Gorro Frigi View, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2018 (Climbers on last pitch of Vía del Carles, V+)
“Climbing at Montserrat is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you will find on the pitch or at the anchor.”
–Forrest Honnold Gump
Well, it isn’t quite as bad as Forrest claims. Most of Monserrat’s sport routes, and many of its most popular multi-pitch routes, are well bolted and have solid two, or even three-bolt, belay anchors. Get slightly off the beaten path, though… or maybe even just a bit off route, and you may find some interesting… uh… “historical artefacts”. For example, the route below thankfully had a lot of new bolts, but also several bolts with missing hangers, a mix of the orginal 40?-year-old bolts, and a loose “fixed” pin, etc.
Xavi on the classic roof pitch of La Cadireta, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2018 (Vía Anglada-Guillamon, 5 pitches, V+/A3e)
Anchor Repository
This particular blog post is mainly for my own personal entertainment. Here, I’ll store away in this repository a sampling of Montserrat climbing anchors and fixed protection–from the odd and manky, to the shiny new and bomb-proof. Secondarily, it might also serve as sort of a library of possible belay anchor setups to prompt conversations with my more curious and serious climbing partners. Finally, if you, dear visitor, plan on climbing here, perhaps you’ll find some of this information useful.
I’ll post brief commentary above each photo so that, in addition to having a close-up visual of the anchors, one might also ponder the many possible [better!?] ways to set up a belay, a rappel, or lead protection. Feel free to critique in the Comments section–I’m always up for learning and improving.
As I collect photos, I’ll continue to update this page with my more compelling finds, while deleting those of lesser interest.
Finally, I’ll randomly throw in a few anchors from other Catalunya crags just for fun and variety.
Categories you will find in this post:
–Multi-Pitch, Bolted/Fixed Anchors and Belays
–Traditional (and “Trad-ish”) Belay Anchors
–Rappel Anchors
–Anchoring and belaying from Above
–Odds and Ends
Note of Caution to Visiting Multi-Pitch Climbers!
If you stray from the oft-climbed, reasonably well-bolted trade routes on to the more “historic” and–theoretically!–easier multi-pitch lines, it is quite possible that you might find missing hangars, chopped bolts, and/or damaged anchors, lots of distance between bolts, and so on, as there is still (apparently) a low-simmering, on-again-off-again, bolt war going on. This chopping of routes/bolts was most common in years past–terrible in the 90s, I’ve heard. But, I’ve been told it still sometimes happens. I know of a few climbers who have launched themselves confidently upward into that beautiful sea of speckled rock potatoes… searching, searching, and searching fruitlessly (with the distress factor increasing in proportion to the distance above their last piece) for those bolts that were there the last time they were on the route, but… alas, not this time!
So, bolts being the primary means of protection on many (but not all!) routes, it’s not a bad idea to carry with you sort of a “Montserrat emergency kit” to defend yourself, even on routes that advertise all fixed pro.
To wit:
–Four or five small to medium cams. Totems are ideal (IMHO) to plug into holes, pods, and the odd crack. I usually carry black, blue, yellow, purple, and sometimes green and I call this “la bandera de Montserrat” (for the pretty sling colors you’ll have dangling on your harness). Small to medium Tricams can work well here, too, so perhaps you could consider those as well as, or instead of.
–A couple of “chapas recuperables“–these are slotted bolt hangers you can slide over a hangerless stud/buttonhead.
–A couple of 10mm nuts for that 10mm stud from which someone has robbed the hanger.
–Some extra cordage or sling material to leave behind at rappel anchors, along with (a) rap ring(s) or a maillon or two.
–A couple of alpine draws or longer slings to use on bushes or to reduce rope drag on wandering pitches.
–A cool head for leading many meters over relatively easy ground with little to no protection
–And… some down climbing skills, just in case.
Again, if you stick to the popular routes, you shouldn’t run into any problems… but just in case…!
