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jmlangford
Apr 19, 2002, 4:29 AM
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when used in conjunction with questionable set-ups. Has anyone ever heard of a death or serious injury like the one in this article?
http://www.rockclimbing.com/articles/index.php?ID=86
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peruviansunshine
Apr 22, 2002, 10:18 PM
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No, thats a pretty brutal way to perish!
I just dont understand why someone wouldn't just buy a ATC or other rappel device if your going on a multipitch climb?
My dad told me of his old school technique of rappeling off of twisted frozen newspaper buried in the snow when he climbed in the swiss alps back in the 60's!! needless to say he has broken each of his legs twice, but still climbs with me sometimes!
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dustinap
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Apr 22, 2002, 10:27 PM
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It's weird, when I am hangdogging on sport routes I sometimes get the same pain in my torso as described in that article. Same lack of breathe/hard to breathe, ect. I tie in thru both tie-in points on my Metolius 3D harness.
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rockjunkie
Apr 22, 2002, 10:35 PM
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Did the guy from the article have a seat harness or just webbing. Sounds like a guy who read a few books, bought some gear and thoght he was alex lowe. The more experienced of the two should really thoght more before bringing a new guy to the rock and expecting that he can handle anything that goes wrong.
I just carry a sling on my gear loop that can be used as a prussik just in case. What's another fraction of an ounce? But rapping with a prussik attached to you - screw that!
Peace
Tommy
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crazywacky
Apr 22, 2002, 10:36 PM
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Here is a similar article, by Dr. Gary D. Storrick, I found a while back at the Climbing Archive...
http://www.dtek.chalmers.se/Climbing/Hardware/prusik-on-rappel.html
It lists a frew examples of similar incidences.
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bradhill
Apr 22, 2002, 11:05 PM
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This falls under Dr. Piton's theory that accidents usually happen when multiple bad practices compound each other. In this case, A) using just a handmade swami loop for a harness B) using a (long) prussik above the rap device
It is a good idea to back up your rapps with a friction knot, just not a prussik in this configuration. Use an autoblock clipped to your leg loops and tied below your rappel device. See this article for more info.
I always keep a tiny knife on a dogbone clipped somewhere accessible with a plastic biner so I can cut out of bad situations if the need arises.
What really burns me about this story is that the guide did nothing to help his student! Yes, you can't descend a weighted rappel rope with a rap device, but you could throw on a prussik or two and downclimb or slide down the rope to initiate a rescue, which would've been as simple as cutting the prussik cord. And you KNOW he had a prussik! He taught an inadequate setup to a beginner and just let him die when it failed. Grrr...
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jmlangford
Apr 22, 2002, 11:45 PM
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Can you see why I left out the guide's real last name? Even though it was 1976 and fancy harnesses weren't in 100% use yet I can't figure out why the guide didn't just get the guy into a diaper seat! Whenever I rappelled when I was younger my dad just put a safety line on me or another experienced climber did a tension belay from the ground. I remember this tragedy like it was yesterday and I was only 12. Absolutely ridiculous!
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jgorris
Apr 22, 2002, 11:56 PM
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Sad story. Having climbed many years at the Pinns, I've witnessed many epics there. Many of them were rappelling epics. In one case, an aspiring Ft. Ord ranger school prospect tried rapping off of Machete Ridge but he and his buddies apparently forgot how to correctly attach to the rappel line. His 'biner was clipped into the rope but without any friction knot or rappel device. For safety, he was wearing rappelling gloves. My climbing partner and I heard a scream then a loud crash through tree limbs at the base. Expecting the worse, we were surpised to see this guy standing up (albiet with mega assorted lacerations) and yelling to his buddies above.
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miagi
Apr 24, 2002, 3:48 PM
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I definitly like using acessory cord for prussiks more than webbing. I find that the dont slip as much, and they are easier to loosen once they have been weighted. On occassions where ive used autoblocks or other webbing friction knots, they slip from time to time and are harder to loosen. Usually a few more raps do, but I need to do alot of twisting before it will loosen up.
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