Tying in to stakes shares a tip for securing your rope or a sling to the hammered stake anchors. These are often found at the top of some climbing venues. We hope you find it useful.
Hammered in metal stakes are commonly used by climbers in places where there are no natural anchors. You will find them at the top of sea cliffs and in various other venues around the country. They are used for abseiling in to climbs and are often the anchor for belays at the top of routes.
Assuming you have carefully assessed the integrity of the stakes, you then need to attach to them in some way. Just to say, it can sometimes be hard to assess the quality of the stake as much of it is hidden below ground. Many have been in place for a long time. It is also important to back up your anchor whenever possible. Be conservative in your judgements. This handy article from the BMC explains more about this.
When tying in to stakes it is best to use a clove hitch as this gets pulled tight around the stake and is therefore less likely to slide off. You can do this with a sling (as shown in the pictures) or sometimes by using your climbing rope.
The main thing about this tip, however, is to share a simple trick that increases the security of the clove hitch. Before you put the clove hitch over the stake turn it over so the sling (or rope) comes out of the knot at the back. This means that, when the sling or rope is loaded, the clove hitch will constantly be pulled tight. A great way to ensure it firmly stays put. Finally, don’t forget to make sure the sling or rope is placed as low as possible onto the stake to minimise leverage. The video below shows the technique.
We hope you found this tying in to stakes tip useful. You may also find our equalising with a twist tip of interest.