Multi-Pitch, Bolted/Fixed Anchors and Belays
This is a very typical multi-pitch anchor that locals seem to use with great frequency when two good bolts are available–which is quite often at Montserrat. It is quick, simple, requires minimal equipment, and is an attempt to share the load between the two bolts. Note the twist in one strand of the sling to be sure you don’t lose the whole thing in case of bolt failure–this is the famous “sliding X”, of course.
When I see my climbing partner use this method, I don’t generally say anything because, in most circumstances at Montserrat, it is “super good enough“. However, here is what this anchor is NOT… it is not redundant, as cutting the sling (rock fall–it HAS happened!) will cause complete anchor failure… it does not avoid the possibility of sudden extension, as a bolt failure would cause quite a drop for a belayer leaning on the anchor (and possible loss of belay control)… and, although it might share the load in multiple directions to a large degree, due to the inevitable “clutch effect” on the sling, each bolt will likely never hold exactly 50% of the force in the case of an extreme event.
Again, I tolerate this kind of anchor (unless I feel rockfall is a significant danger, or one bolt is suspect), but I personally think the photo after this one presents a much better option when using two good bolts.
Self-equalizing anchor on two bolts, Montserrat, 2022
This option uses the same equipment but takes maybe three seconds longer to create as you have to knot the sling (overhand or figure-8, usually). In this case, you will only “share the load” on the two bolts if the force comes directly in line with how you have pre-equalized the anchor with your knot… a force to one side or the other will put most or even all of the load onto just one bolt. Is that an issue? For me, it is not, especially with two, good, modern bolts, in which case the second bolt is acting as a back up rather than sharing the load. (I’m choosing redundancy over equalization/load sharing.)
I also like this anchor because, in the case of rockfall, the sling is now redundant and both arms would have to be cut to cause complete anchor failure. There is also a “shelf” available above the master point knot if you wish to use it. Finally, the failure of one arm or of one bolt will not result in any extension at all (perhaps a slight swing), thus avoiding any shock load to the remaining bolt or to the belayer. And… I would be OK using non-lockers on the two bolts as the belayer is right there within reach and within sight and could immediately deal with any weird loading issues with those two biners.
A final note… you’ll see that there is a third bolt that could be used. One possibility would be to clip all three bolts and use a longer sling (cordelette, perhaps?) or a second, shorter, sling. Alternatively, you could just take a quick draw and clip the third bolt into the master point to create one more point of redundancy. With these new, modern bolts, though, I was just fine using just the two. Oh, and notice… no Personal Anchor System (PAS). We are swapping leads, so it is really quick and easy to clove hitch into the master point with the climbing rope itself (double ropes, in this case).
[NOTE: To those screaming, “But the rope! The rope!” Yes… one can simply use the rope to build the anchor and dispense with slings… scroll on and you will find examples of this option.]
Gotta love the beautiful texture–slightly different everywhere–of Montserrat conglomerate.
Pre-equalized anchor on two bolts, Montserrat, 2022
Moving on…
Climbing in a party of three is not uncommon here, perhaps because folks in Spain/Catalunya are very social creatures and this is a really great way to have fun on the wall with your amigos/amics. It can be a bit of a cluster at the belays, though, as you typically use double ropes with the followers climbing simultaneously with some vertical displacement between them. Some of this “cluster-f effect” you can see in this pic, taken on one of our first such adventures. All three of us are at the double bolt belay and we are in the process of switching the DMM Pivot from guide mode (previously set for the followers) to a belay off the harness for the leader of the next pitch. One climber is at left, clipped in to the quad with two quickdraws–not ideal, but adequate since he has clipped his PAS as well. I’m in the middle, anchored to the quad with my blue/yellow home-made PAS (Personal Anchor System) as well as the orange rope. My other buddy is on the right, anchored just with his yellowish PAS–as he is about to start to lead the next pitch. Off to the right is a third bolt where our new leader has pre-placed a draw. This, once clipped, is the so-called “Jesus piece” and will work to avoid that fear factor 2 fall onto the belay. At least two, and often three, solid, modern bolts at a belay station is not uncommon on the more popular multi-pitch routes at Montserrat. Often (but not always!), they are even rigged with rappel rings in case you need to bail.
