Escape room-Sport climbing edition.

There are many “how would you get down” scenarios that people have brainstormed in multi-pitch climbing situation. But I don’t recall one for sport climbing. So, here goes:

You are sport climbing, and it’s your lucky day. NO ONE is at this 5-star classic crag. No dogs, no hammocks, no babies. Just you, your belayer, and a choice of routes.

You climb light. You already hung the draws, so there is a dogging draw on your harness, and that’s it. No belay devices, locking biners, slings, etc. no cell phone in your pocket, either. 

Then you break a chunk of rock, and knock out your belayer. The belayer is, of course, using a gri-gri, so the end result: you are hanging in the air, the unconscious belayer is your counterweight.

Solutions?

I'll play!

Clove hitch the closest bolt, untie, and rappel on a munter hitch on a carabiner of the draw on your harness.

Fran M wrote: I'll play!

Clove hitch the closest bolt, untie, and rappel on a munter hitch on a carabiner of the draw on your harness.

This is about all you could do with a single quickdraw. One problem could be that the slumped over belayer can never unweight the rope, in which case you would have to do some shenanigans with prussiks (which you would not have).

Presuming the route is too difficult to down solo etc..

Climb up to the bolt you’re hanging from. Use your extra draw and clip into the QuickDraw on the bolt if you can’t just do the next step. The belayer is now likely on the ground so you have a little slack and can clove your rope to the top draw biner. Then retrieve the three non-lockers from your draws. Put them all on your belay loop opposite and opposed and rap down using a munter 

Lena chita wrote:Solutions?

Did I fall past my second to top bolt of protection?

Is it practical to climb high enough to lower the belayer to the ground and produce slack in the rope for a knot or hitch? If so, where would I then be relative to bolts attached to the rope?

Can I have one double length nylon sling, please?  ;)

Pnelson wrote:

This is about all you could do with a single quickdraw. One problem could be that the slumped over belayer can never unweight the rope, in which case you would have to do some shenanigans with prussiks (which you would not have).

Shoelaces and chalk bag waistband (you do use cord for your chalk bag, right?)

Throw another rock at the belayer to wake him/her up

ErikaNW wrote:

Shoelaces and chalk bag waistband (you do use cord for your chalk bag, right?)

I carry no chalk bag.  :)

Bill Lawry wrote:

I carry no chalk bag.  :)

Fair enough!

Jug/ boink until the belayer is on the ground clip direct to the top bolt or whatever bolt you get to depending on how far you fell with the dogging draw.  If sevearally overhanging may require figure 4 high lining tricks to get the height.

With the ripe unweighted unclip the draw (not the one you are direct with) and rob the 2 carabiners.  Fis the line with 1 of the carabiners and use the other to munter rap.  Or if you could reach more draws make a carabiner brake.

It is a good thing that the climber who experienced this calamity climbs in LaSportiva Testerrossa's and has laces at her disposal.

But, if the route is not too overhang - get to the 1st draw above you, go direct,  untie, tie climbers end to the bolt carabiner to set fixed line, use the other carabiner to set up Munter rap on belay  side. If it is very overhanging there are some shenanigans to be done to get to that bolt.

Has anyone given a solution for when the rope cannot be unweighted by setting the belayer down on a ledge or the ground? Imagine a climb that starts high on a sloping ledge with easy climbing to the first pro.

Pnelson wrote:

This is about all you could do with a single quickdraw. One problem could be that the slumped over belayer can never unweight the rope, in which case you would have to do some shenanigans with prussiks (which you would not have).

Yes, I was thinking of the situation where the belayer is lifted off the ground at least a little bit, and unweighing the rope would be not trivial. 

I do have shoes with laces, so I would give that to the climber. 
In some ways, it sounds better to have taken a lead fall in this scenario, because, if you have that extra rope between you and the top bolt, you could climb up that rope section (with difficulty and lots of unpleasantness) using the shoelaces as prussics, and then you would have that extra bit of rope to lower the belayer to the ground and unweigh the rope, then proceed as described above. 
but if you don’t have enough slack to lower the belayer?

Bill Lawry wrote:

I carry no chalk bag.  :)

Me neither! But I have shoes with laces, so I’m going to allow that. 

Bill Lawry wrote: Has anyone given a solution for when the rope cannot be unweighted by setting the belayer down on a ledge or the ground? Imagine a climb that starts high on a sloping ledge with easy climbing to the first pro.

Not yet. 

On the specific route that initiated this thought experiment, this would be a likely concern. 

Lena chita wrote:

Me neither! But I have shoes with laces, so I’m going to allow that. 

Quite fair enough! :)

Desperate measures may indeed be warranted in the event the belayer can not be lowered to the ledge or ground.  Harness hang syndrome does not take long.  Now I’m wishing I used a chalk bag with sling as a mentioned by ErikaNW.

t.farrell wrote: Throw another rock at the belayer to wake him/her up

I just relayed this suggestion to the belayer. She severely objects. 

As far as the route being so overhung that you can't reach the other side of rope: The odds of you knocking something onto your belayer in that situation seem astronomically small.

Cocoapuffs 1000 wrote: As far as the route being so overhung that you can't reach the other side of rope: The odds of you knocking something onto your belayer in that situation seem astronomically small.

Still, a small traverse, a lead fall, rock rick-o-shays back towards belayer ... could result in the same issue.

Ok so prussic up the rope with shoe laces.  Use shoe lace prussic to do a load transfer crevasse rescue style.  With the rope fixed recover your prussic (should be able to do this I'd you fixed with a munter mule)

No prussic down the line.

Problem is you have to trust shoelace for bodyweight but if you are  climbing with absolutely zero self rescue stuff not evan a chalk bag sling than that's on you.  Enjoy your shoe laces.  P cord does 300 lbs you'll be fine

Rob T wrote:

Wait, now we’re going to start worrying about reality?  

How many cases of unconscious belayers  ala this scenario have been recorded in the last 2 decades?

It does not take much tweakage of the scenario to get it into something more likely under which the same sort of actions are necessary - without anyone going unconscious.  Just takes a little imagination, Rob.