Re-anchors

Overview

A re-anchor (often called a re-belay) is a method of rigging ropes from a secondary anchor point below the primary anchor. The secondary (lower) anchor is typically offset from the primary anchor, this can aid positioning underneath or around obstacles and also provide safe avoidance of hazards to the user or the ropes.

Like transfers, re-anchors are categorised by small and large offset distances. A re-anchor with an offset distance of greater than 1.5 meters being large and less than 1.5 meters being small.

For the benefit of simplicity and safety, this manual will provide a similar technique for passing re-anchors as described in rope-to-rope transfers.

Important Considerations

• Is a re-anchor suitable for the situation?

• The offset distance should be assessed

• Does the user have sufficient equipment to complete the transfer safely?

• The risk of an out of control swing must be considered, and protected against

• Access for rescue and the difficulty of rescue should be taken into account

• Rope management is particularly important during re-anchors to prevent tangles

• Level 1 technicians are trained to pass small re-anchors only

• Level 2&3 technicians are trained to pass both small and large re-anchors

Method

Passing a small re-anchor (Ascent)

1. Set up for ascent

2. Ascend to the top of the re-anchor ropes (labelled “A”)

3. Changeover into descending equipment, tidy and store any ascending equipment

4. Clean up ropes, moving both re- anchor lines to one side of your body

5. Using the loop ropes (labelled “B”), pull across the anchor lines

6. Attach the spare back-up device to one line and push to a high position – taking care to secure the karabiner (where necessary)

7. Attach the chest ascender to the other rope and pull through any excess slack

8. Remaining on four points of attachment, descend the re-anchor ropes until they are slack

9. Remove the descender and back-up device from re-anchor lines

10. Take a moment to clean up ropes and address any tangles of rope there may be

11. Continue ascending anchor lines until you reach the desired height.

Passing a small re-anchor (Descent)

1. Descend the anchor lines until your descending device is roughly level with the re-anchor and make sure descender is locked

2. Clean up ropes, moving both anchor lines to one side of your body

3. Using the loop ropes (labelled “B”), pull yourself across to reach the re-anchor ropes, let your weight settle back to the anchor lines – keeping a hold of the re-anchor lines

4. Attach the spare back-up device to one line and push to a high position – taking care to secure the karabiner (where necessary)

5. Attach the chest ascender to the other rope and pull through any excess slack

6. Take a moment to manage all of the lines, ensuring you won’t get tangled with the loop ropes when you descend

7. Descend across until all of your weight is taken by the re-anchor lines and the descending device is slack

8. Remove the descending device and the back-up from the anchor lines

9. Separate the re-anchor lines from the loop lines to avoid tangles

10. Changeover into descent on the re-anchor lines, taking care not to trap any loop ropes when storing equipment on the harness

11. Descend.

Passing a large re-anchor (Level 2&3 only) (Ascent)

1. Set up for ascent

2. Ascend the lines to the desired position to begin the transfer

3. Attach the spare back up device to one of the loop ropes (labelled B) – taking care to secure the karabiner (Where necessary)

4. Attach the descending device to the other line, pull through any slack and ensure device is locked

5. Remove the chest ascender, hand ascender and back up device from the original ropes (labelled A)

6. Using the ropes below your descender and back-up, pull across any slack in the loop until you have the ropes attached to the far anchor

7. Clean up your lines, try to keep the descent lines on one side and the forward ropes to the other

8. Attach a spare back-up device to one of the forward ropes, and the chest ascender to the other

9. Pull any excess slack through the chest ascender

10. Depending on the offset distance you may now need to ascend the forward ropes as in a large rope-to-rope transfer to avoid running out of slack rope on the descending device

11. Descend, maintaining four points of attachment to protect against an out of control swing

12. When descending, if it appears you will run out of rope with the descender, stop. Lock off descender and climb further on the forward ropes until you have sufficient slack to descend to the far anchor

13. Once all weight is on the far anchor, and the descending device is slack, remove the descending device and back-up from the descent ropes

14. Tidy up lines, and continue to ascend if desired.

Passing a large re-anchor (Level 2&3 only) (Descent)

1. Descend the anchor lines until your descending device is roughly level with the re-anchor and make sure descender is locked

2. Using the ropes below your descender and back-up, pull across any slack in the loop until you have the ropes attached to the far anchor (labelled B)

3. Clean up your lines, try to keep the descent lines on one side and the forward ropes to the other

4. Attach a spare back-up device to one of the forward ropes, and the chest ascender to the other

5. Pull any excess slack through the chest ascender

6. Once attached by four points of contact, make your way back to the far anchor lines (labelled B), suing the same rope-to-rope transferring technique as in the ascent portion of the manoeuvre

7. When you have descended all the way back to the forward ropes, remove the descending device and back-up

8. Clean up, and attach the descending device and back-up to the descent lines (labelled A)

9. Remove the chest ascender, hand ascender and back up device from the loop ropes (labelled B), taking care not to trap any loop ropes when storing equipment on the harness

10. Descend

Passing a large re-anchor (Level 2&3 only) (Ascent)

1. Set up for ascent

2. Ascend the lines to the desired position to begin the transfer

3. Attach the spare back up device to one of the loop ropes (labelled B) – taking care to secure the karabiner (Where necessary)

4. Attach the descending device to the other line, pull through any slack and ensure device is locked

5. Remove the chest ascender, hand ascender and back up device from the original ropes (labelled A)

6. Using the ropes below your descender and back-up, pull across any slack in the loop until you have the ropes attached to the far anchor

7. Clean up your lines, try to keep the descent lines on one side and the forward ropes to the other

8. Attach a spare back-up device to one of the forward ropes, and the chest ascender to the other

9. Pull any excess slack through the chest ascender

10. Depending on the offset distance you may now need to ascend the forward ropes as in a large rope-to- rope transfer to avoid running out of slack rope on the descending device

11. Descend, maintaining four points of attachment to protect against an out of control swing

12. When descending, if it appears you will run out of rope with the descender, stop. Lock off descender and climb further on the forward ropes until you have sufficient slack to descend to the far anchor

13. Once all weight is on the far anchor, and the descending device is slack, remove the descending device and back-up from the descent ropes

14. Tidy up lines, and continue to ascend if desired.

Passing a large re-anchor (Level 2&3 only) (Descent)

1. Descend the anchor lines until your descending device is roughly level with the re-anchor and make sure descender is locked

2. Using the ropes below your descender and back-up, pull across any slack in the loop until you have the ropes attached to the far anchor (labelled B)

3. Clean up your lines, try to keep the descent lines on one side and the forward ropes to the other

4. Attach a spare back-up device to one of the forward ropes, and the chest ascender to the other

5. Pull any excess slack through the chest ascender

6. Once attached by four points of contact, make your way back to the far anchor lines (labelled B), suing the same rope-to- rope transferring technique as in the ascent portion of the manoeuvre

7. When you have descended all the way back to the forward ropes, remove the descending device and back-up

8. Clean up, and attach the descending device and back-up to the descent lines (labelled A)

9. Remove the chest ascender, hand ascender and back up device from the loop ropes (labelled B), taking care not to trap any loop ropes when storing equipment on the harness

10. Descend