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Getting off a failed climb without leaving gear?

Original Post
David Waterman · · Meridian, ID · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 30

If you attempt to send a climb that is too hard, and you can't make it to the anchors, is there any way to get down with all of your gear vs. leaving a carabiner on the wall? If the anchors are accessible, it would be an easy fix, but what about a case where you can't access the anchors from a walk on to the top? I'm specifically talking about sport climbing.. Anybody have any tips? Thanks!

Fiona Dunne · · Lynchburg, VA · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 56

Downclimb, taking your draws as you go. Or find someone else to climb it for you.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

1. stick clip your way up ...

2. leave a biner/quicklink .. you may want to use a prussic to protect yourself as recommended by petzl

3. lead a route next to it where you can swing over and grab the gear

4. walk to the top and rap down if possible and grab yr gear

5. offer sexual services to a stronger climber for them to go up and grab your gear for you

J. Broussard · · CordryCorner · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 50

I used to make my living playing hockey and so taking falls and risking injury wasn't an option. That's say, I've got this down pat:

Sling through bolt.
Rope through ends of sling with your lead end tied into the sewn part of the sling.
At this point you should have 3 strands of cord reaching the ground.
Be careful which two you rap off of.
Then pull the cord so that the far end from your lead end is what slips through the sling.
Bam everything falls to the ground.
Much easier to show than describe.
P.S. you're gonna die!

David Waterman · · Meridian, ID · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 30

Thanks for the tips! I actually tried searching.. wasn't quite sure what to search for. And yes, those $4 carabiners are very precious.

Dom Caron · · Welsford, New Brunswick Canada · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 1,370

What Jeffeos said. Though the route needs to be a third of the length of your rope or something like that. Not sure. It's called the texas rope trick I believe. Look it up.

Also, having a rope gun is always the easiest way .
If it's a glue-in you can rap on it.
And, a maillon is cheaper than a cheap biner.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065
Jeffeos wrote:Sling through bolt. Rope through ends of sling with your lead end tied into the sewn part of the sling. At this point you should have 3 strands of cord reaching the ground. Be careful which two you rap off of. Then pull the cord so that the far end from your lead end is what slips through the sling. Bam everything falls to the ground. Much easier to show than describe. P.S. you're gonna die!
if i understand correctly, you are pulling half a rope length through a sling ... would you trust that sling afterwards?
J. Broussard · · CordryCorner · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 50
bearbreeder wrote: if i understand correctly, you are pulling half a rope length through a sling ... would you trust that sling afterwards?
Yes!

But as Dom pointed out, you'll be pulling a third of the cord through, at most.
Obviously this is not ideal for longer routes.
Just sharing one option.
michaeltarne · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 120

I've never actually done it, but from what I hear the Texas rope trick pretty much trashes the sling. And slings are more expensive than carabiners, and much more so than quick links.

bmdhacks · · Bellingham, WA · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 1,633

Technically, you're pulling a third of a rope through. if you're really paranoid you can use some cordalette with a sheath for the texas rope trick. Personally I'd be more paranoid about holding bodyweight on the sharp edge of the bolt than the rope friction of slowly pulling the rope through. Course, if you're so desperate that you don't have any booty biners and you cannot possibly sacrifice $4, there's something else going on anyways.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065
Jeffeos wrote: Yes! But as Dom pointed out, you'll be pulling a third of the cord through, at most. Obviously this is not ideal for longer routes. Just sharing one option.
i cant do math ... blahh ...

i dont think id personally trust a sling that one pulls 1/3 of the rope through again and again ...
J. Broussard · · CordryCorner · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 50
michaeltarne wrote:I've never actually done it, but from what I hear the Texas rope trick pretty much trashes the sling. And slings are more expensive than carabiners, and much more so than quick links.
I wouldn't prescribe this technique to anyone, but rest assured: the sling is just fine. Those Texans must have some abrasive ropes.
clay meier · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 350

jump

michaeltarne · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 120

Maybe I'm thinking of people trying it with skinny slings. That would make more sense.

