Terminology for this Course
Anchor – The generic term for the combination of anchor points, rope, webbing and other gear to which the rappel rope, climbing rope, rescue systems, etc are attached. An anchor can be simple, backed-up, pre-tensioned, back-tied or an anchor system.
Anchor Point – The object that the web or rope is tied to or around. It could be a tree, bush, piton, Jeep, boulder or structure. The ultimate anchor point is a “Bomb Proof” anchor.
Anchor System – The connection of anchor points together to create an anchor that distributes the load. If a single anchor point in an anchor system should fail, the anchor system will remain intact.
Backed-Up – An anchor that has a second, independent anchor to which the rope is also attached. SInce either anchor could support the load by itself, they then “back up” each other.
BFR – A slang term for a very large rock, but also includes a big tree, fire truck, water tank, stairway or other “immovable” object. Size is not always the key factor, immovable is.
Bombproof – An anchor or anchor point so strong that there is no question in anyone’s mind that it will support far more than the expected and unexpected loads of the rope system. A BFR is usually necessary to make a bombproof simple anchor. Live trees that are large than 8″ in diameter and well rooted in good soil is another example. The sample anchor point in this lesson’s videos is 8 inches in diameter.
Internal (Critical) Angle – The interior angle formed when a loop of webbing or rope is wrapped around an anchor point or when two individual anchors points are connected together.
Load – The generic term for everything that hangs on the rope attached to the anchor. This can include the rescuer, patient, stretcher, stretcher tenders, gear, and the weight of the rope itself. This differs in apparent weight from the “load” the haul team must pull because they must lift the load plus overcome all the friction in the system.
Simple Anchor – An anchor with a single anchor point. A tensionless hitch around a tree is an example of a simple anchor. We will be discussing anchors in this course.
Self-Equalizing Anchor System – It describes the system’s theoretical ability to automatically maintain an equal load on each anchor point.