Self Rescue

[mark1980]

So do you carry prusiks or something to ascend a rope in an emergency, something for self rescue? If you ever took a climbing course, I’m sure you were taught how to prusik and to do a leader tie off with a cord sling and prusik knot. Do you still carry it when you are cragging or sport climbing? I carry two short slings, clipped to a carabiner on my harness, along with a whistle and a small pocket knife, and I’m glad I had it when I was on Castle Rock recently.

My partner had led the second pitch of Canary, and from his belay spot, we could not communicate. I knew he had me on belay, after he had pulled up the remaining rope and given me three tugs. Three tugs on the rope, was the on belay signal we decided to use when we couldn’t hear each other. Self-assured that I was on belay, I untied the rope from the anchor, he took in the slack, and then I un-clipped my personal anchor and proceeded to climb. From the anchor you traverse a dozen feet or so along Saber Ledge, which is a relatively safe place. Then you have to make a commitment, to a step across from the ledge, to the corner of the route .Here the corner is above an overhanging roof, a very exposed, scarey move, with no turning back.

Marty aced this and was on his way. He had placed a couple of pieces of pro before the move. The first one was bomber and in an awkward place to remove. I had to climb a few feet above the ledge, and hang on to a hold with my right hand, while trying to retrieve the gear with my left. Every time I’d move to the left, my partner would take up slack, thinking that I was moving forward. This pulled me off balance and out of position for removing the pro. It also tensioned the sling on the piece, making it impossible to loosen and get out. To take the tension off, I had to unclip it from the rope and after doing this I still couldn’t get it out with one hand. I needed two hands, and since it was a traverse, I wasn’t able to just hang on the end of the rope in my harness and work. His second piece of protection was at the end of the ledge traverse, so I down climbed and walked over and removed it, a number one TCU. With this with me I climbed back up to the first piece, found a crack to place it in, and then clipped my personal anchor to it. This allowed me to anchor myself and use both hands to remove the stuck pro. It also helped overcome the pull of the rope, which was pulling me to the left, away from where I wanted to be. So using the cam as aid, holding my weight, I went to work with two hands, trying to remove the stubborn, well placed tri-cam, a pink, it was in there good.

I was about to give up on it and leave it when I heard the TCU that I was using for aid, pop, it came out and I fell backwards, feeling a thump as I bounced off the ledge below. It was a pop, thump, and then nothing but air, as I free fell to the end of the rope. When I stopped, I found myself hanging out of reach of the rock face. My head was at least ten feet below the roof of the first pitch of Canary and the rope was clipped to some pro on the corner above the roof. It was the first piece my partner placed after he made the scary move off the ledge on the second pitch of Canary.

I tried pumping my legs and swinging, but I still couldn’t get close enough to the rock to touch it, let alone grab it to climb back up to Saber Ledge. I realized I was in a serious situation, I couldn’t be lowered because my partners lead was nearly 60 meters, and we couldn’t hear each other and there was know one else to help, as we were the only climbers on Castle at the time. I hung there, still a little dazed from the fall and thought, I’m in trouble, what am I going to do. Even if I could swing over to the rock, I’d have to use aid to overcome my top rope, which was coming off the outside edge of the roof, away from the rock, and it would have been pulling me away from the face I needed have to climb, to get back to Saber Ledge; and as the follower, I didn’t have any gear. My only choice was to climb the rope. That’s when the light came on; prusiks. I have two short 6mm rope slings, that I carry to use as leader tie offs, or for self rescue in emergencies. This I deemed was an emergency, so I tied the slings into prusiks, clipped my personal anchor to the short one, and my gear sling to the longer one for my feet and prusiked up the rope. Once I was above the roof and in contact with the rock, I was able to climb and finish following the pitch. Even as a follower, it was a very Scary Canary, I would of rather made the move off the ledge, than to do what I did.

 

Well I’m glad I was taught to carry something for self rescue. Had I not had the 6mm cord slings to use as prusiks, I suppose I could of cut up my cordelette but that would of taken more time. James Bond used his shoe laces to prusik in a movie and I can’t imagine what MaGyver would of done. I guess I could have rigged a couple of standard webbing slings with kleimheist knots, but I didn’t have any, or anything like Tiblocs. So I’m glad I had my little slings on my “what if biner.” I guess that’s why their called hero loops.

 

In the future I’ll do some things different, and pay closer attention to my cam placements. Even if you’re only a few feet above a sidewalk sized ledge and you’re going to use a cam, make sure it’s good and not a casual placement, test it as if it were a nut. It’s too easy to casually place those wonderful cams. Also in a traversing situation, if you can’t get the pro out, leave it, because if you fall trying to remove it, you are going to pendulum. Another thing to consider, when the crux is in the beginning of the route, is to maybe shorten the lead, so that you can communicate with your partner.

