Self Rescue Class

Usually it means securing the climber, removing yourself from belay duty, and retreating to the ground. Getting to the ground might involve a skill you already know- simply lowering the climber. The core skill is a ‘load transfer’ using some variation of a Prusik hitch and a slip knot to get a weighted rope from one anchor to another and back again.

Prerequisite skills and gear:

• previous experience belaying from above on multi-pitch climbs
• experience rappelling

Mostly these skills are useful for accidents in multi-pitch terrain:

• • You’re at the top of the 4th pitch with an injured climber, but you have two ropes. You might be able to quickly lower the hurt climber almost ~400′ to the ground if you know how to pass the joining knot.
  • You need to rappel with an incapacitated climber. Do you know how to put both climbers on one device? How will you anchor in at a hanging belay?
  • Your rappel rope gets stuck on the pull, and you need to ascend to the previous rap anchor

• overhand, overhand on-a-bight, overhand as a stopper (barrel knot)
• figure 8, figure 8 on-a-bight
• clove hitch
• Munter hitch
• girth hitch
• Prusik hitch
• klemheist hitch
• auto-block
• leg wrap
• mule knot (with a belay device and with a Munter hitch)

‘bonus’ knots if there is time/interest:

• bowline, bowline on-a-bight
• butterfly knot
• ‘bunny ears’ figure 8
• triple loop figure 8
• VT Prusik hitch
• Bachmann hitch
• Garda hitch
• mariner hitch
• ‘RBS’ hitch