Floating anchors
Where an anchor point is not attached directly to a structure but is instead positioned away from the structure by secondary anchor ropes , it is described by both arborists and rescuers as a floating anchor . Floating anchors can be as simple as a secondary rope attached midline to an existing climbing line , or as complex as tensioned three-dimensional highline systems that can be trolleyed in multiple directions under load .
For casualty access and rescue purposes , some form of floating anchor can be
considered whenever the casualty ’ s location precludes safe access to the tree or tree part where they are situated . The image above shows a simple floating anchor high point ; the image on the following page shows a floating anchor on a steeply-sloping rope , used to install an anchor point above a partially failed branch . More complicated systems might include additional anchors , or the ability to trolley the anchor during setup or to extract the casualty .
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