 

I can’t remember the number of times I’ve been to Saber Ledge, this was certainly the most memorable. Just thought I’d share the experience, and I hope you have something on your harness to get you out of a jam. Even when you’re out for a day of sport climbing or cragging.

 

 

[montypiton]

Nice post. From your description, I'd say you handled yourself well. Responding to your initial question - on any climb longer than a half rope-length(where the climber can be lowered to the deck), I carry enough of a variety of sling material to effect self-rescue. Besides a couple of cordelettes, my runners are all open loops (no dog-bones), and my nuts and stoppers are rope-slung rather than wired, except for the sizes too small to accept cord slings.

 

To facilitate communication, and especially with inexperienced partners who may want coaching, I often shorten pitches (when my sons were younger, we broke Saber into 5 pitches), and, for climbs where I expect to be leading a full 70-meters, I have a pair of frs radios with hands-free setups.

 

Thanks for sharing your little epic - I hope other readers will take note.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kevbone]

Great story......

[Bug]

Good job.

I have carried two short 6mm loops for decades but have never used them. Still, they are always there.

[hefeweizen]

I have a biner with a tibloc and a small pulley on it. It lives on my harness and I never take it off whether I'm 2 days into the wilderness on alpine rock or 5 minutes from the parking lot at Smith. For two small items to carry I believe it gives me the most options for the weight. It's a good point that you bring up, and one that unfortuanetly isn't thought of by most novice climbers who have been hatched in a gym/strictly sport environment. I'm not knocking those disciplines, but they are bred out of a culture of minimal gear and generally very little self-reliance. It's much more reassuring to be with a partner who has considered the worst case scenario and is at least somewhat prepared for it.

 

[Alpinfox]

I think you did a good job of getting yourself out of a tough situation and it's a great reminder to everyone that they should have the gear and knowledge to effect a self-rescue if needed.

 

However, I also think what happened to you was easily predicted and avoided and that hasn't been discussed yet.

 

I really appreciate posts like this as I think many climbers don't think about these sorts of "what would I do if" situations and are then not prepared when a challenging situation arises.

 

As for gear, I always carry a short 5mm prusik cord, a tibloc, a pulley, and a small knife on my harness whether I'm doing one-pitch sport climbs or "big walls" like infinite bliss.

 

[still_climbin]

IMO this is what climbing is really about. Anyone with enough gym and sport climbing can get up the rock on multi-pitch rock or alpine. But, its how you prepare to repond to the unexpected that seperates the experienced (and keeps one from becomming a terrible static). Good job on the recovery.

 

By the way, I always carry a 5mm loop, a Kevlar cordelette, and a pocket knife.

 

 

[Toast]

Good work. Learning to improvise and apply some of the basic skills taught in these classes is really important when climbing outside. on my harness, I always have two short perlon slings, two double slings, some extra biners and a cordalette. With those and knowledge of a few friction knots and load releasing hitches, you can ascend a rope, transition load or set up a haul system.

[sprocket]

Good story and glad you got out the situation. Happened to me a couple of years ago down at Smith. Was following a short roof traverse my friend had led but coudn't clean the last piece without hanging. Of course once cleaned I swung out from under the roof and onto a 5.12 face climb, no chance for me there. 2 - 5mm loops and single runners allowed me to prussik 10-15' back to 5.10 territory. Good skill to have. I would ceratianly like to learn some of the other stuff mentioned like setting up to haul.

[Rad]

I used to have tiblocs and cord on my harness all the time but I removed them at some point. I will put them back now.

 

Thanks for posting!

[mzchristy]

Awesome story! Way to go, staying calm and thinking clearly. I love reading posts like this. You shared a (potentially serious) problem and then a viable, intelligent solution. I learned a lot from reading it.

[Freeman]

Not only do I always carry a couple of cordeletts, one short prusik and a few locking pears (in addition to at least one Purcell Prusik), our little group practices all the basics of "self/parter rescue" at least once a year. (We happened to do it last weekend under the umbrella of a CCMRA training session). Skills I want my partner to know is how to escape a loaded belay (and get back into it), how to ascend a tensioned rope with whatever is hanging on her harness, how to counter balance rappell with an injured climber (me) including stopping and placing another anchor so she can continue, and how to pass a loaded knot if she was lowering me on two ropes.

 

We were practicing this stuff one evening at our local gym and one (very good) sport climber came by. He said "why do you need to know that crap?". I said, "if you never go above 30 meters you don't. Otherwise, I don't want to climb with you".

[111]

We were practicing this stuff one evening at our local gym and one (very good) sport climber came by. He said "why do you need to know that crap?". I said, "if you never go above 30 meters you don't. Otherwise, I don't want to climb with you".

