How To Rescue a Free Soloist

F r i t zwrote:

Administer a hug, of course.

edit: I'd ensure that I'm safe first (prusik or assisted braking device) then form a quick clove hitch from the rope below me. I'd have the stranded climber either step into this or slide it down over their shoulders, forming a makeshift harness. (That's if I didn't have a 240cm sling for them). Then reassess the situation now that they're relatively secure. 

Fritz if you saw a struggling Tradiban doing his daily free solo on the bachar-Yerrian what would you do? Toss him a rope? Catch him with a hug? He definitely won't accept help.

Princess Puppy Lovrwrote: what would you do? 

Send my friends to the summit with libations, of course! It won't be long to wait.

F r i t zwrote:

Send my friends to the summit with libations, of course! It won't be long to wait.

Glad you agree tradiban is the g.o.a.t. I am not offended you would leave us non goat folks behind!

Princess Puppy Lovrwrote:

Fritz if you saw a struggling Tradiban doing his daily free solo on the bachar-Yerrian what would you do? Toss him a rope? Catch him with a hug? He definitely won't accept help.

Reminds me of when I was soloing Corrugation Corner and there’s this awkward belly flop move on which I hesitated subsequently freaking out some fellows above. They insisted on dropping me a rope, so I clipped in (had a harness #howtofreesolosafely) and found a notch for my foot making the belly flop unnecessary. 

I unclipped with a wink and passed ‘em by.

Tradibanwrote:

Reminds me of when I was soloing Corrugation Corner and there’s this awkward belly flop move on which I hesitated subsequently freaking out some fellows above. They insisted on dropping me a rope, so I clipped in (had a harness #howtofreesolosafely) and found a notch for my foot making the belly flop unnecessary. 

I unclipped with a wink and passed ‘em by.

They didn't lasso ya huh? I'm thoroughly disappointed that your proposed tactic isn't rooted in truth.

I have taken many a soul up Corrogation for their first multi and have seen 2 soloists get spooked on it. 1 at the "beached whale" like you and the other right above coming out of the chimney around the corner where it gets nice and exposed.

I have solo'd very little, but I solo'd Haystack on east wall and when I hit the roof had me questioning my life choices to be sure. I did however have a tether and some gear in case I really got twisted up. Rather a rescue than a splat if I couldn't make it happen. ***#howtofreesolosafer***

Mr Rogerswrote:

They didn't lasso ya huh? I'm thoroughly disappointed that your proposed tactic isn't rooted in truth.

I have taken many a soul up Corrogation for their first multi and have seen 2 soloists get spooked on it. 1 at the "beached whale" like you and the other right above coming out of the chimney around the corner where it gets nice and exposed.

I have solo'd very little, but I solo'd Haystack on east wall and when I hit the roof had me questioning my life choices to be sure. I did however have a tether and some gear in case I really got twisted up. Rather a rescue than a splat if I couldn't make it happen. ***#howtofreesolosafer***

They need not lasso because I was practicing “safe soloing” with a harness on.

But I was thinking that making a quick honda knot and then slipping the loop under the arm pits of the soloist in a pinch might work for rescue.

Man, what if you lassoed somebody and it went wrong and now they’re dangling by their neck. Cut the rope?

Colonel Mustardwrote:

Man, what if you lassoed somebody and it went wrong and now they’re dangling by their neck. Cut the rope?

That’s what you get for freesoloing unsafely.

It takes a little while to die from strangulation anyway, maybe enough to get them down to the ground.

Maybe have them step into the loop, because it would be easier for them to lift their feet?

You use your water bladder to squirt water at their feet until they continue to climb, thereby saving themselves. What do I win?

Related https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/116994568/tips-for-free-soloing-safely

Actually some good tips there but in the context if this thread soloing with harness can really help.

wivanoffwrote:

Soloist was about 20' below the top. I tied my rope to an anchor, tied a series of hand loops in the rope and tossed it down to him.

This would be my go to on first try, I feel like lowering down to them could be dang similar to swimming up to a frantic drowning person. 

Or just lower down and offer them beta, chalk and maybe a sip of refreshing H2o, from above of course.

Gunkiemikewrote:

I've actually done this. The soloist was stable on a ledge but unable to go up or down. I tied into my harness about 30 ft from the end of the rope and led up to him. Then I tied the rope around his waist with a bowline, told him to stay put, and continued up to a belay. Once there I brought him up to me. I got him into a proper harness (brought up from below) and lowered him to the ground just as the Rangers arrived.

This is precisely what I would do, except for if there was enough rope, I'd use the tails to tie a Swiss seat on that person.   I'm sure a bowline worked fine though, judging by the assumption that this person is still alive.

^^ What with all the masochists sporting 70m-80m ropes nowadays, an option could be to tie a triple bowline in the end and have leg loops and a chest strap.  Good use of triple bowline.

But the quickest and most elegant is for all victims to know the aforementioned “one handed bowline” so all they need is a simple rope end.  
Alas, victims never know such things, that’s why they are victims 

Yeah Mark, seems like the soloist needing a rescue most likely barely knows the figure 8 with two hands.

What is the rescue in Joshua Tree you’re referring to?

Ignatius Piwrote:

Sounds like Highaltitude's plan included the ability to bail by downclimbing, if necessary.

Free soloing anything that you cannot also downclimb is insane. In general of course. 

Nico Leiswrote:

What is the rescue in Joshua Tree you’re referring to?

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/123680255/daring-rescue-on-the-eye-joshua-tree

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Tim Stichwrote:

Free soloing anything that you cannot also downclimb is insane. In general of course. 

This is a misconception, down climbing is a different from up climbing, going up doesn’t necessarily mean you will be able to reverse the move.

It’s about knowing where you are in a route and what’s coming ahead. For example, hucking a dyno is probably non-reversible but if after the dyno you’re home free on jugs then I wouldn’t consider that “insane”.

Tradibanwrote:

This is a misconception, down climbing is a different from up climbing, going up doesn’t necessarily mean you will be able to reverse the move.

It’s about knowing where you are in a route and what’s coming ahead. For example, hucking a dyno is probably non-reversible but if after the dyno you’re home free on jugs then I wouldn’t consider that “insane”.

Where does Bearded Cabbage fall in the insanity scale?