Photo: Tom Brennan
Canyoning Anchors
Permanent Canyoning Anchors: A Comparison
The choice between sling-based anchors and bolt anchors for permanent canyoning use presents a variety of trade-offs across safety, environmental impact, durability, and practicality. The following compares key aspects of each type.
Note: A sling-based anchor is considered a permanent addition to the canyon environment regardless of its ease of removal. Unless practicing ghosting techniques, the intrinsic nature of canyoning requires an anchor to be left behind. In Australia, the vast majority of sling-based anchors are only ever replaced and never truly removed. This comparison assumes that sling anchors are left in place and that the anchor includes an appropriate metal maillon (a.k.a. quicklink) or ring,
Note: This comparison deliberately excludes temporary recoverable anchors used in the practice of "ghosting" (i.e. descending a canyon using tools and techniques that leave no anchoring material behind). Ghosting techniques, while valid and useful, particularly in exploration or rarely visited canyons, are not commonly practiced in the Australian canyoning context.
Use and Safety
| Feature | Sling-based Anchors | Bolt Anchors |
|---|---|---|
| Exploration | Limited suitability for exploration and highly dependent on natural features. Rarely useful in high-flow aquatic canyons. | Supports exploration in canyons of all varieties. |
| Safety | Considered safe, but the canyoner must check the installation for degradation, knot issues, and flood/rock fall damage. | Considered safe, but the canyoner must check the installation for corrosion, looseness, and flood/rock fall damage. |
| Scalability (Use) | High; can be used safely by all canyoners. | High; can be used by all canyoners and is well-suited to supporting highly trafficked canyons with a broad spectrum of users. |
| Learning Curve (Use) | Low learning curve; a foundational skill for any canyoner. |
Low learning curve if using the "double rope technique" and/or using linked anchors. Low to moderate learning curve if using releasable anchors (e.g. unlinked bolts vs linked bolts impacting releasable rigging). A foundational skill for any canyoner. Advanced in highly technical canyons (e.g. hanging anchors, complex traverse lines, redirects etc) |
| Impact on broader skill development | The existence of a permanent anchor simplifies the problem-solving required by the canyoner. Sling-based anchor locations are often suboptimal due to the availability of natural features, which then forces the canyoner to develop skills required to navigate difficult starts and overhangs. Suboptimal locations may increase the risk of injury (e.g., finger crush) and damage to equipment and rock. Furthermore, they do not support advanced canyoning skill development due to their lack of suitability for highly technical and aquatic canyons. That is, in many highly technical aquatic canyons, there may be no suitable locations for sling-based anchors, meaning that unless bolt anchors are used, the canyon cannot be undertaken. |
The existence of a permanent anchor simplifies the problem-solving required by the canyoner. There will generally be more locations where a bolted anchor can be located (subject to rock quality). An appropriately located bolted anchor can be positioned to, for example, minimise abrasion. Bolts reduce exposure to simple hazards like fingers being crushed under the rope and damage to equipment. Bolts support the descent of technically challenging and high risk canyons that would otherwise be inaccessible if relying on slings. Technically challenging canyons may require complex rope and advanced canyoning techniques to safely navigate hazards. |
| Common practise | Widely used in Australian canyoning, especially in the greater Blue Mountains area. | Common in areas outside of the greater Blue Mountains area (e.g. Victoria, Northern NSW, Tasmania). Growing use in the greater Blue Mountains area, especially highly frequented canyons. |
| International context | Sling-based anchors are largely considered a great short-term anchoring solution in limited circumstances. | Bolt-based anchors are considered a best-in-class anchoring solution due to their superior strength, durability, and ability to support a broad range of scenarios. |
Environmental Impact and Durability
| Feature | Sling-based Anchors | Bolt Anchors |
|---|---|---|
| Environment | Made of plastic webbing or rope which does not decompose but degrades into microplastics, and is not found naturally occurring in the environment. Their dependence on natural features (often trees) can, in highly frequented canyons, result in trampling of vegetation, soil compaction, stunting of growth, ring barking, erosion and rope groves in rock. |
Primary material is stainless steel (composed of iron and chromium) which will degrade to base elements found naturally in the environment over a significantly long time span. Requires permanently modifying rock to install. Keeps canyoners in the canyon, on durable rock surfaces, reducing damage to vegetation, erosion and occurrence of rope groves. Stainless steel can be recycled without degradation many times. |
| Carbon Foo tprint |
Lower initial carbon footprint, but over a 100-year lifespan, the need for frequent replacement results in a higher overall carbon footprint. Replacement results in kilograms of plastic making its way to landfill over time, and old slings cannot be recycled due to degradation and contamination. |
Higher initial carbon footprint to produce, but their durability, lifespan, and ability to be recycled without degradation mean they have a lower overall carbon footprint over a 100-year lifespan. |
| Durability | Low. Made of rated plastic webbing and rope. Subject to degradation from UV, moisture, abrasion and significant weather events (e.g. floods, storms, fires). Quality webbing is produced and tested to international standards by commercial companies. |
