|
|
|
|
benway
Sep 16, 2002, 4:25 PM
Post #1 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 8, 2002
Posts: 12
|
I'm still enough of a newbie to be stuck in the TR world but I want to try my hand at leading some easy sport climbs soon.
My question is, suppose you can't make it to the top of the climb, and you have to lower off from the last bolt you made it to. Now you don't want to leave one of those shiny new quickdraws behind, right? Is there anyway to throw an old biner on the bolt, and lower off that? I guess this presupposed the bolt is in a sport where you can hang for awhile while doing this. Is this an unacceptable risk because if you fall you wont be caught until the next bolt down? (Obviously if you're stuck at the #2 bolt, you probably hit the deck, but let's say you're far enough up that's not an issue).
I'm planning on following common sense and much related advice and start with routes 2 grades below what I TR, but I'd feel better know the "what if" even if it's not likely to happen.
Thanks for any and all input
Mike "the newbie"
|
|
|
|
|
rck_climber
Sep 16, 2002, 5:07 PM
Post #2 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 28, 2001
Posts: 1010
|
You've hit the nail on the head.
Two words you'll become very familiar with if you climb long enough... "Bail Biner".
Take that old biner that you don't use much anymore (or a found one that you've inspected and are confident in) and put it on the bolt, then lower from it.
That's the best way to retreat from that "one" time you get in over your head (or many times if you climb long enough).
Good luck.
Mick
|
|
|
|
|
grandwall
Sep 16, 2002, 5:23 PM
Post #3 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 28, 2002
Posts: 152
|
Yup, it's all about the bail biner. If you don't have an extra biner you could throw up a quick link (aka Fixe Maillon). They only set you back about 3 bucks.
|
|
|
|
|
jman
Sep 16, 2002, 5:47 PM
Post #4 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 28, 2002
Posts: 438
|
Bail beaner...something cheap and locking.
Please don't contemplate running a rope directly through a bolt and rapping off.
|
|
|
|
|
overlord
Sep 16, 2002, 5:58 PM
Post #5 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14120
|
try the "mexican rope trick". it has been discussed somewhere, just dont remeber where. any tips???
CLIMB ON
|
|
|
|
|
wigglestick
Sep 16, 2002, 6:22 PM
Post #6 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 27, 2001
Posts: 1235
|
jt512 gave a pretty good description of the "Texas Rope Trick" somewhere in a thread awhile ago. I am sure the Mexican rope trick is the same thing with a little more south-of-the-border flavor. But it only works when you are less than 20 meters of the ground (60 meter rope divided by 3). Otherwise use bail biners. Any climber worth his/her salt will gain more bail biners than they lose. Or use quicklinks.
|
|
|
|
|
chuckd278
Sep 16, 2002, 6:23 PM
Post #7 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 23, 2002
Posts: 156
|
You can also us a runner as a last resort by feeding the rope through the runner until you have 3 lengths of rope from you to the ground. If you don't it will not work. You have to rappel down using twin ropes. If you cannot picture how to do this then don't try. A bail crab works the best but if you have no other options the runner will work.
Chuck
|
|
|
|
|
climblouisiana
Sep 16, 2002, 6:27 PM
Post #8 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 3, 2002
Posts: 506
|
Thread sling through bolt with knot on one side. Tie a knot to the sling on the same side as the knot on the sling. Thread your rope through both ends of the sling until both are touching the ground(one is a loop and the other is free). Rap off the rope. Pull the rope through the sling taking care not to pull the free end of the rope but the end of the rope that is looped. Once the correct end of the rope has been pulled you will only have to pull the sling off the bolt by pulling the remainder of the rope down (remember the rope on tied to the knotted side of the sling?) The height you can bail off something with this setup is 1/3 your rope length. Don't lower off this configuration.
|
|
|
|
|
morganicclimbing
Sep 16, 2002, 7:16 PM
Post #9 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 10, 2002
Posts: 88
|
Another option if you don't want to leave anything behind and you have some juice left in you is to stick clip (cheat) the rest of the way. If it's a mental game you're facing with clipping the draws this can sometimes get you up to the hangers.
|
|
|
|
|
mauriceb
Sep 16, 2002, 7:23 PM
Post #10 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 247
|
Here is the link to the thread mentioned earlier. It has lots of options and explains the 'mexican rope trick'. Practice this process thoroughly before trying it on a climb. I thought I understood and it took me 20min to lower off and I ended up with my rope stuck. Fortunately someone else was able to get up the route and drop the rope down.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=8880&forum=18&45
|
|
|
|
|
jt512
Sep 16, 2002, 10:30 PM
Post #11 of 11
(3739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 12, 2001
Posts: 21904
|
Duplicate thread. Locked. Post further replies to the other thread.
-Jay (mod)
|
|
|
|
|
|
how to lower off incomplete sport lead?