 

I gotta say, it amazes me that folks dont epic more with this type of ignorance(might be the wrong word). It is those strong gym rats who have just enough power and knowledge to really get themselves up shit creek w/o a paddle. If the conversations above are gibberish to you, read the climbing chapters of FREEDOM OF THE HILLS and learn how to get yourself out of trouble.

[high_on_rock]

I would not think it is only gym rats transitioning to the outdoors that lack the requisite self-rescue skills, but probably many who started outdoors too. I climb all the time with folks who are going to be in trouble if I get hurt, as will I; therefore I climb to not fall and not get hurt (same philosophy most guides climb with.) I carry nothing extra on my harness, merely figuring that I will make do with whatever I have on me at the moment, and the knowledge of a lot of tricks and techniques. These are all risks that I accept, any of which may bite me in the backside someday. The beauty is that some of us even know that there is a risk, and pity those who do not know that the risk exists.

 

I do, however, think we segregate out the gym rats for bad mouthing, and I don’t think that is the true dividing factor. Gym rats typically transition at crags where there are others to help if there is a problem. It is the guy who heads backcountry without knowledge that is the problem child. Merely my opinion.

 

[iain]

You are all missing the real take-home message here. No one actually owns pink tricams, and it is not worth your money/life/honor to clean them.

 

The pink tricam project (PTP) is a community effort developed in the early 80s (kindof like the yellow bike program in Holland), where you leave them behind on climbs unwillingly for others to collect, and collect them occasionally on future climbs when you happen upon them.

 

I know of at least one on the N. Buttress of Fury, and one on Young Warriors (Beacon Rock) if you want to save a few bucks.

 

Be careful badmouthing gym climbers. They are only a trad rack purchase away from kicking your ass.

[catbirdseat]

Imagine you are the belayer in this situation. Furthermore, imagine that your fallen second does not have the skills necessary to climb the rope.

 

Do you know how to set up a raise to haul him up to you?

[bstach]

Imagine you are the belayer in this situation. Furthermore, imagine that your fallen second does not have the skills necessary to climb the rope.

 

Do you know how to set up a raise to haul him up to you?

 

Carry a knife so you can do a Joe Simpson on him and be home in time for dinner.

[bstach]

Seriously, though, "Self Rescue" by David Fasulo is a pretty good read that covers all of the basics.

[Freeman]

Seriously, though, "Self Rescue" by David Fasulo is a pretty good read that covers all of the basics.

 

Fasulo is a good book, but I think the new one by Tsyon and Loomis is an easier read. And it isn't gym rats vs. trad climbers - I'll bet most people on SCW or Castle Rock don't have a clue what to do if their leader falls and is injured. Unfortunately my 25+ years with our local rescue unit tells me there are some skills that are lacking in a lot of climbers.

 

But to bring this whole discussion back to the original post, I had a similar incident a couple of years ago - I was following Viper Crack (5.6 my ass) and popped out near the bottom. My belayer locked off and was out of hearing range and I couldn't touch the rock. After a lot of screaming and a few efforts to swing back to the rock it was pretty easy to take my Purcell off the belay loop on my harness (I use that for my anchor tie in), make a quick foot loop, throw a short prusik on for my waist and climb the ten feet or so back onto the route. No different than hanging off the lip of Canary.

[AR_Guy]

Regarding CBS's comments on what to do as a belayer in the noted situation:

 

Craig Lubben's book 'Rock Climbing - Mastering Basic Skills' has a fully illustrated chapter on self rescue, rigging prusiks, escaping belays, rigging haul systems and the like. It's pretty easy to follow.

[rob]

Carry a knife so you can do a Joe Simpson on him and be home in time for dinner.

 

fuck that, the damn rope is expensive. I would hope he would be kind enough to untie.

 

CBS -- hauling systems are easy. I think a more challenging scenario is an unconcious leader, more than half a rope out. I bet there are lots of seconds in the alpine who wouldn't know how to handle this.

Edited July 19, 2007 by robmcdan

[ericb]

Carry a knife so you can do a Joe Simpson on him and be home in time for dinner.

 

fuck that, the damn rope is expensive. I would hope he would be kind enough to untie.

 

CBS -- hauling systems are easy. I think a more challenging scenario is an unconcious leader, more than half a rope out. I bet there are lots of seconds in the alpine who wouldn't know how to handle this.

 

Good point....this thread has definitely got me thinking. Other than books, I know NC Mountainguides has a High Angle rescue course. I'm thinking I might want to take it, or something like it at some point.

[miladugga]

Thanks for the story, I've carried a couple of prusik loops for the last few years, without needing them, so I just took em off. They will be going back on now...

[whirlwind]

not bad man but you can use a long piece or cord for a presic as well just dubdle it up or tripple it, got make sure its really clean knot but itll work without cutting cord up

[grandpa]

Reminded me of a book I just read, and I was hoping this story wasn't going to end like the third one in "In the Zone" by Peter Potterfield (The Mountaineers Press).