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elliott.will
Mountain climber
Wasilla, AK
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 19, 2013 - 06:49pm PT
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Hi all,
I have a self-rescue question. I’ve consulted online sources and practiced this with a bucket of rocks, but there are a few details I’m wondering about when it comes to a body: primarily regarding how you get a fallen, injured leader attached to a new anchor so you can start a series of counterbalance rappels. I realize that weather, injuries, the rock, etc., make this all subjective, and that 100% of people who go climbing will die. Nevertheless, if anyone would like to comment on my system below I’d appreciate it. Thanks!
The scenario: leader falls and breaks his ankle on pitch 2 of a 3 pitch rock climb, and there isn’t enough rope to lower him to the belay. Additionally, let’s say, it’s dark and windy so we can't see or hear each other. I’m on a ledge, tied in with the rope to a multidirectional anchor, and belaying off my harness. After catching his fall, I wait for 5 minutes pulling on the rope and yelling, but get no response. I would…
1) I put a prussic on the load strand. Clip a locker to the prussic. My end of the rope runs from my harness up to a clove hitch on the anchor, then down to a stack of rope— I take the strand running to the stack of rope, and I tie a munter-mule-overhand (MMO) onto the prussic, and tighten it. Then I let out slack from my belay device until the MMO takes the load. Now I’m hands-free. I also tie a backup knot just behind the prussic.
2) I pack up everything. I put a second prussic on the load strand above my MMO, and clip in to it. I untie from the rope.
3) I climb the pitch using the prussic for aid. I can’t tie backup knots into this loaded strand, so I leave most of my leader’s protection in place.
4) When I reach my partner, I make sure he is breathing, not gushing blood, and doesn’t have a spinal injury (can move his limbs). I put extra clothes on him, rig a shoulder harness with runners/pack to get him upright.
5) THIS SEEMS LIKE THE TRICKY PART. I need to build a new anchor and clip my partner to it. Let’s say I don’t have a second rope, or a bunch of free runners— just a 15’ 7mm cordlette plucked from my partner’s harness. That means I have about 6’ of doubled cord to use between the anchor and my partner. Make it 5’ by the time I tie a MMO. So I have to make this new anchor within 5’ of us. I can’t make it below us, or else I’ll have to descend the rope, lower him to the new anchor, reascend the rope, and continue the steps below. I can’t make it above us unless he is able to prussic up the rope, or I am able to haul him to the new anchor. Since this doesn’t give me much room to work with, I can untie the cordlette and use it as a single strand, right? It's only going to be holding my partner's weight while I get the rope off of him.
Anyway, assuming I can build a new anchor ‘nearby,’ I clip into the new anchor with a runner, and tie my partner to the new anchor with a MMO made from his cordlette. He might now have to do a pull-up on the anchor to get his weight off the rope while I cinch up that MMO as short as possible.
6) Now I need to get the rope free of the gear above that caught his fall. I am still attached to the load strand with my prussic. I untie the rope from my partner. If he couldn’t get his weight off the rope and onto the MMO, then I guess I have to cut the rope at his tie-in. In doing so, I will make sure he doesn’t shock load the anchor when the MMO takes his weight. Once the rope is unloaded, I tie a backup knot near my prussic and clip it to my harness so I don’t lose the rope. Then I pull it down from the gear above.
7) Now my partner and I are attached to the anchor, and I have a pile of loose rope in my lap. I tie my partner back into the end, and clip his tie-in strand through the master point of the anchor. I move the backup knot from my harness onto the new anchor. Now the rope is fixed to the anchor.
8) I rappel this fixed rope back down to my original anchor, keeping my prussic on as backup, and leaving the intermediate protection in place.
9) Once back at the original anchor, I tie a backup knot under my rappel device/prussic, and clip into it. I clean the anchor.
10) Now I need to ascend the rope back to my partner. I start ascending the rope (my preferred method is a reverso on my harness in autoblock mode, and a foot prussic). As I ascend, the rope is forming a big loop behind me, because the end is tied to my harness as a backup. When I’ve gone a ways, I tie a new backup knot just below my harness and clip it to my belay loop. Then I untie the old one. Now the rope falls down below me in a straight line to the end. After I ascend some more, I will have to repeat this process. This way I stay clipped into the rope, but don’t leave a bunch of loops or knots behind me to get stuck when…
11) …I reach my partner. I clip into the anchor. I put him on belay (take my reverso out of autoblock mode and set it up in regular lead belay mode on my harness). I undo the MMO and lower my partner onto my belay device.
12) I lower my partner half way down the rope. My rope is 60 meters and it’s hard to see the midpoint marking, so I count out 90 one foot increments as I lower him. Now he’s 90’ below me, and I have about 106’ of rope on my side to rap down— a little extra in case I miscounted.
13) I pack up our stuff, unclip from the anchor, and counterbalance rappel down my half of the rope until I’m level with my partner.
14) I make him comfortable, and build a new anchor. We repeat the process:
 attach partner to anchor w/ MMO and myself w/ runner.
untie rope from partner, pull it, retie it to partner.
undo MMO, lower partner 90’, counterbalance rap to partner.
until ground.
gear needed: 2 prussic loops or single length runners, 2 more runners to clip in with, 2 cordlettes, knife
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Did I miss anything?