There are certainly better ways to do all this with three climbers… ideas?
Quad Anchor with Three Climbers, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
A solid, two-bolt anchor set up with a quad. Climber on the left clipped in with a quick draw and his PAS. Climber on the right clipped in with the rope and a home-made PAS and belaying off the harness with a DMM Pivot. Lead climber up above on double ropes–factor 2 clip just visible on the right edge. And note the beefy rap rings in case you need to bail.
Quad with Three Climbers, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
Trying out the banshee belay while using a single rope. Bowline on a bight in the locker on the right bolt, then the sling (240cm, doubled) cloved to the left bolt as a back up. With the excess sling, I tied a figure eight to make sort of a master point where I have cloved myself in with the rope (stitching in the knot–bad planning). I also have my home-made PAS clipped into the backup bolt. To make it cleaner, I could have simply used the climbing rope and an HMS locker to clove myself into the bowline loop, then I could have hung the belay plate off of this same locker with a second locking carabiner. With two solid, modern bolts, this is a nice setup–no attempt at force distribution/equalization, just redundancy. The DMM Pivot is set up in guide mode for the follower. In Europe, you may see folks using the Munter/Italian Hitch to belay both the follower and the leader directly off the anchor with a banshee–nice, if the leader significantly outweighs the belayer or you want a more dynamic belay.
Banshee Belay for Follower, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
Another quick and simple option–and my go-to if using a single rope and swapping leads… I’m cloved into the locker on the left with the climbing rope and have my PAS clipped into the master point as a back up (the latter not strictly necessary IMHO). I cloved the second bolt, leaving enough slack between the bolts to tie a figure eight master point from which I am belaying up the second in guide mode. If I had wanted to distribute my body weight weight on the anchor a bit, I could have taken the rope coming out below the right hand bolt and cloved that back to my belay loop.
Single Rope on Two Bolts, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
The classic cordelette–which distributes the load to some degree, but doesn’t really equalize it as some might think–especially if the pull comes from any direction other than in line with the pre-equalization. Given the rusty nature of the pin on the left and the ancient bolt on the right, perhaps an equalette would have been a better choice here. However, the monster bolt in the center made me feel like this setup was “super good enough” for our purposes. This one is in limestone in the sea cliffs above Garraf, Catalunya (Vía SAME, 7 pitches, V).
Pre-Equalized Cordelette, Garraf, Catalunya, 2019
If we are climbing on double ropes and swapping leads on two-bolt anchors, this is my typical go-to solution… I have cloved myself with each rope separately into each bolt, then made a master point with a figure eight using both ropes just below the bolts. I have the plate set up in guide mode for the follower. It’s quick, simple, requires minimal gear, and is bomber. Note that a third bolt to the right has been stripped of its hanger.
Belay Anchor on Double Ropes, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2020
We have topped out on our multi-pitch at this point and my buddy is already on rappel, headed down. A doubled and pre-equalized 240cm sling (red/white), is what we used as the belay anchor and I’m currently clipped in with an improvised PAS awaiting my turn to rap. The 10mm bolts look brand new and really solid–a big thanks to whoever was responsible! Chains between the bolts/ring would have been nice, but maybe the budget didn’t allow, thus the zebra cord which is probably “super good enough” for the moment (until UV degradation does its thing). We tied our two ropes together with a simple, well-dressed overhand knot, backed up by a second overhand knot (latter not strictly required), and leaving plenty of tail (one foot, or 30cm, minimum is a good guide).
