Tree anchor and injured second -- options

So..gym and crag are closed,  I've downloaded Reel Rock 14, and done my finger exercises. So I worked on my belay-to-counterbalance-rappel rescue technique. But here's a scenario I can't work out.

Scenario: I climb to the top of a route in the Gunks, walk around a tree and set up a anchor and masterpoint with the rope to belay my second. The tree is 20' back, so the masterpoint is fairly low to the ground. Let's say I'm belaying directly off the masterpoint. My second gets injured.

Problems: I can't do a counterbalance rappel, especially since I won't be able to pull the rope for the next rappel. If I could build a gear anchor where I am, I might be able to transfer to that and free the rope, but that's unlikely. Raising her is problematic, since I can't use my weight because of how low the masterpoint is.

Questions:
1) How can I lower us? Maybe I can tie her off, return to the tree to set up a gear anchor, then...what?...raise her masterpoint up to the new gear masterpoint and use the rope for a counterbalance?

2) How can I raise her efficiently, given the horizontal anchor I'm constructed? Do I prusik down to her, help her out, tie together and prusik back up?

I hope this is clear. Options?
Thanks!
 

I know you are looking for creative answers, and I am also curious to see what the wonderful minds of MP will come up with. Having said that, the first solution that came to mind as I read the scenario was this: Ask for help from one of the many other climbers on the routes to the left and right of me. Many, many places we climb (the Gunks, e.g.) can be quite crowded. Who knows, maybe even rgold is right there ready to toss you an extra line and then talk you through everything step by step!

OK, I’ll sit back now and read the REAL answers to this apparently vexing situation. ; )

Is it cheating to point out that it's the Gunks, so you're probably less than a ropelength above a large ledge or the ground? Lower her down.

Also - we need to know what gear you have left on you and how you used the rope for that anchor. If you used a BFK in the 2 strands going to the tree, then you can easily remove yourself from the system, walk up to the tree, and - hopefully you've got a sling or two on you - set an anchor on the tree from which you can raise the masterpoint and your climber.

Daniel Joder wrote: I know you are looking for creative answers, and I am also curious to see what the wonderful minds of MP will come up with. Having said that, the first solution that came to mind as I read the scenario was this: Ask for help from one of the many other climbers on the routes to the left and right of me. Many, many places we climb (the Gunks, e.g.) can be quite crowded. Who knows, maybe even rgold is right there ready to toss you an extra line and then talk you through everything step by step!

OK, I’ll sit back now and read the REAL answers to this apparently vexing situation. ; )

I totally agree. I was just watching a rescue scenario at my gym for when someone is stuck (?) at the top of a route. It involved tying off, ascending, etc. All I could think of was "It's a gym, ask some of the staff to climb up to them."

Okay, so it's Tuesday, at the Nears, and rain was forecast...no one in sight.

I'm making a few assumptions: that you tied a bowline on a bight for the tree anchor, used a BHK with both strands as the low masterpoint, you have enough brake strand (40' in this scenario) to get up to the tree, and you need to make more raps after you get to your partner.  Otherwise, lower them, fix the line and gtfo.

1. Tie them off, untie and walk up to the tree and put a sling or cord around it.  This is your high anchor.  
2. We'll set up for a counter-balance rap off the high anchor.  Put a prusik on the brake strand and attach this to the high anchor, pull the brake strand through the pursik until it's snug.  Put the non-tensioned side of the brake strand though a locker and also put that on the high anchor.  Tie a figure-8 on a bight on the brake strand and clip that to the high anchor so the climber isn't hanging off a single friction hitch during the next step.
3. Go to the lower anchor.  Lower the climber enough to transfer their weight to the prusik on the high anchor.  (strike that last sentence). Tie a klemhiest with your cord and MMO onto the BHK anchor.  Load transfer to the cord MMO, remove the belay device, lower on the MMO until the load is transfered to the high anchor prusik.  Untie the BHK that was the low anchor.
4. Go to the high anchor.  Untie the rope that's around the tree.  Set up a counter balanced rap in front of the backup knot.  Sit back, transfer the weight onto your body, take off the prusik and backup knot.  
5. Counter-balance rap down to your partner.  

