After more than a decade teaching anchor systems to climbers of all levels, I’ve developed a new framework that improves on traditional models like EARNEST and SRENE. The STEARN system—Strong, Timely, Equalized, Angle, Redundant, No/Limited Extension—offers a clearer, more adaptable approach to building safe and effective climbing anchors in dynamic terrain. Here’s why it works, and how to apply it in the real world.