How to Clean the Top Anchors on a Sport Climbing Route

Once you've reached the level of leading in sport climbing, you need to know how to clean the anchors to safely retrieve all of your gear — unless you like the idea of leaving a few quickdraws behind every time you climb. Cleaning anchors off a route is tricky business and both you and your belayer have to be vigilant to minimize risk. Practice this straightforward technique on a safe route in a gym before taking it outdoors.

Things You'll Need

  • Quickdraws (2 for anchors)
  • Daisy chain or PAS (personal anchoring system)
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      One you reach the top of a climbing route, clip the climbing rope into both of the top anchors.

    • 2

      Girth-hitch two slings of webbing to your harness through the belay loop, and attach a locking carabiner to the end of each sling.

    • 3

      Clip one sling to each bolt on the anchor so that you are anchored-in at two points and are no longer relying on your belayer or the climbing rope. Take care not to block the links of the chain or the rappel rings you'll be passing your climbing rope through.

    • 4

      Take up about 4 feet of slack in the rope and tie a figure-eight knot on a bight. Clip the figure eight into either a carabiner on your harness or into your anchor. This prevents you from losing the end of the rope when you untie it in the next step.

    • 5

      Untie your original tie-in knot from your harness and pass the rope through the chain links at the end of the chain or the rap rings on the anchor.

    • 6

      Tie the rope back into your harness.

    • 7

      Untie the figure-eight knot that was holding the rope and feed the slack back down to your belayer.

    • 8

      Alert your belayer to "Take!" This will tell him to take all of the extra slack out of the rope.

    • 9

      Double-check your new tie-in knot and make sure you feel the tension your belayer has placed on the rope.

    • 10

      Unclip your slings from the anchor and place your weight back on the climbing rope. Remove the quickdraws and tell your belayer, "Ready to lower!" He will then begin lowering you to the ground.