Prepping the Rappel, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2021
Here is a “fun” belay anchor we had to use on a recent multi-pitch. Someone else had apparently rapped off of it, which gave us the shivers as the sun-bleached cord was abraded and core shot in a couple of places, and the knot on the left had virtually no tail. In setting up the belay, Joan managed to find a hole for a third piece so, as a belay anchor, it worked OK (and clipping directly to the pin and the bolt–NOT to the cord!). I snapped this pic after dismantling the belay and just before seconding the next pitch. After taking the photo, I cut the cord (convenient folding blade on my nut tool) and carried it off with me so no one after us would be tempted to rely on it as a rappel anchor. Gotta love that creative pin placement in the hole… and, on the left, that’s a monster, 22kN Fixe hanger adorning a shitty, rusty, old bolt (around here they call these types of old bolts “spits“, a 3cm long expansion-type bolt)… lipstick on a pig, I would say.
Very Iffy Rap Anchor, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
Here, the bolts themselves looked fairly new and pretty solid… but what about those two hangers and rings!!!??? Oh, my! They looked like a garage workshop arts and crafts project… but, they were likely “super good enough”, I suppose. I used my doubled-up cordelette to make a pre-equalized anchor, then backed up the right bolt for fun (sure, why not?) with that red sling on a hangerless bolt stud–a slip knot on the bolt stud/nuts and tied short to eliminate any extension in case of [very unlikely] failure of that right hand bolt. I’m carrying my 7mm x 20-foot cordelette on “adventure” multi-pitch climbs more often these days, bulky as it may be, so as to have material I can leave behind at rap stations if necessary, as well as for anchor building flexibility. I’m cloved into the master point with both ropes and have the DMM Pivot set up in guide mode off the master point as well. If not swapping leads, I’ll usually use some sort of sling or cordelette anchor (like this) rather than using the climbing ropes in order to facilitate the belay change over.
Homemade hangers and rings, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
A close-up shot of the homemade hanger and ring… yep, probably “super good enough” (maybe!?) for any forces we might put on this anchor, given the easy, slabby nature of this particular climb. If only Ryan and Bobby from How Not To could pull test it!
Homemade hanger and ring, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
Yes, overkill to back up the bolts with this well-rooted bush. Belaying the second in guide mode from a DMM Pivot, PAS clipped to the bush sling, climbing rope cloved to main anchor on the two bolts. Overkill, overkill…
Belay Anchor on Via Chani, Garraf, Catalunya, 2023
Call this a belay anchor off of one bolt with a “puente de roca” on the other leg as a back up. That steel U-joint thingie is NOT closed (hard to see in the pic), so the failure of either leg could possibly (likely!?) mean that the entire belay would slide away (unless you got really lucky and that fat double fisherman’s knot were to catch in a biner). Note that my partner is very old school with his PAS consisting of that black daisy chain you can just see on the left. There are so many other, much better options for a PAS (including just the rope itself) you have to ask “Why?”
Belay Anchor, Via Integral Miranda Fra Garí, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2024
You would probably not want to clip only into the maillon, or rappel off of this setup as it is. First, that bottom bolt is old school, small, and rusty–who knows what’s going on inside. Then, the cord is old, sun-bleached, and tattered, and the single fisherman’s knot is probably adequate, but a double would have been better. We set up our belay by clipping both bolts directly and cut away the cord so a following party would not be tempted to rappel from it. If we needed to retreat from here, I would have probably rappelled from it as we found it, but only after adding a second backup cord, or brand new cordage. Yes, the maillon would be a single point of failure, but those things are super good enough for rap purposes…
Another Belay Anchor, Via Integral Miranda Fra Garí, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2024
Luckily, this was just one leg of our three-point belay anchor–another “puente de roca” (those two stones are actually pressed quite tightly against the wall behind). The cord is sun-bleached but at least it’s thick 10mm stuff. It was already there, so we incorporated it into our belay. Minor critique: the locking biner should have the gate screwed down…
One Leg of Belay Anchor, Via Integral Miranda Fra Garí, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2024
This is the famous and awesome belay anchor at the summit of the Gorro Frigi at Montserrat, visible even from far below at the Monastery (there is something similar atop the even more famous and finger-like Cavall Bernat). The cross is massive and quite securely bolted into the rock. All you really have to do is walk around it (in this case with double ropes) and then, using all strands, tie a BHK to form a master point.
