How to Escape the Belay | Step by Step guide for rescuing a stranded climber

[@feluver]

Seems like a lot of people don't understand the basic use case for this method. If your climber is potentially severely injured, unresponsive and out of clear sight, this is likely the safest way to escape the belay without introducing slack that could further injure them. Say a climber falls, knocking themself out, on a ledgy slab pitch. They're 30 meters up and unresponsive. What do you do? If there is any chance of assistance in the rescue, you should probably do this and run and call 911. This might seem complex, but it is the safest way to break into a taught rope and transfer the load with a reasonable set of tools. If you think you are better off picking them off, using them as a counterweight and you trust their last placement, maybe you could do that, but that's a lot to contemplate in the really unfortunate case I'm describing. If you're climbing roped a lot, this is a skill worth practicing.

[@namelastname2449]

Absolutely correct

[@mdrgn79]

This content is a goldmine, I wish you were still making videos.

[@mjh42777]

With all this, this is why I always carry an ATC and a Gri gri both. Maybe a traxion too. This is complicated for the average Joe climber. But I completely understand it’s necessity. Worst case scenario. Thanks!

[@chriskaplan6109]

I took a self rescue course a while back and this is a great refresher to watch. Thanks for the content, subbed!

[@summitseekersexperience]

For sure!

[@namelastname2449]

Found this now /9’ehow we missed it! This is something we been practicing lately, when the atc gets blocked in a multi pitch and we need to lower down the second. I find that the third hand with a redirect, a catastrophe knot to prep the rig, they work fantastically. Also we viewed your vid on how to pass a knot when belaying in guide mode, that was quite complicated…

[@summitseekersexperience]

I would say focus on the techniques my channel highlights that you can understand and practice. The more you practice those, the less you have to think about them... then the more complicated concepts will start to make sense as you don't have to remember every step.

[@beingaware8542]

Great videos! A,few close ups on the munter mules would be nice for the viewer.

[@summitseekersexperience]

For sure. I'm working on trying to get proper closeups on knots/intricate rope work. Hopefully will continue to improve.

[@mattyfarmer976]

Your videos have been so helpful for my climbing skills and knowledge 😁 Just an idea is that maybe at the start of the video spend a couple of seconds replaying some footage of which knots will be used in the video and how to tie them 😁

[@summitseekersexperience]

Thanks for the compliment, that's a really good idea I hadn't thought of so I may start doing that.

[@CFEF44AB1399978B0011]

at the end, you use a prussik as a third hand while lowering. I’m blind, and that part wasn’t explained, but I’ve rapped off of an atc with a prussik, etc. I can't picture how you could back up a munter with a prussik because the munter is gas down, break up, and so the prussik would need to somehow pull the break strand up. How did you rig that? Maybe I’m just missing something since I can't see it.

[@summitseekersexperience]

I actually utilized an autoblock knot which is another type of friction hitch a little weaker than a prussik. The autoblock was rigged in a way if I lost control and the load strand I was managing started going up faster than I wanted it would catch.

[@jeffreyschmidt3997]

​@@summitseekersexperiencethanks for the very helpful video! :) just for clarification, would the friction hitch backup be better placed on the brake strand as a backup to the brake as opposed to having it support the entire load strand in case of loss of control on lowering at the end?

[@antom901]

@@jeffreyschmidt3997I think so too, everything I see about third hands prusik while lowering is having people tie the prusik on the break strand

[@rachelbeltran4443]

There was a period of about 40 seconds starting around 6:46 when your hand was off the brake hand, leaving the climber’s weight reliant on only the prusik. I know you had built that “catastrophe knot” 6 feet down to prevent a ground fall, but wouldn’t it be better to wait to release the mule overhand ATC tie-off after you’ve built that second ground anchor?

[@summitseekersexperience]

Correct, I got my order of operations mixed up there. I should have done what you stated and built that second attachment point prior to releasing the mule/ATC tie off.

[@Mdibah]

@@summitseekersexperience A similar improvement: clip your catastrophe knot to the master point of the anchor (once built) and leave it there. This way all of your rope moves are truly backed up, instead of just relying on a knot jamming in the ATC (which is eventually going to get taken off the rope).

[@bloodmonk125]

Would you be able to do a video on building trad anchors? I really like your style of videos and feel like it’d be really helpful.

[@summitseekersexperience]

Yep, in the works!!

[@jimbernard8964]

Nice job. Thanks

[@DVMCellini]

Helpful as usual!

[@hskishore1244]

Thanks for the video on escaping the belay! Feedback: I felt the video lacked intro. on what setup will be done or briefing the goal of the first half of video. It was just like do this knot, next do this knot... it was kind of overwhelming. What would have made the video interesting is, briefing at the start saying "the goal is to secure the rope to ground anchor and coming out of belay mode..." Also, having an intro in order to break down each section will be more easy to understand. Indeed there were only 2 section: 1. Anchoring the climber, 2. lowering the climber. But if you can break 1st part into sub sections, that'll be easy to understand.

