How to retrieve a stuck rope?

Post by **jordancolburn** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:35 pm

Ok, storytime:
So we were out doing some trad climbing on saturday, with two leaders in our group doing two routes that ended at the same anchor. I belayed everyone up one of the lines from the top, one of the seconds cleaned it, set the other line up for toprope from the ground and rappelled using the rope from the climbed and cleaned route.
Getting to the bottom, we realized the rope left up we were planning to toprope had terrible drag was kind of stuck in the crack and would not be safe to toprope. So we locked one end off with a gri gri, then I used another gri gri to basically solo-toprope/jug the route to clean it and get it unstuck.

So my question was, has this happened to anyone else and is there a better way to do this? Anyone see any potential saftey issues with the way we did things?

Post by **Shamis** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:41 pm

bring 2 ropes?

Apart from that, there are several other ways to do it, your method doesn't sound terrible.

A much more interesting question is how to retrieve a rope that is stuck and not anchored (like stuck while pulling it from a rappel) and you have no backup rope and you are 1000 feet up. Go.

Post by **jordancolburn** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:48 pm

We had two ropes, but releading it seemed like a hassle.

well how much of the rope have you pulled so far. could you possibly use what you have to lead back up to where the rope is stuck, unstick it, pull the rest then down-climb/down-aid back to your belay station.

Or you could just scream for help till you lose your voice.

Post by **Shamis** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:55 pm

jordancolburn wrote:well how much of the rope have you pulled so far. could you possibly use what you have to lead back up to where the rope is stuck, unstick it, pull the rest then down-climb/down-aid back to your belay station.

Or you could just scream for help till you lose your voice.

20 feet of rope sitting at the belay ledge. The rest is stuck up high (100 feet).

Post by **jordancolburn** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:03 pm

hm...use our method, lock the rope down by tying it or gri gri, then essentially use a gri gri or other method to rope solo lead back up, placing gear as you go until you can get it unstuck. then do the funky down aid/climb thing. Thats a lot of trouble, is there a fast solution?

Post by **jordancolburn** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:04 pm

-oops double post-

Post by **Shamis** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:05 pm

jordancolburn wrote:hm...use our method, lock the rope down by tying it or gri gri, then essentially use a gri gri or other method to rope solo lead back up, placing gear as you go until you can get it unstuck. then do the funky down aid/climb thing. Thats a lot of trouble, is there a fast solution?

I don't think there is a fast solution.

I forgot to mention that the section above you which leads up to the rope is unclimbable, as the route winds to the left and up a chimney. EDIT: its also dark. And cold. EDIT2: you have no gri-gris.

Post by **bcombs** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:10 pm

Get out your three Omega Link cams and three long slings. You'll never be without two pieces in. Climb on and get your rope. Don't shock load the slings.. go slow.

Post by **jordancolburn** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:18 pm

Shamis wrote: EDIT2: you have no gri-gris.

AHHHH!!!!!! it'd be too much to handle, i'd probably just jump.

Post by **krampus** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:34 pm

call shotgun on the big spoon