RRC Archives

This is how transfer the cord into anchors when cleaning a route-- I clip in with one draw, maybe two, hold the rope in my teeth and untie, thread and retie. Easy.

I was out in BFE climbing Bongo. I remember the name because of the drum sound that the climb made when you beat on the "bongo". It was the end of the day and everybody was packing it in. I was the last one up the route on TR. Just cleaning things up. I went in direct and cleaned the anchors. I threaded the anchors in preparation to rapel. Threaded the ATC and pulled up tight. Every thing looks good, so I disconnect from the Direct. As I fully weight the ATC. It flips upside down. My brake side is on the top. Its not a safety issue but it does interfere with the speed of decent and it can put your rope in a kink. So I decide to correct the "flop". I thought about not going backin direct to do this. In my mind I could still read the words from "Freedom of the Hills"-always be on two points. I compromised. I clipped in direct with one butterfly.
I stand up on the ledge and quickly undo the ATC locker and flip it 180 degrees, undo the locker and quickly snap it back in place. I look at it. Everythings cool. I go to test weigh the line and the only thing I had clippped was the locker.BANG The single butterfly catches me. The two ropes for rapel pull through the ATC. I was a dead man...if I hadn't clipped back in direct that is...I corrected and safely rappeled to the ground and we hauled ass! I've never really spoken to any one about it. I WAS DEAD! In the clifty wilderness it would have taken hours to haul me out. Theres no way i'da...

When those two ropes came out of my ATC...I was dead. I did back up my back up. I hadn't skinny'd down my system to reduce all redundant redundancies. If they hadn't been in place Id be gone. You'd've found me at the bottom gripped upon my break hand and my ATC danglin'

the lurkist wrote:This is how transfer the cord into anchors when cleaning a route-- I clip in with one draw, maybe two, hold the rope in my teeth and untie, thread and retie. Easy.

That's how I got my start cleaning.

COTrained26 wrote:I usually carry an 18 inch (sometimes 2) runners with one carabiner clipped into the belay loop and the other, eventually, clipped into the anchors at the top. I then weight the runners before calling off belay to make sure they hold. This is how i was taught and have done it this way ever since by as i mentioned before, i now question that method in light of what happened to this experienced climber. Admonish me harshly if i am overseeing some aspect of the set-up.

why not just girth hitch the runners into the belay loop? isn't that how most folks do it?

I actually girth hitch both ends of the runner. one side of the runner to my belay loop and one side to the 'biner. that should eliminate all possibility of this specific type of accident...

toad857 wrote:

COTrained26 wrote:I usually carry an 18 inch (sometimes 2) runners with one carabiner clipped into the belay loop and the other, eventually, clipped into the anchors at the top. I then weight the runners before calling off belay to make sure they hold. This is how i was taught and have done it this way ever since by as i mentioned before, i now question that method in light of what happened to this experienced climber. Admonish me harshly if i am overseeing some aspect of the set-up.

why not just girth hitch the runners into the belay loop? isn't that how most folks do it?

I have seen people do that as well. 6 in one half a dozen in the other is how i see it.