Dropping the Rope While Cleaning the Anchor

I've never done it and I protect against it, but it's still one of my biggest fears. Is there any recourse if I drop the rope while cleaning a route? I guess for scenario's sake lets say you and your partner are alone at the crag. Your partner is on the ground and doesn't know how to lead solo or stick clip their way up. Any ideas?

Tie a overhand-on-a-bight with some extra slack and clip the rope to your harness with a spare carabiner or quickdraw.

I dropped the rope from a sport anchor once, as an early sport climber. I downclimbed, clipping into each bolt with my PAS as I went. It was scary, stupid, and my girlfriend was not very happy with me when I got down.

Tie the knot on the bight.

Just make sure that the rope is always clipped to something

Guys guys guys. I always do the overhand on a bight to the harness trick. Just asking for a friend...definitely not typing this at the anchors rn with no rope...

You think you could tie a honker of a knot in the end and throw the knot/rope back up to the climber? Would probably only work on shorter climbs.

I use a clove hitch to attach the rope to a carabiner or quickdraw that's already on one of my gear loops.  Using a hitch means no knot to untie later.

yes, have someone come bring the rope back up to you. What did you expect???

There is an ideal method for cleaning a single pitch anchor where you never go 'off belay', and I would hope to see more people using it. Just pull up slack, put a bight of rope through the anchor, tie a figure 8 on the bight, clip in to that with a locker or two non-lockers, then untie your knot and lower off. In addition to keeping the climber on the belay system the whole time, this has the added advantage of never allowing you to drop the rope.

See this video or others for more explanation:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WzmbTHe_ql0&t=40s

There are rare occasions where this is not possible because the chain on the anchor is too small of diameter to allow a bight of rope to pass through. This chain should be avoided or upgraded, but in that case definitely tie it to your harness first to avoid being stranded.

Kevin Piarulliwrote:

There is an ideal method for cleaning a single pitch anchor where you never go 'off belay', and I would hope to see more people using it. Just pull up slack, put a bight of rope through the anchor, tie a figure 8 on the bight, clip in to that with a locker or two non-lockers, then untie your knot and lower off. In addition to keeping the climber on the belay system the whole time, this has the added advantage of never allowing you to drop the rope.

See this video or others for more explanation:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WzmbTHe_ql0&t=40s

There are rare occasions where this is not possible because the chain on the anchor is too small of diameter to allow a bight of rope to pass through. This chain should be avoided or upgraded, but in that case definitely tie it to your harness first to avoid being stranded.

your link wasn't working for me but I'm guessing you're referring to this one by Dale Remsberg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzmbTHe_ql0

That's it. I don't know why anyone would do it any other way if the links are big enough, which most are.

I had a partner do that once. Since the rope was mine and I was on the ground and I had all my gear I said good luck and walked back to the car. Worked out fine.

Kevin Piarulliwrote:

There is an ideal method for cleaning a single pitch anchor where you never go 'off belay', and I would hope to see more people using it. Just pull up slack, put a bight of rope through the anchor, tie a figure 8 on the bight, clip in to that with a locker or two non-lockers, then untie your knot and lower off.

This

Kevin Piarulliwrote:

There is an ideal method for cleaning a single pitch anchor where you never go 'off belay', and I would hope to see more people using it. Just pull up slack, put a bight of rope through the anchor, tie a figure 8 on the bight, clip in to that with a locker or two non-lockers, then untie your knot and lower off. In addition to keeping the climber on the belay system the whole time, this has the added advantage of never allowing you to drop the rope.

See this video or others for more explanation:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WzmbTHe_ql0&t=40s

There are rare occasions where this is not possible because the chain on the anchor is too small of diameter to allow a bight of rope to pass through. This chain should be avoided or upgraded, but in that case definitely tie it to your harness first to avoid being stranded.

This is what's recommended by the AAC and was a topic of discussion on enormocast. I used to go in line with local ethics and setup e.g. quick links or rap rings I'd rappel, mussy hooks I'd clip and lower, etc. I now always go with the above mentioned technique when the setup allows. If you feel bad about wearing out hardware, donate to your local climbers' coalition,  people doing the rebolting efforts, ASCA, etc. It's safer and more efficient once you get your system dialed.

The climbing version of, "up shit creek without a paddle."

Allen Sandersonwrote:

I had a partner do that once. Since the rope was mine and I was on the ground and I had all my gear I said good luck and walked back to the car. Worked out fine.

Damn, is he still up there?

This whole effort would be so much easier if morons would stop stealing anchor hardware

Dustin Helmerwrote:

I've never done it and I protect against it, but it's still one of my biggest fears. Is there any recourse if I drop the rope while cleaning a route? I guess for scenario's sake lets say you and your partner are alone at the crag. Your partner is on the ground and doesn't know how to lead solo or stick clip their way up. Any ideas?

Seems like it would be learning-to-stick-clip-and-ascend time for your belayer. Or, they can go in search of other climbers to help. You’ll be fine for a few hours! 

Dustin Helmerwrote:

Damn, is he still up there?

Na, he he just found a way to down climb off the back side and walked through bushes. I met him at the car with his pack. We just laughed and drank a beer.

Doesn't anyone actually read the OP anymore?

OP: I've never done X. If I do accidentally do X, how can I get out of the situation?

Majority of MP replies: here's how not to do X.

I had to lead up and rescue someone at Malibu Creek who did this on a route that did not have a walk off. His partner was a beginner who could not lead the climb. He was sort of hosed without help from another party.

 Like everyone said- thread through and never untie is the best option is always best. Clip a bight to your harness and re thread if the chains or rings are too small . 

Those we make fun of for carrying 6m of accessory cord on sport climbs could rappel bolt-to-bolt (using multiple carabiners or a super munter to mitigate the fact that the cord is thin).  Obviously, the probability of a single bolt failing under body weight is roughly multiplied by the number of bolts used (but not all the bolts are needed because the last rappel can be single-strand and only needs to reach far enough down where the belayer can throw you the rope).