Post by gregggagliardi on Mar 13, 2013 18:23:39 GMT -8
Perhaps the most difficult 2-person rope team rescue scenario is rescuing a disabled leader when more than half the rope is out. When 1/2 or less is out, the most expedient solution is to simply lower the victim... that is if you are sure there are no serious neck or back injuries.
When the victim is too far to lower then what? There are several possibilities. First, engage the help of another climbing team to rappel or ascend to the victim, build an anchor and tandem rappel to the belay. What if there is no other team. Now things get dicey. If the team has a second rope , then the belayer may escape the belay, tie it off and solo ascend on gear if s/he has it or can poach it from the leader's placements, on the second rope to the victim, tend to the victim, setup a good anchor and tandem rappel, one pitch after another to the ground using a rescue spider for tandem rappel.
If there is no second rope, or it is otherwise tied up in the climbing system, then the options are limited and risky. Option 1 is to tie off the system and ascend the rope to the leader and proceed from there as before. But that puts a lot of stress on the top anchor. Will it hold. If not, both climbers may fall. Another alternative is a counterweight ascent. This too places a lot of stress on the top anchor but perhaps not as much because there is no repetitive jugging on the rope, and theoretically no more force on the top anchor than already exists.
Anyway you cut it this is a difficult situation and also the most serious rescue scenario. When followers fall, it is on top belay and pretty much no big deal. When the leader falls and gets serious hurt, then matters get very serious very fast.
In the rescue chapter more space needs to be dedicated to this most serious of problems.
We teach basic students to tie off a fallen leader but they and most second rope teams are probably unable to rescue the leader.
When the victim is too far to lower then what? There are several possibilities. First, engage the help of another climbing team to rappel or ascend to the victim, build an anchor and tandem rappel to the belay. What if there is no other team. Now things get dicey. If the team has a second rope , then the belayer may escape the belay, tie it off and solo ascend on gear if s/he has it or can poach it from the leader's placements, on the second rope to the victim, tend to the victim, setup a good anchor and tandem rappel, one pitch after another to the ground using a rescue spider for tandem rappel.
If there is no second rope, or it is otherwise tied up in the climbing system, then the options are limited and risky. Option 1 is to tie off the system and ascend the rope to the leader and proceed from there as before. But that puts a lot of stress on the top anchor. Will it hold. If not, both climbers may fall. Another alternative is a counterweight ascent. This too places a lot of stress on the top anchor but perhaps not as much because there is no repetitive jugging on the rope, and theoretically no more force on the top anchor than already exists.
Anyway you cut it this is a difficult situation and also the most serious rescue scenario. When followers fall, it is on top belay and pretty much no big deal. When the leader falls and gets serious hurt, then matters get very serious very fast.
In the rescue chapter more space needs to be dedicated to this most serious of problems.
We teach basic students to tie off a fallen leader but they and most second rope teams are probably unable to rescue the leader.