The Classic Ridge Jump Belay

Ploug took a 30-meter fall on the steep west face while trying to place an ice screw in the dark. In a deft maneuver, Szilas kept both men from tumbling off the peak. "Luckily I managed to do a classic ridge jump onto the east face just in time," Szilas said, "and thus saved both our lives."

-- from alpinist.com on the "Danes Climb Ren Zhong Feng, Hungarians Missing"

That sounds gnarly! How often does anyone actually employ the ridge jump?

Jordan Ramey wrote:How often does anyone actually employ the ridge jump?

My partner and I were poised and ready to do it on Mt. Owen in the Tetons one spring. Fortunately, it didn't come to that.

I did read an account of climbers doing it, but I can't remember who or where. Perhaps Scott Fischer and partner on their attempt on The Fang in the Annapurna Massif.

It is an old trick/story. I think David Roberts even mentions it when writing about his early 1960's climbs in Boulder, joking that as they climbed a low angled slab they "kept an eye open to jump off of, just in case" Not sure it was Roberts though.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=170191&msg=315784#msg315784

Story from Michael Kennedy about holding a fall by George Lowe on Mt. Foraker. Go back up the thread to read the background.

Isnt that the ol' "Fairbanks Belay"?

I actually performed this maneuver with another climber on a winter ascent of a ridge on Mt. Sopris. We were a team of 4 roped together on lower angle stuff and the bottom climber fell over the side of the ridge, pulling the next one off. Not really sure how he fell, but me and the lead climber looked at each other and simultaneously both jumped off the other side of the ridge. The interesting part was self-arresting going backwards and uphill. We got everyone stopped but the lead climber was cut pretty badly. The rope sawed down through the snow pretty deeply.

I never rope up anymore unless I am going to pitch-out the climb or simul climb with running pro.

Jordan Ramey wrote: How often does anyone actually employ the ridge jump?

My life won't be complete until I do one!

I was ready for the ridge jump (for 10 hours straight!) on the NE ridge of Ranrapalca- never had to. It was the only protection I could think of in that situation....

i fantasize about having to do one every winter ascent i do

Devan Johnson wrote:I was ready for the ridge jump (for 10 hours straight!) on the NE ridge of Ranrapalca- never had to. It was the only protection I could think of in that situation....

Ditto for us on Alpamayo; there were no other belay options. Thankfully it wasn't for 10 hours though. Not sure how/if I could ever have gotten back on top of the ridge though. There have been other times when I've kept it in mind as a last resort as well.