I used a prusik to hold the climber's weight on the high anchor (must be backed up) so I could easily take it off once I counter-balance.  I also considered a MMO on the high anchor, but then you have to pull the rope through a munter after you counter-balance rap.  

I don't like raising in this scenario (or most to be honest) unless it's to do a load transfer.  

This was fun!  I'd love to hear the other ideas out there or critiques of my idea.

Raising is a mess.  Generally to be avoided.  

( generally using the rope to anchor is to be avoided for situations like this)

If you have the available rope, then id say fix a line, rap to partner, pick off and tandem rap down.  

Counterbalance is sketchy at the best of times.  

Andrew Hess wrote: ... Do I prusik down to her, help her out, ...

This would be my first plan in general. Stabilize the person, get them upright, etc.  Otherwise they might bleed out while you are setting up some fancy anchor transfer.

It is all rather situational, though.
It depends on whether their injury needs immediate intervention, how steep the terrain is, whether they are close enough to a ledge or the ground to simply be lowered, etc.
And as others have posted, in the Gunks often there are other folks around to assist.

These theoretical situations often seem pretty unlikely.
Like, how can your partner get seriously injured following?  They should not be falling very far.
If they fall into space and can't get back on the rock, that should have been something considered when choosing the route.
Sometimes people dream up a situation with a long traverse without much gear, along the edge of a roof.
But in fact you should only choose to do a route like that if both partners are very solid on the grade....
Like, you are not going climb The Dangler with a 5.5 follower, right?
  ​https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105890675/the-dangler​​​
Of course, loose rock happens sometimes and can be a factor in an accident.
I am just saying it's unlikely in the Gunks, but not impossible.

I've learned a few self rescue techniques like tying off the belay, but have never had to use them for a belayed partner in 50 years of climbing.
(Though once when I was hurt bad in a leader fall, my partner did need to rap with me; fortunately the rope reached to the ground).
The most useful self rescue technique I have used is simply the ability to prusik up a stuck rappel rope.

I wrote a longer reply but it MP server returned an error :|. So I'll just rewrite a tiny bit of it:

Add more detail, such as:

• A link to a photo/topo of the climb, note where each person is
• Give some level of indication of what the injury is, and how capable the second is. A climber with a broken foot is very different from dealing with an unconscious climber hanging on a rope
• Describe the gear each climber has. Some things make a big difference. Got doubles? You can lower off a lot of climbs with 120m of rope.
• Mention phone reception, emergency beacon, and if anyone else is around

Adam Fleming wrote: I'm making a few assumptions: that you tied a bowline on a bight for the tree anchor, used a BHK with both strands as the low masterpoint, you have enough brake strand (40' in this scenario) to get up to the tree, and you need to make more raps after you get to your partner.  Otherwise, lower them, fix the line and gtfo.

1. Tie them off, untie and walk up to the tree and put a sling or cord around it.  This is your high anchor.  
2. We'll set up for a counter-balance rap off the high anchor.  Put a prusik on the brake strand and attach this to the high anchor, pull the brake strand through the pursik until it's snug.  Put the non-tensioned side of the brake strand though a locker and also put that on the high anchor.  Tie a figure-8 on a bight on the brake strand and clip that to the high anchor so the climber isn't hanging off a single friction hitch during the next step.
3. Go to the lower anchor.  Lower the climber enough to transfer their weight to the prusik on the high anchor.  Tie a klemhiest with your cord and MMO onto the BHK anchor.  Load transfer to the cord MMO, remove the belay device, lower on the MMO until the load is transfered to the high anchor prusik.  Untie the BHK that was the low anchor.
4. Go to the high anchor.  Untie the rope that's around the tree.  Set up a counter balanced rap in front of the backup knot.  Sit back, transfer the weight onto your body, take off the prusik and backup knot.  
5. Counter-balance rap down to your partner.  

