Intermediate Lecture #4 - Self Rescue - Mountaineers Tacoma Program Center

Tacoma Program Center 7 pm upstairs classroom

Reading:

Self Rescue by David Fasulo 2nd Edition (Notated as F2 in lecture notes below)

Updated extended rappel method: https://www.mountaineers.org/blog/how-to-extended-rappel

Videos:

How to use a guide-style belay device: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM5c9wlTReo

Lecture Outline:

A. Discussion:

• Field Trip Logistics – 5-10 mins
• Field Trip and Lecture Gear: helmet, harness, boots, parabiner with belay device, personal anchor, cordelette, perlon slings, webbing slings (sewn or tied), locking biners, regular biners, extra slings, Self Rescue Book by Fasulo-2nd edition
• Rescue perspective (15 mins)
  • Safety chair perspective – 10 years …
  • Should we vs. can we rescue
  • Subjective pressures you will face
    o New leader roles (vs. seasoned leaders), perceived or real hierarchy issues
    o Credit for climb drives us forward, embarrassment of rescue
    o Impressing others is a part of what we do – inevitable, but be cautious
  • When things go wrong, slow down
  • PACE: Plan – Assess – Check – Execute – don’t rush into a system
  • Rescues from others take time… at least hours and possibly days
  • If something happens:
    o Can we v. should we – evaluate carefully
    o PACE yourselves
    o Pinky swear…

B. Fasulo’s ACBs (5 mins)

• Assessment – patient, terrain (real ledges, technical ledges), confidence in technical skills
• Course of Action – descend, ascend, stabilize/shelter in place
• Belay – direct belay from anchor, redirected belay, harness belay

C. Technical Skills Practice:

• Knots – building blocks for self rescue (30 mins) – (no Dyneema that slides – low melt point)
  - Friction hitches – Klemheist (F2 pg 47), Autoblock,  Prusik and Bachman
  - Load-releasable – Mariner (F2 pg 37), munter-slipped half hitch (F2 pg 35),
  device slipped half hitch (F2 pg 90)
• Three methods of belaying – advantages and disadvantages of each (30 mins)
  1. Belay off harness toward climber while anchored behind you (basic course method)
  2. Redirected belay off harness toward anchor – increases fall load on anchor, facilitates rescue
  3. Belay from anchor (aka Direct Belay) – special (guide style) device needed for hands-free, facilitates rescue, have belay backup when lowering someone.
  a. Unloading a direct belay (short descent to ledge) – skinny sling, over high biner, munterhitch belay backup (F2 pg 95 with munter not autoblock)
  b. 3:1 haul for stuck follower (short ascend) – prusik, biner (F2 pg 166 but ignore harness tie-in)
• Rescuing the Second - Counterweight Rappels: 
  A. Direct Belay (belaying off the anchor) - when there is a real ledge to take the weight of the follower (F2 pg 5-9 and 160-1).
  B. Harness Belay - Building a “technical ledge” use when there is no ledge to lower the follower onto (F2 pg 168-9). A Technical Ledge = friction hitch + load releasable hitch combo *MEMORIZE*
• Rappels and Belay from Anchor
  1. Extended Device rappels –halved cordelette or single sling benefits (F2pg 24)
  2. Saddle bags (ropes get caught on throws)
  3. Assisted rappel/tandem rappel using a cordelette (F2 page 108)