At anchor with no gear

This is a an issue a heard about with an extremely distant relation. But, supposing you're at the achnors left without anything that can be used as a personal anchor, you left your ATC in the car, don't have enough biners for a biner brake(its not a good day), and there isn't a walk-off. My buddy didn't know how he got down.

Getting the rope through the rings to be lowered is the only option I see. I would make a bight and pass it through the rings, tie a figure 8, and use my chalk bag biner to clip into my belay loop. Have the belayer take, untie, then get lowered.

Is this a safe practice, or are there better options? Or should I fall/downclimb 2 pieces and take that draw?

Eliot Augusto wrote:use my chalk bag biner

Que?

Do you enjoy your chalk bag hanging down like a pair of Truck Nutz, and being inaccessible when you are in corners or chimneys while that biner smashes into your spine? Put that thing on a belt. Use a full-strength chalk bag belt, and your tether issue is solved.

You may be able to get a bight through rings, may not. Depends on the rings and the rope diameter. If you have that single biner from you chalk bag, why not just clip one ring, and get lowered leaving the last couple of draws (or all of them) in place as backup and then send the next person up with sufficient gear to clean it?

I think a much more likely scenario is arriving at a gear anchor and not having the correct sized gear left to construct an anchor. That's a whole different kettle of fish.

You'd have to be pretty absentminded (or stoned) for all of those things to happen at once - no rap sling, no gear and no belay/rappel device.

If there are rap rings and you are less than halfway on the rope, your method is probably as good as any.

Down climb to your last gear.

But one really should have realized this while placing their last piece and skipped the placement if on easy terrain...

Or rig the draw/cam to work with a biner and take the other with you to the anchor.

Trying to go light, this has happened to me.

Will S wrote: Que? Do you enjoy your chalk bag hanging down like a pair of Truck Nutz, and being inaccessible when you are in corners or chimneys while that biner smashes into your spine? Put that thing on a belt. Use a full-strength chalk bag belt, and your tether issue is solved. You may be able to get a bight through rings, may not. Depends on the rings and the rope diameter. If you have that single biner from you chalk bag, why not just clip one ring, and get lowered leaving the last couple of draws (or all of them) in place as backup and then send the next person up with sufficient gear to clean it? I think a much more likely scenario is arriving at a gear anchor and not having the correct sized gear left to construct an anchor. That's a whole different kettle of fish.

I was unaware that chalk bag belts are designed for use other than hold up chalk bags. I haven't had issues reaching my bag in corners or chimneys the way it is, and as been in a good position to reach without pain. There is a small loop on the bag and a small loop on the back of my harness that keeps it in the same place as the belt did, and I keep my bail biner out of the way. I also keep my chimney exposure to a minimum. I feel silly for not thinking of just lowering off the biner.

I haven't encountered anything close to this yet, but I'd rather have the solution before I encounter the problem(or something similar).

Use the rope as your "personal anchor" and always carry a biner or 2 on your harness..always..you can munter down with a locker or 2 regular biners

I actually put myself in this situation once. My friend was on the last sport climb of the day, belayed by somone else. I had nothing on my harness, as I had packed it all.

My friend, surprisingly, couldn't get to the anchors (but all draws were in place). The sun had just set as my friend lowered off, 8 draws or so still hanging on the route. I told my friend's belayer to just keep the belay on, I tied in, and ran up the route (in a hurry). I arrived at the anchors with absolutely no gear other than the harness I was tied into.

It was annoying and dumb. I ended up climbing past the anchors and topping out, which was possible, then walked off. And had to climb the stupid route again to get my draws. One wasn't supposed to top out, so it was mildly spicy, but I liked that better than down-climbing.

I was young and pretty new to climbing then. I learned to check my sh*t before I left the ground.

john strand wrote:Use the rope as your "personal anchor" and always carry a biner or 2 on your harness..always..you can munter down with a locker or 2 regular biners

Could you describe your procedure for using the rope as a personal anchor in this specific situation (presumably for transitioning from climbing to rappelling at a hanging anchor) if other than as the OP described? Thanks!

john strand wrote:Use the rope as your "personal anchor" and always carry a biner or 2 on your harness..always..you can munter down with a locker or 2 regular biners

I do carry extra biners. I also have a PAS girth hitched to my harness and it never comes off. And I use a clove hitch with the rope as my PAS when swinging leads. I intend never to get into this situation, however it may happen.

I also don't quite get what you mean by munter down. That is used for belay, I thought. And the biner break for rapping. If I had 2 biners I could pull up a few feet, make an anchor with 2 clove hitches and clip into my belay loop, untie and finish my process of bgeing lowered.

Very safe tactic! I use a locking biner instead though. My chalk bag is tired with a cord around my waist.

John Wilder wrote: sounds workable. i'd pass the bight through, tie in with the bight, untie my tie-in and lower, assuming i didnt have to hang on the anchor to do so. if i did have to hang on the anchor, i'd use a bight to tie to the bolt hanger or something so i could weight, then pass another bight through, then untie the first bight and my tie-in. easy, but silly to leave the ground without at least one draw on your harness when sport climbing unless you know the anchor has mussys, dracos, or carabiners to clip and lower off of.

You just made me think of the proper solution. A double bowline. Pass a bight through the rings, tie-in via double bow line, untie figure 8. Thanks!

dulfersitz

Eliot Augusto wrote: You just made me think of the proper solution. A double bowline. Pass a bight through the rings, tie-in via double bow line, untie figure 8. Thanks!

Better than a double bowline, use a bowline on a bight. Credit to Gregger Man.

youtube.com/watch?v=PzIP4IU…