I used a prusik to hold the climber's weight on the high anchor (must be backed up) so I could easily take it off once I counter-balance.  I also considered a MMO on the high anchor, but then you have to pull the rope through a munter after you counter-balance rap.  

I don't like raising in this scenario (or most to be honest) unless it's to do a load transfer.  

This was fun!  I'd love to hear the other ideas out there or critiques of my idea.

Am confused on step 3. How are you lowering the climber to load transfer into the higher anchor when you've already tensioned the brake strand in step 2 to the high anchor?

Would just prusik-munter-mule off the original anchor throwing my atc between the backup knot and the friction hitch and off we go.

You are right next to the tree. Leave a sling and a locker (or quicklink).

1. Friction hitch + simple block and tackle mechanical advantage to raise the follower up and give enough slack in the rope to clip it into the locker (or quicklink). Then tie the block and tackle sling/cord/whatever off with a mule hitch. A wise practice would be to take up a bit more than this so you can temporarily tie off the rope itself with a MMO to this new anchor on the backside (belayer side) of this locker (or quicklink), but it could be difficult to get that much rope with a simple block and tackle w/o ratchet.
2. Untie the big anchor knot in the rope and walk back around the tree.
3. Set up your grigri or extended ATC-Guide/Reverso + friction hitch backup... Or even just a a really good friction hitch depending on how much rope you will have to deal with backing up to and over the edge.
4. Put a friction hitch between the climbers strand and your belay loop.
5. Take out the MMO backup.
6. Loosen the simple block and tackle with a simple weight shift (lean way back and pull up on the climbers rope). Then remove it.
7. Make your way back over the edge, you probably have enough spare rope up top from belaying that you would need to rap over the edge and a decent distance before you reach an anchor. You should still be tied in so you can't rap off the end of your side of the rope.
8. Once you are over the edge, rap to an anchor. You can do weight shifting (pulling up or down on the climbers side) if you want them in a specific place, which is probably a little bit above whichever anchor you are trying to get to so once you get there and tether in you can lower them to you.
9. Tether into the anchor with a rescue spider and a releasable under load tie off (MMO), so when you get your partner lowered to you, you can just clip the 2nd leg of the spider to their belay loop.
10. Untie the rope from either you or your partner, pull it and thread it to do the next rappel.
11. Tandem rap the rest.

(if the anchor is too far away, realize it ahead of time, build a trad anchor somewhere and then do 9, 10, 11.)

Now that you have the simple block and tackle in your arsenal of tools, there are a lot of situations you can apply them in if you mess something up, like tethering in an injured partner who can't raise their body weight up to undo their own tether.

J Sundstrom wrote:

LOL
That's only necessary when more than 3 or more people are in danger.
AND, the Dude he's cutting the rope to told him to cut it!

I know everyone thinks belaying off the anchor is the only way to go but if you had belayed off the harness with a redirect then almost all the setup has been done.

Belaying off the anchor with the device below you or on the ground is not a great idea.

Still this is an interesting exercise. 

Ya'll are making a mountain out of a mole hill and are making this way too complicated.  

This scenario would be different at different venues.

Because you're at the Gunks on a tree, one rope length will get you to the ground on most climbs.   Lower your second to the ground.  Fix your rope on the tree.  Rap.  Leave your rope for the time being. Give medical care on the ground.

Or, lower your second to a large ledge, like the GT.  Rap to her.  Give medical care if needed.  Rap to the ground.  Individually or Tandem.

Also, are you confusing a tandem rap with a counter balance rap?  Why would you ever counter balance rap with an injured partner?  A counter balance works for a pluck, terrible in this scenario.

Its the gunks. #1 dial 911 speak calmly and clearly. #2 do what chris said. 

