Dropped your ATC? Here are some options

Having rapped a fair number of overhanging pitches. My philosophy is keep it simple but not to simple . Example, You can't use the dulfer rapping on an overhanging route on El Cap. Other creative rappel techniques mentioned are unnecessary. The carabiner rappel is really the only technique one needs to know if you drop your ATC. All that's required are 5 carabiners if you have a locker or 6 if don't. How many climbs have we ever done when you don't 6 biners?  Practice is important. You always have biners unless one drops the rack in an inside down fall. So if a long fall is possible clip the rack to your harness.  Especially on walls.

So in case I need to bail, I have a hardware store screwgate on my haul loop, most of the time.  This might get me down.

The problem with the screw gate I would think is the nut has sharp angles. It could potentially eat into the sheath, especially if used for several rappels. 

mcarizona wrote:

So in case I need to bail, I have a hardware store screwgate on my haul loop, most of the time.  This might get me down.

I tried this the other day - I was terrified!  Hold on to that ATC..

Jason Scott Heacock wrote:

I don't know the exact weight for a back up ATC but its so light that you don't even notice it.   The munter hitch is awesome as a last resort for belaying or rappelling but it puts one hell of a twist into the rope and that makes rope management a pain in the neck.  Brake carabiner requires 5 or 6 biners doesn't it, unless I've mistaken. Either way ATC'c weigh next to nothing....

biner break only uses 3 or 4 ovals you can add more for more controlled descent 

I haven't read all 4 pages of this thread, but to me the question is, why do people drop their belay plates as often as they do? (Shared a stance with a pair in the summer in the alps who were rapping down minus one belay plate using a munter. Many tangles of fun.)

Just never take the keeper loop off the locker, either when inserting or extracting the ropes.

How? Well I had my Atc on the same biner as my prusikloops, because I don't use it on multipitch, only munter for belaying. I needed a bit of cord and fumbled the prusikcord from the biner. Of course then the atc decided to fall down into a crevasse.

Only once in 25 years of climbing  

I used the munter to get down at the end of the day.