Summit Anchor, Gorro Frigi, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2024
Traditional (and/or “Trad-ish”) Belay Anchors
“Just follow the bolts on up,” he said, “there is a solid bolted anchor up there!” Yeah, right. This is a Montserrat example where the anti-bolt “pirates” have apparently chopped the modern belay bolts that were put in at the end of the last pitch, leaving only the historic, rusty, and likely very problematic “spits”, one (on the right) with a mangled hanger… thus preserving the “historic character” of the climb (!), they would no doubt say. Luckily, Juan handed me a few Alien cams when I set out on lead and the green one was conveniently solid behind that big rock on the right. That hole at the top right might have accepted a cam as well, but I hadn’t the correct size. Again, this is a standard pre-equalized cordelette setup, so no true equalization to be had (just some load distribution, with most of the load likely going to that short arm), but I liked the idea of no extension, redundancy, and it was quick, so I went with this. The DMM Pivot is set up in guide mode to bring up two, Juan and Joan, after which we did some down climbing shenanigans to get ourselves to some much better, bomber anchors for our rappel.
Super good enough? Or, perhaps the equalette would have been better in this case?
Pre-Equalized Cordelette on Buttonheads and a Cam, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
Rappel Anchors
Four ancient bolts “equalized with two aluminum strips!!!??? How unique. At least they drilled into a pretty solid section of rock. This is one of the rappel anchors we used to descend La Cadireta (Vía Anglada-Guillamon, 5 pitches, V+/A3e, the aid climb pictured at the top of this post). I’m clipped in to the anchor ring with a temporary PAS (locker would be better clipped gate out, I suppose) and Xavi is already on his way down the double rope rap. The ropes are tied together with an overhand knot with maybe 12-18″ of tail (a foot, or 30cm is recommended as a minimum). Perhaps the ropes would pull smoother with the knot on top rather than underneath, but we didn’t have any issues. (Always a good idea to have the first down do a test pull to see if the knot might need to be readjusted over a lip.)
Rappel Anchor, La Cadireta, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2018
This ancient steel biner, rusted shut, is undoubtedly here at this belay station to enable a rappel–although you would definitely want to add some cordage to link to the bolt above (out of frame) for some redundancy…
Vintage Rusted Biner at P3 Belay, Via l’Alimera, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2024
Protection
At Montserrat, where a stone has fallen out of the conglomerate, you might find small holes in which you can stuff a cam or tricam. Here is one example using a yellow Totem (size 0.80)–and this one seemed pretty bomber with very hard, good quality rock all around it. A tricam would probably have worked here also, but would have been a bit more fiddly both to insert and remove. Totems–made in the Basque Country of Spain–seem to work really well with their narrower head and a wonderful capacity to stick in oddly-shaped placements. Just in case–and for fun/practice!–even on supposedly “bolted” routes I typically carry 5-6 of the Totems (from the black on up) as well as maybe one small Fixe Alien cam where the black Totem might be too big. The ant, free soloing on the right, is included for scale.
Yellow Totem in pod, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
Another example with a blue Totem. Be sure to try placing it both ways–wide lobes at top or wide lobes at bottom–as there is usually one orientation that fits just a bit better (if possible, wide lobes on the bottom is ideal as it lends to more stability).
