Rock and Ice Crevasse Rescue Article: Bruh

This article proposes an approach to pulling someone out of a crack when you're on a 2-person team and carrying rescue rope.   I am pretty sure I could squat a little more than half my partner's bodyweight + gear for a lot of reps (half due to the mechanical advantage of the drop loop) on a barbell at the rack, but not sure how it'd work in practice with the rope (friction over crevasse lip, rope stretch,  etc).  Has anyone practiced this and settled upon using it in favor of the more complicated but more-advantaged Canadian drop loop?

I’m always prepared with enough to on hand to pull together a C on Z system with 2 people. Great points above and IME it is a lot harder to haul than it seems like it should be. It does depend a bit on the nature of the crevasses you expect to encounter as well. 

SinRopa wrote:

Oh yeah, I remember that article.  I also remember trying it out in real life (simulated rescue) while a guide buddy of mine watched with amusement.  A few considerations:

1) An unconscious or hurt/shaken/inexperienced partner might not be able to attach the drop loop to their harness, so you should always know how to pull them up on the weighted part of the line.

2) If you’re crossing the glacier enroute to a technical climb (as we were), you’re likely roped up with a dynamic rope.  This makes the squat method in the article much, much more tedious than it leads you to believe.  

For reference, I’m 230lbs, squat 455+ for reps in the gym, and I was trying to pull out a chick that was maybe 115 with her clothes on.  It was unbelievably, incredibly hard using the squat method.  To prove a point, my 150lb buddy lowered her back down, set up a more traditional system, and had her out in minutes while barely breaking a sweat.

3) The squat method also gets harder the more offset you are from the crevasse lip.  If it’s unstable, or just uneven, placing yourself directly on the edge is asking for trouble.  Sure, you’ve got a safety on so your fall will be short, but it doesn’t help get your partner out any quicker now that you’ve gone in as well.  The article kind of hand-waves this consideration (“after preparing the lip...might have to dig a hole off to the side...”), but that takes time, and you might be better off using that time to set up a different hauling system.

Don’t take my word for it though, try it out and see how it goes.  Worst case you get a funny story to tell on the Internet.

Wow, thanks for relating your testing of this method.    Fits with my expectation.  I figure Jeff Ward May just be a beast.  

Don't forget about adrenaline-fuelled super powers while actually doing this with a purpose, but still... seems incredibly tough and inefficient, not to mention dangerous. 

This method is taught a lot in Europe and well it does work. For unconscious victims, you are also get taught to get down and attach the carabiner to the victim. 

The squat; I was taught to stand back a little and use my leg strength. Not the same as squatting on the edge. 

SinRopa wrote:

It’ll work, but I’m not convinced that there are any real advantages in most cases.  For example, in the case of an unconscious partner, I can absolutely rap down, attach the biner, and ascend back up.  But that’s going to be time consuming...likely way more time consuming than just staying up top and setting up a different system.

Standing back from the edge is safer, but you’re also introducing more lip friction into the haul.  Might be easier with a static rope, but with a dynamic one it was plain miserable.

This method does not have issues with the braking knots. (which you should have when traveling as a pair). Unconscious victims are obviously important, but in practice, I never had that issue or heard people having to do that. 

You place an object to prevent the rope from digging in. (axe if not used for the anchor, backpack, etc). 

Either way, you should get proper training and practice and be skilled in the specific method you will be using.  

A remark on the drawing. The article mentions a shoulder belay, but the artist clearly doesn't know how that's done (not surprising, the last vestiges of the shoulder belay disappeared in the 1950's).  She's drawn it as what I'd call a neck belay.  In the shoulder belay, the load strand runs up the belayer's leg, behind the belayer's back, and then over the opposite shoulder and down to the brake hand.

Whether knee bends are equivalent or superior to 3:1 hauling (or some other set-up) is going to be very situational.  If I had to haul with knee bends, I'd use a Munter Hitch on my belay loop to take in and hold slack rather than a shoulder belay.

As for brake knots, here's the most up to date info I know of.  

SinRopa wrote:

The best application for the squat method would be when you have a minimally loaded, conscious partner that can actively assist in their own rescue by climbing out, and all you're doing is giving a "belay assist."  However, people generally falling into crevasses aren't generally armed with two ice tools, and most are going to have a pack on, and might be towing a sled as well.  In my real-world test, I was just trying to pull out a small partner.  Adding a big pack and a sled to the equation is only going to make it more difficult.

just to add, the chance of you being able to pull up your partner with a singe drop c is almost impossible. you are either going to need more mechanical advantage or more haulers...

curt86irocwrote:

just to add, the chance of you being able to pull up your partner with a singe drop c is almost impossible. you are either going to need more mechanical advantage or more haulers...

Or you gotta be Jeff Ward - style beastmode..... 

The article link is now defunct.  I tried using the Wayback Machine, but it seems like the the web page wasn't archived.  Does anyone know if a copy of the article (or at least the drawings) can still be found?  

This is far and away my favorite crevasse rescue hauling method.  The drawings in the article were extremely well done and better than anything else I have been able to find.  

Archived version:

https://rockandice.com/master-class-climbing-tips/master-class-one-on-one-crevasse-rescue/

Thanks!