Fat Dad · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 60
michaeltarne wrote:Maybe I'm thinking of people trying it with skinny slings. That would make more sense.
Clay beat me to it.

Re Jeffeos' Texas rope trick suggestion (never heard it called that but no big), it does work well and I've used it with success a few times. Keep in mind however that you are using a single bolt as an anchor/rap point. Once you wrap your brain around that, have at.

BTW, I did not use the sling afterward. Between it being threaded and weighted on the hangar and having a rope pulled thru it, I never felt my life cheap enough to keep it in circulation. Maybe playing hockey for a living gives you a different perspective on things...;)
Clockwork Orange · · California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 335
bearbreeder wrote: 5. offer sexual services to a stronger climber for them to go up and grab your gear for you
this method never fails!
csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
Jeffeos wrote: I wouldn't prescribe this technique to anyone, but rest assured: the sling is just fine. Those Texans must have some abrasive ropes.
You just pulled a bunch of rope across a sling. The sling is not fine. If you trust your life to in the future, Darwin's law is in full effect.

Bear hit it on the head. Stick your way up, or find another way to get your gear. If you can't, leave a biner. Consider it the cost of your failure. If you climb long enough you'll collect as many biners as you leave and it'll all even out. I'd also discourage the use of quicklinks. On some hangers it can be a pain to get a draw in next to the quicklink and/or it can become difficult to remove the link if it gets rusty. A cheap biner doesn't cost that much more than a quicklink.
johnthethird · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 5
Dom wrote:What Jeffeos said. Though the route needs to be a third of the length of your rope or something like that. Not sure. It's called the texas rope trick I believe. Look it up. Also, having a rope gun is always the easiest way . If it's a glue-in you can rap on it. And, a maillon is cheaper than a cheap biner.
Dont leave a quick link. If you need to bail, leave an old biner...or a new biner, just dont leave a quicklink/mallion. It just makes a mess for the next person on the route.

Learn the way of the stick clip fu, and you wont have to leave anything behind. Just please dont leave shitty quick links.
J. Broussard · · CordryCorner · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 50
csproul wrote: You just pulled a bunch of rope across a sling. The sling is not fine. If you trust your life to in the future, Darwin's law is in full effect.
LOL!
I'd only like to state that this is an option and that I've never had a sling damaged by utilizing this method. Granted, I like to climb on newer ropes (if that makes a difference).

May I ask: does anyone else have any actual experience with the technique?
Dom Caron · · Welsford, New Brunswick Canada · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 1,370

I don't know what hangers you guys climb on but I've never had a hard time clipping a draw with a maillon on it. I do hate when they seize in place though.

Also, someone said that a biner is cheaper than a sling? That may be the case with sewn sling but the 3-4 times I've done this trick, I used webbing tied together with a water knot. This is sold for $1.30 a metre up here in Canada. That's 1.30 for 3.3ft. A foot is more than enough so about 0,40$ and you don't leave anything behind.
I'd definitely trash the webbing after.

And yes you'll be rapping off a single point. Definitely not recommended but like they say 'ask and ye shall receive'.

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
Jeffeos wrote: LOL! I'd only like to state that this is an option and that I've never had a sling damaged by utilizing this method. Granted, I like to climb on newer ropes (if that makes a difference). May I ask: does anyone else have any actual experience with the technique?
Yup. Done it a few times but have not done it in a long time since I think there are better ways. I think it is more effort than it is worth, especially since I have accumulated a fair number of leaver biners. I have never re-used the sling and yes the slings were not obviously sliced through or anything like that. But I wouldn't re-use a sling after pulling a rap line through it..it's a 50 cent piece of webbing (maybe an exaggeration?) so I don't really feel the need to test the limits of how many pulls it takes to compromise the strength of the webbing.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Sport Climbing
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