the security of these features as you would for any other piece of protection: bang on them and listen for hollow sounds, and check for cracks or weak rock.

Also, is the feature really shaped well enough to hold a sling? Sometimes a scared climber can be dangerously optimistic about how good a feature is. Make sure the sling can't slip off. If it can, either skip it or place something else as soon as possible.

With features in the middle of routes, it is especially important to use a girth hitch. It will resist upward pull and will help keep the sling on the rock. It is almost never acceptable to simply throw a sling over a feature and keep climbing.

Bushes, Logs, and Other Objects

A log on top of a cliff. Ok to anchor? Maybe...

With other types of objects, you need to be creative and adaptive. A good bush will hold a huge amount of weight, as will a log. A log that is cammed in a large crack or canyon is a particularly interesting type of anchor. (Think of it like a huge, wooden Big Bro.) When you encounter this type of object, you need to use your judgment as to whether it can be a safe anchor point: Is it solid? Can it possibly move? Will it be easy to clean the gear (e.g., cactus)? If you decide that it is indeed suitable for a placement, then consider how best to do it: Will my hitch slide? Could it fall off? If not, then you have a good anchor!