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ramonjuan
climber
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Jul 24, 2012 - 11:22pm PT
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If its stuck enough that the only way out is to go up and free it then god help you, that would be some scary shite. On a side note. You can cut a rope by smashing it with a rock a few times if you don't have a knife. It works really good if you have a chance of rock.
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o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Jul 25, 2012 - 12:14am PT
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This thread brings back the memory of the time that Steve Morris and I climbed Primrose Dihedrals on Moses Tower in the Utah Desert. We hung our ropes while rapping down the route "Pale Fire" at dusk.
I volunteered to climb back to the summit and fix the problem and Steve agreed to lead the rest of the decent if I did.
I had to use some unique techniques to protect this unbelayed pitch. A little free, a little aid you know the drill.
Fortunately I could still see the crack to place gear and we were above the crux of Pale Fire. The climbing was all crack until the very last slab section and that was fixed with drilled pins and bolts. Mostly it was very steep on size hand and fist cracks in the 5.9, 5.10 range. I would climb up until I got a good piece in and then hang on it and tie an over hand loop and clip in to it then pull the piece and climb on to the next placement and repeat the process and untie the previous over hand loop. I repeated this process until I reached the summit. I also pushed a prussic along as well but I barely weighted it at all. I trusted my crack climbing abilities way more than I did a piece of string. We also had the other end anchored well and I really had a sort of belay. Sort of?
I made it back to the summit and swiftly fixed the problem as a magnificent full moon was rising over the horizon. The entire desert was instantly illuminated. That is except for the face that we were descending. I will never forget silhouette of Moses Tower stretching across the expanse of Taylor Canyon.
By the time I arrived back at the ledge it was so dark that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. With no head lamp or even a lighter, everything had to be done by feel.
Steve set the next two rappels in total darkness. How he found those anchors I will never know.
While having breakfast at the Moab Diner the next day. Steve was asked what we had climbed on this trip. His reply was, “well let’s see, we did Moses last night.”
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Steven Davis
climber
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Jul 25, 2012 - 03:15am PT
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Just wondering about freeing a stuck rope--how about setting up a 3:1? The force applied to the rope would presumably be greater than two climbers bouncing on it. This is assuming that the anchor is bomber. . . .
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irene+
climber
NY for now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 25, 2012 - 06:35am PT
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Thank you STopians...I'll print and study at work today...(although it is best to set up a mock worst case scenario rather than just talk about it!)
PS: at the Gunks if you want to set up a 'real' mock scenario, do a double rap after climbing Airy Aria (even the guidebook warns of the potential for the ropes to get stuck!)
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Jul 25, 2012 - 09:47am PT
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I think it is bad advice to tell people to go up on a stuck rope - take that chance only if you are going to die for sure. If not wait for a rescue. A night of suffering is in no way worth a lifetime of death.
Agreed in general. But note that if it is possible to place protection along the line where the rappel ropes are hanging, then I described above a way (the inchworm technique) that is "safe enough" to be an option one might choose before the only other choice is "you're gonna die for sure."
I came up with the inchworm technique to retrieve a stuck rope on a Devil's Tower rappel many years ago, which is not to say others haven't figured it out too. However, I've never seen it in any book or internet forum, other than my own occasional posts, so guess it really isn't well-known.
Note that it is considerably more useful than merely leading on the end of the rope, a technique that limits you to the available slack pulled down before the ropes hung. Regardless of the accessibility of the the end that isn't down, you can inchworm right up to the hang-up point.
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Prod
Trad climber
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Jul 25, 2012 - 09:54am PT
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Gunks if you want to set up a 'real' mock scenario, do a double rap after climbing Airy Aria (even the guidebook warns of the potential for the ropes to get stuck!)
Sounds like the perfect place to peactice this not happening.
Prod.
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James Doty
Trad climber
Phoenix, Az.
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Jul 25, 2012 - 11:48am PT
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Good post Dingus, I "came up with" that idea for silent rappel comms while doing night training with military dudes. Keeps with the tradition of every technique serving more than one purpose.
Great post as usual from Rgold. That really is a nice twist on the usual lead with the available end technique.
THANKS FOR CLIMBING CONTENT!!!
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Jul 25, 2012 - 07:36pm PT
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Dingus, absolutely do a full pull test on every single rap. That one seems such a given that I hadn't even thought of mentioning it, but it is easy to overlook the simplest thing:
Do your best to make sure it doesn't happen.
It has still happened to me a fair number of times on Alpine routes, which tend to have more broken rock,
Which leads me to a second lesson. Don't look up!! you might get a rock in the face!!
During my heyday, it damn sure happened. Ice pitches seem particularly prone.
If you are rapping serenity/sons or something like that, with perfect stations and clean rock, it should never happen. Set it up right and always shout out which color to pull when leaving the rap station. A good reason to have different colored ropes!!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jul 25, 2012 - 08:26pm PT
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Somewhat elaborating, the first person down should always do a pull test. If the rope doesn't pull, then take remedial measures. If the rope does pull, then off #2 goes. Most of the time, #2 is also last, which means the second pull test is for real.
There are a myriad of small things that one can do to reduce the chance of a stuck rope, many of which simply require a good look around, and a bit of experience and foresight.
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Steven Davis
climber
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Jul 25, 2012 - 10:11pm PT
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No one wants to respond to this?
Just wondering about freeing a stuck rope--how about setting up a 3:1? The force applied to the rope would presumably be greater than two climbers bouncing on it. This is assuming that the anchor is bomber. . . .
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Jul 26, 2012 - 12:05am PT
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O-man...the same thing happened to Gordo and I on the descent from Moses. It was a little earlier in the day though. He lost "the carabiner toss" and went up the rope to fix it. I watched the ropes, he fixed it and we made it down.
I was so glad he went back up.
I'm not sure if it was mentioned above, but, always extend the anchor to below the topmost edge if you can, no matter how many runners or pieces of chopped off rope it takes. It is amazing how much friction there is on sandstone. Get the rap point over the edge. ....and...always leave double biners.
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James Doty
Trad climber
Phoenix, Az.
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Jul 26, 2012 - 11:04am PT
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I read Ol Skool's link about Denz. What a friggin animal. Is there more literature/info out there about that guy?
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cliffhanger
Trad climber
California
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Jul 26, 2012 - 01:56pm PT
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I believe a fast pull reduces the chances of hang ups, as the momentum keeps the rope going thru rough spots and the speed means the rope bounces off the wall reducing contact with hazards. One way to reduce the chances of a hang up is to use twin ropes, but instead of 2 separate ropes use just 1 rope, twice as long, doubled up. Then there is no knot to catch on the pull.
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