Blue Totem in Pocket, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
On older routes you’ll often see these rusted and hangerless bolt studs sticking out of the rock, both along the line of a pitch as well as at old and new belay locations. In this case, I used a sling to tie it off (it actually has sort of a mushroom head that is hard to see here). A wire nut would also work–slide the nut nut down the wire a bit and loop the wire over the stud, then press the nut up against the stud itself. If you have one available, a “chapa recuperable” (recoverable hanger) is really the better option–see the follow on photo for what these look like.
Tied-Off Stud, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
Here are two examples of the useful “chapa recuperable“.
Chapas recuperables, Barcelona, 2022
Wait, that’s limestone–certainly not Montserrat conglomerate! Yes, you’re right. This is one of a few fun oddballs I’ll throw in for variety. This was an old rusty piton we clipped as pro on a very moderate seven pitch adventure climb (Vía SAME, V)–a route that does a whole lot of traversing–on the sea cliffs above Garraf, Catalunya. Being right above a huge mass of salt water, metals here rust almost instantly, so I can’t be sure if this piton is three years old, or thirty. This pin appeared and felt pretty solid, despite its appearance, but you never know what might really be going on to the metal deep in the crack.
Rusty Pin in Coastal Limestone, Garraf, Catalunya, 2019
No, this isn’t a belay anchor, thank goodness. We found it at the top of a pitch that traversed from this point immediately to the right across an easy slab to the belay anchors… so, it was really there as sort of a directional as the second climbed up from straight below. It may look a bit precarious, but these little bushes (Rosemary?) at Montserrat are pretty tough and often very firmly rooted. Perhaps this one, though, may be pushing the boundary of “firmly”? I think it was adequate for the job in this case–although that cord should probably be replaced at some point (and tied with a double fisherman’s knot preferably). Good job slinging the bush as low as possible to the ground.
Slung Bush as Traverse Pro, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
It looks like the same person who used the bush above also created this natural threaded anchor–it’s the same zebra cordage. This was on an easy slab section, so any fall likely would not have put much force onto it… good thing, as the rock itself in this “puente de roca” looks a bit thin. Again, the cord appears faded from sun exposure, so should be replaced soon. And… yes, we are getting some twists in our double ropes, thus losing a few neatness points.
Puente de Roca, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2021
This protection “artefact”, being on easy terrain, gave us a chuckle. Had it been critical pro for difficult moves, it might have evoked more intense emotions. What imagination–well done! However, the cord was a bit crusty from sunbaking on a south face for who knows how many seasons, so ought to be replaced at earliest. Unfortunately, we weren’t carrying any suitably thick replacement material (10.5-11mm static?), so it’s still there for you to clip and admire. One point (which applies to all protection): even with brand new cord, this anchor is only as good as the rock within which it is placed–so you be the judge.
Slotted Knot Pro, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
How long has this been here? Best to just clip and go and not spend too much time contemplating such things…
Old Bolt and Hangar, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2023
Here you have a couple of fixed pin examples along with their accompanying sun-bleached cordage. The first, a rusted ring piton… the second some kind of home-made pin?
Vintage Fixed Ring Piton as Pro, Via Integral Miranda Fra Garí, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2024
Homemade Fixed Pin as Pro, Via Integral Miranda Fra Garí, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2024
Not sure of the type of bolt here, but the hangar and ring seemed a bit flimsy… again, clip and go…
Painted Pro, Via Integral Miranda Fra Garí, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2024
Look carefully. That is actually a piece of wooden post bashed into the rock to close the crack completely (not a sawed off tree), then a bit of ancient cordage was looped behind it for clipping. Minor critique: Use fingernail polish to mark your gear. Colored tape leaves tiny bits of plastic behind here and there. At some point, I’ll be re-marking all my gear appropriately…
Wooden Post as Pro, Via l’Alimera, Montserrat, Barcelona, 2024
Anchoring and Belaying from Above
OK, for this next example, the intent here was NOT to build a slingshot-style top tope anchor (a la a typical sport route), so get that out of your mind. This is the top out on a multi-pitch, Via Directa Núria, 6a+, on the Miranda de les Magdalenes… so the goal was simply to bring the second up safely so we could walk off. Upon arrival, I could not find the usual 2-3 bolt belay anchor and, on a summit with just a few low plants and myriad loose rocks, I had to get creative and this was the result.