Tom Z wrote:

Am confused on step 3. How are you lowering the climber to load transfer into the higher anchor when you've already tensioned the brake strand in step 2 to the high anchor?

Would just prusik-munter-mule off the original anchor throwing my atc between the backup knot and the friction hitch and off we go.

You're right, that wasn't clear. 

I couldn't do a true load transfer while at the high anchor, so I just removed the slack in step two in preparation for a load transfer. If you don't, your cord won't be long enough to lower the climber enough to get the weight on the high anchor. Too much slack and your cord is never long enough. Too little and you can't lower from the low anchor (what you're getting at in your reply). 

Maybe a better solution for getting the belay device out is a quick block and tackle. That way the brake strand can be fully tight instead of the kinda tight needed when lowering on the low anchor.

Lots of good comment here. Since I'm staying home :( I'll spend some time trying out the steps y'all suggested later today.

I totally agree that different scenarios (ledge, pitch, consciousness) will change what to do and that basic steps, like asking for help, calling 911, lowering to a ledge or the ground should be considered before fancy ropecraft. My question came from practicing the belay-to-counterbalance-rappel scenario from different belay configurations and then not know what I would do If the rope were part of the anchor. I think Adam (and maybe others, have to check) have helped address that.

Chris brings up an interesting point about lowering to the ground w/ one rope length. I don't think I would want to lower her unless I could see her. But the option of fixing a rope and rapping down is another option to consider.

Chris, why wouldn't I counterbalance rap if I'm top belaying someone who gets hurt and needs my help (e.g., hit by stone, unconscious, can't see her so don't want to just lower)? I can't tandem rap if I'm not with her. I assume I would (depending on factors, of course) counterbalance rap down to her, then pull rope and tandem rap down.

Also, since someday I hope to climb somewhere else, I don't want to limit the options to the 2-3 pitch Gunks.

Now where in my living room to build an anchor???

almost never a good idea to try and raise a victim unless they are in a crevasse. Work with gravity and lower. 

You're at the gunks.  First option is look around for another climber with a rope who can help.  Seriously, this will be quicker and safer.  second option is to call for a rescue.  they have staff for it.  

How injured is your climber?  are the conscious and able to do anything?  whats the priority?  getting them out, getting them to help, or getting to them to stabilize them and do first aid??  If the priority is getting to them, call for help, then focus on that.

how much rope do you have?  if you don't have the middle free and clear at the top, you aren't doing a counterbalance rappel. and you aren't rapping down with the rope you have to reach them either.

How can you use the terrain to your advantage?  What challenges does the terrain present - gunks has alot of overhangs, if you rap, will you reach them / the cliff, or be stuck out in space?  Assuming they are conscious, can make a quick anchor to secure themselves?  maybe lower them to good gear?  or lowered to a ledge? if so, do this and then re---rig your system to raise or lower without going thru all the belay escapes, load releaseable knots, etc.

can they be lowered straight to the ground?  if so, do this, fix the line, and rap.

If none of the above are options, then it's time to figure out how to re-rig your system.  At this point you need to figure out what you have and what you can make with it.  

Do we have available:

Long Slings?
Cordolette?
Rope Grabs (tiblocks, prussics, slings)
Extra belay device?
HMS Carabiners?

At this point, there it really diverges based on your anchor setup, belay setup, the terrain, and if you're going up or down.  

Also, the book on this is only $8.56 on amazon, i got mine 2 weeks ago.  ​Self Rescue, 2nd Edition​​​

Larry, all good points.

I intended my OP as  just a technical query but, as several of you have pointed out, these context issues really matter. One thing I really like about Climbing Self Rescue: Improvising Solutions for Serious Situations is the scenarios they offer at the end, which really force you to think about where you are and what's happened, rather than just jump to a technique. For all the good that comes from knowing how to work through a technique, you can't let it blind you to what makes sense in that moment.

Thanks, all.