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elliott.will
Mountain climber
Wasilla, AK
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2013 - 07:08pm PT
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Also, for those who don't carry a cordlette— what would you have on your harness instead that can be used to tie a body to an anchor and is releasable under load? Double length runner?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nov 19, 2013 - 07:43pm PT
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Make the lowering anchor at one of the pieces of gear which caught his fall.
Put a prusik on the rope from the lowering anchor on the leader's side.
Go back down to the original belay, and pay out 8' of slack; now the prusik at the lowering anchor is loaded.
Go back up and Munter mule the leader's side rope to the lowering anchor.
Back down to the original anchor and untie the rope from it.
Back up to the lowering anchor and lower the leader until he is within range of the original anchor.
Down the rope to the leader, swing him over and clip him to the original anchor.
Clean the pitch and do the raps.
Not sure about the "counterweight" rappel.
You clip the leader to the locker on your rap device and rap with him.
It's like rapping with a haul bag.
You will probably never have to do this.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 19, 2013 - 08:21pm PT
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Clint,
I disagree.
A counterbalance rappel is far superior to clipping a victim to your fig 8 locker.
Even a slung out, side by side dual rappel is better.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Nov 19, 2013 - 09:01pm PT
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How about homie batmans back up and raps his own self down?
All that's wrong with him is a broken ankle.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nov 19, 2013 - 09:04pm PT
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Ron,
I don't know what a "counterbalance" rappel is.
I'll check it out on google.
OK, I see:
"Counterbalance rappelling — Used typically by a leader to reach an injured second. Idea is to rappel off on one strand of rope, using the incapacitated second's weight on the other strand of the rope to counterbalance."
Sounds good for some situations.
But in the scenario described here, there is not enough rope to lower the leader back to the belay. So it won't work if the lowering anchor is built at the highest piece of pro.
I agree with Rob, too - if it's really just a broken ankle, they might be able to control their descent with their other leg, so you could possibly lower them to one of their pieces of pro, where they anchor and place more gear. That would be the simplest first step.
My long list was more like the theoretical "incapacitated leader" thing.
Always best for leaders to get cautious and avoid those rad falls when they are out more than half a rope length! :-)
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Nov 19, 2013 - 09:26pm PT
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If my partner is injured, if I'm tired and question my own endurance, I'd try for a solution that involves the least times of me going up and down and gets me down more quickly.
I'd also simplify the counter-balance rappel by going at the same time as my partner (rather than lowering them half way, then I go halfway as in #12-#13 of original poster). That way, I could monitor physical condition, and be available for moral support, slightly assisted lower if they have mangled appendages to avoid further injury, to keep them from untying if they have a head injury, stop when needed and just take a break, hanging out next to each other until partner is ready to go again, etc.
Also in the beginning of original poster's sequence, around #5 "He might have to do a pull-up..." At this point, when your partner/leader rises a bit, it will lower you if you are still prussicking on the lead line on the opposite side of the pulley that is the topmost piece of protection that held the leader. Maybe clip yourself into the new anchor before trying to get the leader's weight off the original lead line. That leader's weight is the only thing holding the rope that you're prussicking.
I'm sure this situation is covered very well in the 2nd Edition of the Fasulo self-rescue book. I'll check it out later but it's not near me now.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Nov 19, 2013 - 10:03pm PT
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Belay plate descenders? Prussik?
You guys and all your fancy toys, what ever happened to a good old fashioned Grigri??
Although I think rhodo router may be onto something.
After listening to BK though I think I'd probably agree with Rick Summers if I had the chance.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 20, 2013 - 12:19pm PT
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I must admit to taking locker's advice before attempting to read the OP, and failing miserably at the latter.
But I feel strongly that even non-lead climbers should know how to, and practice, evacuating an injured leader via a counter balance rappel.
They should always carry a cordlette and a couple of extra lockers, slings and prussiks, and know the mule knot and how to rig a rap anchor mid-pitch in order to get down with one rope.
It should be mandatory knowledge like how you need to know ditch and recovery before you can SCUBA dive.
Yeah, I know,... good luck with that.
Just saying,..
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jonnyrig
Trad climber
formerly known as hillrat
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Nov 20, 2013 - 01:32pm PT
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well, it all really depends on whether the leader is conscious and able to help vs dead weight, now doesnt it...?
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Morgan
Trad climber
East Coast
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Nov 20, 2013 - 02:11pm PT
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Counterweight rappel puts more stress/abrasion on the rope because it is moving over the rock If the terrain is lower angle. if there is a lot of loose rock that might not be a plus either. It still might be the better choice though (victim control, closed loop). Usually, you should only have to do it for the first "rescue/rappel". All subsequent rappels you might be able to do with a tandem rappel if that turns out to be a better option. If it's steep, or the victim cannot assist, you should know how to rig a cordelette with a releasable rappel tether (or use the rope itself).
Also, using a cordelette as a block and tackle can help you with load transitions.
If the victim is conscious and can reach the lead rope, have him put a Prusik from their harness (or better yet solid gear within reach) on the rope going down to the belayer. If you are doing a counter-balance ascension, you will be more psyched.
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overwatch
climber
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I can see why the discussion ended. That was an on the money post from Bearbreeder. Only thing I would add is take a second rope if you know there is a hard traverse on the route. Keep you tethered to your partner so you have more options.
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