Some may think it looks a bit precarious, but I actually think it was “super good enough” for the purpose. (Possibly even overkill?) When you sit down and belay a second off the harness, especially if he/she weighs significantly less than you, as was the case here, if he/she falls and weights the rope, you will be surprised how much of that weight is held by your butt and rope drag friction and how little is actually transferred through the entire system to the anchors. In some cases, if you have a tree or huge block you can straddle, in a pinch, you could get away with no anchor at all (and just use a body belay–see alpine climbing!).
Downsides? It took a lot of extra rope and it took more than the usual 1-2 minutes to set up. Also, if I needed to escape the belay for whatever reason and let my second dangle on the anchor, I think he would be fine, but it isn’t the absolute bomber of an anchor I would prefer in that emergency situation–I’d probably try to find a third anchor of some kind with whatever extra rope I had pulled up. Finally, in a fall, you are holding the climber on your belay plate (NOT auto-locking) until they can get back on the rock. In this, slightly less than vertical final pitch, I didn’t anticipate having to hold Joan for more than a few seconds–if at all–and the friction through the sytem way down to that crux section would absorb a whole lot of the weight anyway.
So, lots of considerations. What would you have done?
Oh, and here’s the rest o’ the story… when Joan came up, he found the bolted belay anchor about 20 feet to climber’s right of and below the initial top out–directionally not ideal, but likely a much simpler and stronger anchor. I had missed it. But given its odd location, way off the fall line, I don’t know if I would have used it anyway.
The pics…
Here, I have just removed myself from the anchor and stood up. I had my belay loop clipped into both of those lockers and I was seated on the ground, rope down to Joan running between my legs. Doing this would allow any excessive force I couldn’t hold to be transferred to the anchors. As I said above, though, I had the sensation that with any fall I would have barely weighted the two anchors behind me–but getting pulled off the cliff was not something I even wanted to tempt.
Seated harness belay, Montserrat, 2022
More of the same anchor… I was able to discover one old bolt that was distant, but in a nice line with the top out. However, someone had taken a rock or a hammer to the hanger and smashed it flat. I was barely able to clip it, and I was not able to swing the loose hanger into the proper direct line. Was just this one bolt sufficient for today, given the circumstances? While smashing the hanger, did they do damage to the bolt itself? What do you think?
Old bolt and smashed hanger, Montserrat, 2022
Final part of the above anchor… Despite how small it appears, I think this bush (a type of Rosemary, I believe) was actually pretty bomber–the roots were solid and extensive. I made sure that the cordelette went around it at the absolute base of the biggest branches, close to the ground. I clipped the double ropes through the locker and walked back toward the old bolt, where I closed the system with an overhand knot. The plant, by the way, is common on Montserrat and they are often tied off for protection, for a directional, or as part of an anchor.
The bush, Montserrat, 2022
A pano of the whole enchilada… Note that massive overhand knot which closes the system as the ropes at the bush were just clipped and not hitched or knotted. Perhaps I could have tensioned the rope between the bolt, and the bush a bit better, but I made sure I was tight on the bolt itself as I belayed, the bush being a second back up.
The whole anchor, Montserrat, 2022
Odds and Ends…
This anchor was not on an actual climb, thankfully. Instead, it was on one end of a handline that folks use as a balance aid to downclimb a slightly sketchy-slippery section on the east gully descent from the Gorro Frigi on Montserrat. I recognize a bowline and a sort of overhand in there, but not much else. What the hell is going, exactly? Any ideas? Is it “super good enough” for its purpose?
Handline Anchor near Gorro Frigi, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2022
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