Macramé Project Rock Climbing Anchor

Jive-Ass Rock Climbing Anchor or Elaborate Macrame Project?

Jive-Ass Rock Climbing Anchor or Elaborate Macrame Project?

Whoa! Check out this elaborate jive-ass rock climbing anchor from Joshua Tree! I was asked to post this anonymously, so as not to embarrass the macramé artist who created it. There’s a lot going on here, so for purposes of orientation, let’s assume the four sides of the photo correspond to the four cardinal points of a compass. What we seem to have here is a three point anchor created out of the blue cordage, created for a ‘westward’ direction of pull. All fine and well, I suppose, except that belay device (Trango Cynch? Gri-Gri?) is set up for a ‘southward’ pull. Yikes! What keeps that blue cord anchor from getting yanked 90 degrees from the angle of pull it was designed for if the seconding climber falls? Oh yeah, that sort of tan colored rope coming from the west and tied to the blue cord anchor’s power point will keep that from happening, right? But wait, what the heck is that tied to? Well that’s revealed in the larger photo below (wait for it! don’t look yet!).

Regardless, what we have are, apparently, two opposite and opposed anchors set up for a horizontal (east-west) load force. There’s the blue cord anchor set up for a westward pull, and whatever is on the other end of the tan rope, which is set up for an eastward pull. Nothing wrong with that, if you’re expecting a horizontal (east or west) load. Ah, but that’s not what we expect! In this case we see a belay is set up at the power point for a vertical load (climber is coming from the south). That’s jive-ass–especially for a belay station.

Not to fear though. It appears the belayer has tied into a separate anchor with the climbing rope. That anchor is attached to the same pro as the blue cord anchor with a long double runner fashioned into a sliding x with no limiter knots (which is jive-ass). If the blue cord anchor blows by pulling the gear out of the rock, that back up jive-ass sliding x also goes.

Now back to the question a paragraph or so up. What’s that tan colored climbing rope coming from the west tied to? It’s tied to this:

The Rest of the Elaborate Joshua Tree Jive-Ass Macrame Project Rock Climbing Anchor.


It appears there is a second macramé project rock climbing anchor on the other side! It’s hard to see exactly how it’s constructed, but whatever it is, it appears to come to a power point as a sliding x, set up for an eastward load force. And how is it connected to the tan rope? Well the tan rope is just clipped into the power point biner. It’s not tied to it in anyway, which makes you ask, what’s at the other end of that tan rope? I have no idea, but I certainly hope it’s not yet a third elaborate macramé project. How many cordalettes, slings, and locking carabiners does this climber carry?

Oh yeah, one more thing! The in EARNEST stands for “timely”. How long do you suppose it took to knit this beast together?

This elaborate monstrosity is one of the most impressive examples of jive-assery we’ve seen on this blog yet! Very, very impressive. I hope no one was hurt.

Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA

4 thoughts on “Macramé Project Rock Climbing Anchor

  1. Matt

    I admire the engineering. I am guilty myself of over constructing some anchors, and they’re not always timely. I try to stick to a five piece limit to keep me in check.

  2. AlanL

    It’s ok. The device, which is a GriGri2, is oriented with the release handle against the rock, thus ensuring that there will be no load on the anchor anyway.

  3. Jon Larsen

    At least one of those ‘biners (the silver wiregate w/red tape @ far left) is loaded on the spine also. A fall will pull it tight to the rock and … well, nothing good!


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