Self/Partner Rope Rescue Wed Oct 26 21:13:54 1994 Message : #18179257 From: Andrew E. Jost Address : andrew.e.jost@den.mmc.com Group : Usenet.rec.climbing Length : 506 words Subject : Re: Rescue Practice Suggestions Org. : Martin Marietta Astronautics Group In article , valent@thanatos2.altair.wes.mot.com (Matthew Valentine) wrote: > > Now that its too cold in the mid-west to climb at our local crags, I plan on > getting my friends together to practice some safety and rescue stuff. If > anyone could email suggested techniques to practice or scenarios to work out > (ie. hair caught in figure-eight while rappelling!), I would be thankful. > > Also, I would like to know of any sources of information on these topics (books, etc.). The Colorado Mtn Club requires students in its Basic Mountaineering School to do a couple of related exercises which are somewhat fun and potentially valuble to keep in mind. One they call "passing the knot" the other "tying off a fallen climber". The first is based on a situation during a rappel when an unexpected knot is encountered well down the rope. After the rappeller wraps the rope around his leg several times to be able to release the brake hand, he ties two prusiks onto the rope. One short one above connected to the harness, one long one just below the short one to step in. He then prusiks up the rope to release tension off the rappel system. He then disconnects the system and reconnects it below the knot. Then prusik down to put tension back on the system, disengage the prusiks, reapply the brake hand and unwrap the rope from the leg. Sounds relatively simple but is hard to do. Many students get frustrated and fatigue themselves extensively. The second exercise mentioned involves a climber on belay getting injured and the belayer tying the climber off to free himself for rescue or to get help. The belayer wraps the rope several times around his leg so that the brake hand can be released. He then ties one prusik to the rope between himself and the bomber anchor and another prusik to the rope between himself and the climber. The two prusiks then are connected by a locking 'biner. The belayer then tensions the prusiks to releive tension from himself. Once this is accomplished, the belayer reapplies his brake hand and slowly unwraps the rope from his leg to gradually apply all load onto the prusiks. The belayer then disengages himself from the belay and rope. He then must immediately tie the rope off to the anchor (e.g. figure 8 on a bite 'binered to the anchor). The "belayer" is then free to assist or get help. Both of these excercises are worth practicing under safe dry conditions for experience. They both require having prusiks of a well planned length and only trial and error will show you. It also demonstrates that the prusiks should always be kept in a handy location during climbing. *************************** Andy Jost, Denver, Co, USA *************************** (Andrew E. Jost)