This completely revised and updated edition, illustrated with 359 color photographs and drawings, brings together in a single volume the anchoring systems most popular among climbers. If you're new to trad climbing, this book details the necessary skills needed to make safe gear placements and build solid and efficient anchor systems, based on simple guidelines. This new edition of Climbing Anchors is the climber's complete and authoritative source of information on placement and evaluation criteria for nuts and camming devices. Included are assessment principles for bolts and a thorough discussion of how to rig and assess toprope, rappel, single-pitch, and multi-pitch anchor systems. Climbing Anchors covers it all- from fundamental knots to sophisticated rigging and load distribution skills. Updated fourth edition includes: Over 150 additional new photographs The latest equipment and techniques for anchoring Introduces the new STRANDS principle for evaluating any anchor system Correct application of girth hitch masterpoint anchors Dispels old myths about shock loading and equalization with new guidelines.