[@summitseekersexperience]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm a relatively new content creator so this is helpful for me to organize my videos better for my audience. I'll try to take this into account on some of my upcoming productions!

[@hskishore1244]

@@summitseekersexperience welcome! I like the way you get into the topic right away and I would like to store the videos for referring them again.

[@JakeWinegrad]

I think I would agree if I did not have some prior knowledge of the topic. As I watched I was like, "Ah, yes, of course he does that now".

[@christophersharkey5551]

Is there a reason you don't mule off the atc on the spine of the carabiner?

[@summitseekersexperience]

This is an option, just personal preference. I've done the procedure with both. I'm going to do a "short" this week where I mule the spine.

[@jakobhovman]

Thank You for useful video, timing and workflow...! You were on the ground, still, I missed a personal anchor for you, all the way through.

[@ananda_miaoyin]

Have you ever had to use this in an actual scenario? Definitely good to know but seems like it needs to be practiced a lot. Like a shitload. Has a climber every gotten their hand stuck and been unable to free it?

[@summitseekersexperience]

Other guides I'm friends with have used it but I haven't used it before. I've used the other method I posted (pick-off method).

[@vlaaady]

How about being stuck for 127 hours? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmmtY2V9p9p3frs

[@mggmuggins]

What would be a situation where a climber would need to stay in place? This is a very complicated system, so obviously it's better if you're able to lower the climber before going for help.

[@FlatOutFE]

The only situation where this really applies is if you don't have enough rope to lower the leader back to the ground/belay station and they are injured or unable to rig a temporary rappel.

[@summitseekersexperience]

Hand or foot stuck in a crack after a fall.

[@FlatOutFE]

@@summitseekersexperience, never have seen it, but I'll buy the possibility.

[@JakeWinegrad]

@@FlatOutFE Happened in a World Cup recently. Wide Boyz have a video on it.

[@mjh42777]

Any spine injury you do not want to move the body until they are stabilized properly. Doesn’t have to be hand or foot stuck in a crack even.

[@NOorah-oj8gt]

Great video 👍 that can be done better. If the victim has a trapped limb, not taking out 8ish inches of slack, let alone the introduction any more slack in the system will probably result in more injury and difficulty in rescuing the victim.

[@DrCellini]

I’ll only do this if you are my guide…

[@bennettstone656]

Allenbrook!

[@rgr195]

that belt buckle tho....

[@summitseekersexperience]

Just in case I run out of gear 🙂

[@MSchon-qf3fl]

Knowing how to escape the belay is mandatory to climb multi pitch.

[@giacomocasanova2893]

seems unnecessarily complicated and dangerous. why not just use the swiss method. -> securing rope with carabiner -> making a figure 8 knot behind your system. tying that to the anchor -> open sling for rope securing and taking in rope very tight -> making another figure 8 and tying that to a different anchor -> exit the system. should be only a very minor fall (15cm) after exiting the system and would be way faster and safer.

[@summitseekersexperience]

I'll take a look at the swiss method. This is the way I was taught for escaping the belay, but always interested to learn new ways.

[@giacomocasanova2893]

@@summitseekersexperience swiss method basically just means making a figure 8 knot in the middle of the rope. you can also use it to be lowered mid route without having to leave the system and without giving up a quickdraw. it‘s pretty basic and probably not known by this name in the states.

[@giacomocasanova2893]

@@summitseekersexperience good video otherwise. i would definitely feel safe having such a knowledged belayer

[@JakeWinegrad]

@@giacomocasanova2893 Could you provide a link or reference to this Swiss Method? I searched "swiss method escape belay" and did not find anything like what you're describing.

[@giacomocasanova2893]

@@JakeWinegrad I learned the term and technique from a old school world class climber in Tyrol. It‘s mainly used when you can‘t finish the climb and want to retrieve your quickdraws from the route but it‘s also useful when you want to make a figure of 8 knot while still being tied in (leaving the system with redundancy). Basically therese 2 steps: 1: secure you (or the person you are belaying). i‘d to that with a normal sling and carabiner to the bolt. then i will tell my belay partner to give me some slack to test if it holds. 2. then i would proceed to put my rope through the bolt an make a figure 8 by twisting it 2 times and putting a loop through the knot. Then you can put the figure of 8 knot with a carabiner to your harness (or anker if you are the belayer) and open up your original figure of 8. result: your rope now runs through the bolt and you can retrieve the quickdraw and absail (go get help if you are the belayer) without ever leaving the system. It‘s basically just a technique that offers complete security in situations where you have to untie your original figure of 8 knot. Hope that helps!!