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voltzwgn
Dec 28, 2002, 9:18 PM
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As of late I've found myself thinking about self rescue a lot more. As I run through scenarios I've found that I may be making a potential "fatal" error. So my question is how many of you set up a anchor at the base of a climb set to take an upward pull?
In trying to think this through I find this would be where I would most likely fail if I needed to perform a rescue of the lead climber on the first pitch. Normally who ever is leading the first pitch gets all the gear and heads up. I'll keep my lockers, belay device(s) some slings, prusiks, webbing/cord and a couple extra biners and that's about it. So in most cases if something happened and I needed to escape belay and build an anchor I probably wouldn't have what it takes unless there's something close by I can sling up or tie off to, otherwise I'd be out of luck.
Just wondering if this is common or if you setup an anchor at the base to use if needed, never recall anyone doing this that I've climbed with. Or even looking around before starting a climb to make note of say what gear you may want to hold onto as the belayer just in case the need arises.
[ This Message was edited by: voltzwgn on 2002-12-28 13:21 ]
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stevematthys
Dec 28, 2002, 10:04 PM
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although i should more often, i hardly ever make an anchor when i am belaying from the ground on the 1st pitch (i also never see people anchoring in on the ground). me and my partner both have our own racks so i would be able to make something in the event an injured leader.
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rprp
Dec 29, 2002, 1:23 AM
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In most cases, wouldn't it be best to lower the leader back to the ground? There is a risk of injury by doing so, but leaving somebody dangling could be a lot worse. What if they were groggy and untied themselves? Or if they are bleeding?
If more than half the rope is out, you can lower them by climbing up yourself against their weight and then fixing the rope to rap down yourself.
If the start of the pitch is slabby or blocky, then the condition is grim.
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holdplease2
Dec 29, 2002, 2:41 AM
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Most people don't set an anchor at the bottom of a climb, and you do have a good point. You can't always easily "lower" a leader to the ground, and can't at all if more than half of the rope is out!
Even a directional peice, which is often placed at the bottom of a climb, wouldn't be enough, as it would only be one piece.
You might be able to walk a ways from the bottom of the climb (10 or 15 feet) paying out rope until you get to a tree, or something, but having the gear necessary and a way to set an anchor, it seems, would be a great precaution, even if you didn't go to the full trouble of setting the ankor before the climb.
I will be interested in hearing others thoughts on this, definately!
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voltzwgn
Dec 30, 2002, 12:29 AM
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Lowering would be easiest but is not always an available option. If you can't see the leader and are unable to communicate then lowering may just end up making a bad situation worse. If they are just hanging there immobile in their harness then the clock is ticking and ticking fast. They are prime candidates for HHS (harness hang syndrom) which means they may only have about 10 minutes before they are on the edge of death and by 30 minutes it seems death is pretty much assured. So as you can see being able to react and react quickly may make the difference between life and death.
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adeptus
Dec 30, 2002, 10:10 AM
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I always put in two equalized stoppers directed for an upward pull, when I am belaying a leader from the ground.
I only climb trad so there’s always a crack nearby.
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coclimber26
Dec 30, 2002, 5:18 PM
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You will need to be able to belay escape to rescue a partner more than half rope. Which means having an anchor...best bet is always use an anchor. If more than half rope and your partner is unconsious you may have to fix the rope and prussik up to the climber, set a nice rappel anchor (2 solid pieces) and either lower the victim or better yet buddy rappel with the victim on your back.
I have photo 8262 but can't figure out how to link it, anyone know how?
[ This Message was edited by: coclimber26 on 2002-12-30 09:23 ]
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tradclimber2
Jan 2, 2003, 5:00 AM
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It is always best to set an anchor for the belay when you start out on a climb. I would guess not that many actually do it, based on what I have seen at the crags. The big advantage is IF the leader does get in a bind, you are already set up to initiate a 'rescue'. I admit it, I do not always set one up either (bad bad boy - the rescue police are gonna give me a ticket, for sure). If I am at an area with other climbers closeby, I may opt not to set one, expecially if my leader is smaller than me, 'assuming (another bad thing) if needed others will be available to help out. If the area is void of other climbers, I will usually set one up as I really do not want to stand around at the base with my thumb up my *** while my partner is in need of assistance. Another note - everyone should take a self-rescue course, or at least practice the techniques with someone who KNOWS what he/she is doing. It really can be a life-saver. BTW, voltzwagn, We teach an excellent, inexpensive self-rescue class at Rocknasium in Davis 3 times a year. If you (or anyone else) is interested, PM or email me and I will give you the details. Ben
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fitz
Jan 2, 2003, 5:21 AM
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99% of the time, I just put together a ground anchor. With a cordelette, it is usually a simple matter of snagging a block or tree. Even when the base of the climb is pretty devoid of good natural anchors (sport crags like Williamson Rock in SoCal come to mind), I can usually come up with something.
After one mini epic years ago, I just bit the bullet and started adding a couple minutes of setup to the first pitch. I get a few snickers and stares at crags sometimes, but I almost always see someone get yanked off their feet, or a near drop the same day...
I second the recommendation on a class - and periodic practice. Escaping the belay, makeshift ascending from mid rap, etc. all seem easy in principle, but they are harder than they look and you want the techniques to be second nature when the #$%^ hits the fan.
-jjf
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