Staying alive: Part 1
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Although there are other articles that cover much of the same stuff, I tried to write this with more examples, evidence and links to videos etc. than others had used. If you work in outdoor education, and you think it useful, feel free forward it to students and others. |
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This is great stuff. Can't wait to see what else you got! |
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Well done. |
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Started reading while on my lunch break. Bookmarked to finish later. Very nicely done! |
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Keep em coming |
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Good stuff. Well put together. Thanks. |
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Agreed. Good stuff to read, think about, and form your own opinions and practices. |
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David Coley wrote:Although there are other articles that cover much of the same stuff, I tried to write this with more examples, evidence and links to videos etc. than others had used. If you work in outdoor education, and you think it useful, feel free forward it to students and others. coldmountainkit.com/knowled… All the best.I'm always so inspired by your stuff or maybe intimidated, great treatment I really need to check the blogs I've book marked three of four times ..... |
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This is a great resource and production quality is stellar. Thank you! |
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All of these are worth repeating. Excellent job weaving in the anecdotes. Maybe consider cross-posting to the beginner forum as well. |
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Fantastic quality! |
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Nicely done! |
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Hi, |
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Its pretty good and way better than constantly being bombarded with unsolicited advice by narcissistic know-it-alls on the forums. |
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I said "well done" in meant it, but I do feel that certain procedures are "oversold," and doing so actually blunts the point rather than making it sharper. |
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rgold wrote:I said "well done" in meant it, but I do feel that certain procedures are "oversold," and doing so actually blunts the point rather than making it sharper. The third hand material is a case in point. The assertion, "a common cause of climbing fatalities is the lack of a backup while abseiling." Common cause? This seems to me to be questionable. First of all, most climbing fatalities are caused by falls, not by rappelling (see the ANAM graphic posted by Ten Pinson at mountainproject.com/v/very-… .) Second of all---and perhaps we'll get chapter and verse from Bearbreeder's fantastic library of references---I don't know of any fatalities attributable to the lack of a rappel backup, although I do know of a fatality directly attributable to the presence of such a backup. Most of the rappel fatalities I've heard of involve going off the end of the rope while still under control, and it is well-understood that what is needed is a knot at the ends of the rap lines and that a third hand will not save you in this situation. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying the third hand material shouldn't be there, and I have no interest in restarting for the umpteenth time the debates on the value of such a backup, which David rightly points out isn't a backup at all unless it is properly executed and tested. I'm just saying that a write-up is less rather than more effective when it overstates the case.Despite an exausting but successfull summit of Sir Donald via the classic NW ridge this day would prove to be one of the most difficult and sad days of Paulo's and my life. We even talked about mabye not even doing a TR at all but if the lessons told save 1 life it is worth it. Paulo and I saw a woman rap down a rope which did not reach the ground. We pointed it out thinking all right she will stop and we will somehow get out there and pull her in. Well running a normal ATC on a twin rope gave little friction and it became apparent she could not hold on. I was roped up for a rap on a pair of bolted rings about 15 feet away and with Paulo's help pendulumed out to get her to tie a knot in the rope below here. By the time I leg wrapped the rope to give myself the friction I needed to free my hands and tie the knot she was gone. I won't talk about what we saw after but know it's a moment in our lives that will forever be etched into our memeories. I greive for her family and feel so much guilt that we could not reach her in time. forums.clubtread.com/27-bri… theres plenty of others where a backup would have helped, even if it wasnt the sole factor in the accident im just too lazy to dig up the reports right now |
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That's a really sad tragedy and a traumatic experience for her would-be rescuers. The poor woman had gotten so many things wrong, and there were so many ways she could have saved herself, that you can't really point to any one aspect as a cause of the accident. The accident fits in with episodes you suggest in which the backup might have helped but whose absence isn't exactly the cause of the fatality either. |
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Here's one of those accidents in which a backup would have saved a life, although various other appropriate strategies would also have worked. |
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All good points rgold; I might have oversold that one, but there have been some accidents and near misses. In my defence I would say that the third hand is a backup, therefore the lack of it is not likely to be the cause of the accident, but rather if it had been there it might have made a difference. |
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Old lady H wrote:My thinking has been that the backup is also my very last chance at not dying if I've loaded the ATC incorrectly (not clipped both ropes, or something) and somehow also fooled myself into thinking I was good to go. Yes? No?Yes. |
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no ... |