High. Made of marine-grade stainless steel; glue-in bolts are installed with epoxy glue formulated to last 100 years. (Expansion Bolts 25 years). They are produced and tested to international standards by commercial companies. Subject to damage from significant weather events (e.g. floods) and rock fall. |
| Lifespan | Short. Degrade quickly through wear and environmental factors, reducing strength, and require replacing often. | Long. Designed to last 100+ years (epoxy glue ins). Environmental factors may limit this (e.g. salt water, very windy places) |
Installation and Legality
| Feature | Sling-based Anchors | Bolt Anchors |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetic Impact | Polarised views exist Permanent sling based anchors are generally low visual impact but in some cases can appear messy, excessive or visually incongruent (in case of brightly coloured webbing or rope). Considered by some to detract from the "wilderness experience". |
Polarised views exist Bolts are often more visually discrete than sling-based anchors. However some in the community dislike their appearance and feel they detract from the "wilderness experience". |
| Social consideration | No significant public social opposition. | Strong anti-bolt opinions exist within limited Australian locals (predominantly Blue Mountains), while in other areas they are widely supported.Installation of bolts may attract public criticism, ridicule and in extreme cases vandalism. |
| Cost | Low initial cost Potentially high lifetime cost if regularly replaced over the course of 100 years AU$8 to AU$20 for a 2m to 5m webbing + AU$12 stainless steel rap ring or AU$17 stainless steel maillon.AU$120 to AU$400 in webbing over 100 years if replaced every 5 years. |
High initial cost Low lifetime cost. Cost is spread over many decades and potentially over 100 years (designed lifespan). Cost varies greatly from ~AU$25 for two glue in P bolts to over ~AU$75 for full glue in chain set. Expansion based bolted anchors sit within this price range as well. |
| Legality - installation | Permission is rarely sought from the land manager/owner and in the case of National Parks in NSW or QLD there is currently no administrative process or policy to obtain permission. Most national park authorities have historically tolerated or ignored their use and have adopted an informal "don't ask, don't tell" approach. Land managers could potentially apply ‘littering’ or even ‘installing equipment’ type provisions. |
Permission is rarely sought from the land manager/owner and in the case of National Parks in NSW or QLD there is currently no administrative process or policy to obtain permission.. Most national park authorities have historically tolerated or ignored their use and have adopted an informal "don't ask, don't tell" approach, though more recently some have adopted a ‘zero tolerance’ approach and will enforce laws and seek to prosecute persons found installing bolts (e.g. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service). Potential legal consequences are more serious as they involve ‘permanent’ impact on rock and ‘interference’ or ‘damaging’ natural resources provisions may apply (in addition to the ‘littering’ and installing equipment’ type provisions. |
| Legality - use once installed | Using an existing sling anchor should not of itself cause legal issues for subsequent canyoners. Note though that in NSW National Parks, canyoning or abseiling generally is technically only allowed at locations recognised in a management plan or if a permit is obtained. In Queensland canyoning is allowed in National Parks generally and no permit necessary(except in areas formally closed to the public) | As per sling anchors - using an existing bolted anchor should not of itself cause legal issues for subsequent canyoners. Note though that in NSW National Parks, canyoning or abseiling generally is technically only allowed at locations recognised in a management plan or if a permit is obtained. In Queensland canyoning is allowed in National Parks generally and no permit necessary(except in areas formally closed to the public) |
| Scalability (Installation) | High, can be installed by most canyoners, but limited to canyons with natural features that support their use. | Low. A high learning curve and the cost of equipment limit widespread use. Can be used in contexts where natural anchors are unavailable. |
| Learning Curve (Installation) | Low learning curve. | Higher learning curve due to expense (equipment and materials) and the multi-step nature of the task. |
| Removal | Easy. Can be removed simply using a knife. | Difficult. Requires equipment, care and knowledge. |
| History | Widely used since the inception of the activity, originally made from any purchasable rope or tape. Today, commercially produced rated webbing or offcuts of rated static rope are used. Used in canyons across Australia with highest concentration in the greater Blue Mountains area. |
Use started in the 1960s as equipment, metals, and glues became more accessible. Early bolts were "home made" or hardware store bolts. Adoption was extremely limited due to cost, practicality, availability of material and skill required. Today, portable powerful drills and commercially produced rated metal anchors (bolts, hangers, chain sets, etc.) are commonly available. Adoption is increasing.. Used in canyons across Australia. Widely adopted in areas outside of the greater Blue Mountains area. |
Canyoning Australia, in offering this comparison, is not advocating for the universal bolting of canyons, nor is it advocating for the exclusive use of permanent sling-based anchors. Both techniques are essential tools in a canyoner's repertoire of equipment and skills.
We encourage all canyoners to practice responsible canyoning that achieves a necessary balance between canyon usage and environmental protection. We also request that the community participate in informed, considered, and respectful debate surrounding this sensitive subject.
Our ultimate goal is to educate and support canyoners in their ongoing development and practice.