In Climbing, Anchors are any system used to attach the climber to the climbing surface. For this reason, it is imperative to learn the fundamentals of Anchoring Systems prior to climbing to avoid accidental or careless injury. For the purpose of this article, I will be discussing top-rope anchors used for top-rope climbing, To review anchor types used in other forms of climbing, visit Types of Anchors
Top-Roping is a form of rock-climbing in which the climber is attached to a rope that is strung through an anchor at the top of a climbing route. As the climber ascends the route, the rope slackens and their belayer takes slack from the line by pulling on the other end of the rope. This form of rock climbing is the one most start out with at their local climbing gym.
At the local climbing gym; however, the anchor is already in place. When climbing top-rope outdoors, you must place the anchor yourself. In order to place an anchor at the top of a route you wish to climb, the top of the route must be accessible via hiking, or the climber must use another form of climbing (i.e. lead or traditional climbing) to access the top of the route.
In order to create a top-rope anchor system, there must be two bolts present at the tope of the route you wish to climb. The bolts must be in good condition. There are many ways to create an anchor system, each of which has its pros and cons. I will discuss 3 different anchoring systems.