BAM! Your Partner Can't Climb ..

IT HAS HAPPENED, Your partner needs help, you are on technical terrain, what do you do now?

Please offer: tips, situations, experiences, comments, & of course, the famous satire that make us all proud to be climbers. (I would like not to glorify nor signify any particular incident).

I'll also follow up with some as time passes.

Just remember, we're all in this to help each other. What can we all do to not make a bad situation worse??

Simply untie and continue to the summit.

Every man for himself!

Continue drinking my cold, wonderful beer.

On the serious side, years ago Mel and I had a pact: if the other guy got seriously injured, you had to make a decision on the spot to determine his future quality of life. Depending on your decision, you might have to finish him off! This only came up once. After climbing the Salathe Wall, we had run out of water and were dehydrated so we left the gear on the summit and hiked off. When we returned a day later, Mel injured his ankle as we neared the gear. But I decided it was not that serious. So we split the gear by volume. He took the down & foam, and I took the rest. A day later he was leading Butterballs! I'm still not sure if he was faking.

Isn't that why you're supposed to carry a knife on your harness? Oh, right, *you* still need the rope to get down.... bummer...

But seriously, yes, agreed, everyone should spend some serious time taking or researching rescue techniques and advanced first aid skills and practicing them.

For me, assuming you can get to them with relative safety (using your rescue training), stabilize them medically as best you can, either effect a rescue or get them to a place where they'll be as safe as feasible and go for help.

Hopefully, they're less than a 1/2 rope out and you can lower them. Otherwise, you've got to figure out if you can safely ascend to them on prussiks. I usually make it a habit to comment on gear when I'm placing it so my partner has some idea of whether (s)he could do that in the event that I am injured. ("Sweeeet" = good gear, "better than nothing I guess" = not so good gear).

Also depends on locale and apparent severity/mechanism of injury. In Eldo or Boulder Canyon, it might be best just to yell for help in some cases.

What I'm willing to do of course depends on the situation and my relationship (e.g. I'm sure I'd be willing to risk more for my wife than some of my low-life climbing partners! :^D). Or is that the other way around (sorry honey)?

A while back whilst walking out of the gym, I noticed on their promo white board was an advert for a self rescue class. It stated something about "your partner is hurt 75 feet up. What do you do?" Then the class times, costs, etc listed. A bunch of noobs were there milling around the front desk, I walked by, read the sign, tapped the question, looked at the guy behind the counter, yelled "Cut the rope!" at him and kept walking. He did not appreciate it. I got lots of weird looks from the folks standing their. I just kept walking.

Yeah, I break Guideline #1 in real life sometimes.

Serious: self rescue. Learn & practice. When you need it you don't have the time to be thinking "now, how do I tie the mule knot?"

N.

edit: I cannot spell so good.

I think there are 3 things to look at for Situation Assessment:

• Environment & Position,
• Technical/Gear Applications, and
• Medical.

Probably 4 aspects derived from Situation Assessment:

• Self-Rescue
• Buddy-Rescue of Seconding Climber
• Buddy-Rescue of Lead Climber
• Buddy Evacuation or Team Response

Why ruin a perfectly good beer, when you can toast your debacle to a better swig of scotch??

Everyone should learn some basic techniques that will aid in any self-rescue situation.
1) How to pass a knot. Especially without any fancy equipment (tibloc, anti-gravity boots, vacuum chamber, time machine). You really just need your cordalette and a locker.
2) Know your knots, Munter, Munter Mule, Bowline, Klemheist, Prusik, etc...
3) Ride the Pig. Hang your partner off your harness, back up your rap device with an auto-block and get outta-there.
4) How to build a simple 3-to-1 haul system.

These techniques will not cover all situations, but they will help greatly and cut down on folks doing stuff that super scary.

It amazes me how many climbers are out with a group of friends, and no one in the party knows anything about rope work. You don't need to be an expert, far from it, you just need some basic knowledge to keep you and your partner out of a bad thing.

Case #1 - You and your partner are 3 pitches up & 3 to go after a late start and the weather is moving in. You are belaying & your partner is leading about 15-20 meters out from the anchor. Your partner dislocates their shoulder while leading and can't climb. The climber recovers to a fairly stable stance quickly plugs a couple of pieces in at their position.

Now What?

Assuming his shoulder is not fractured, you relocate her/his shoulder & then have your partner follow or rap off.

Mark Nelson wrote:You and your partner are 3 pitches up & 3 to go after a late start and the weather is moving in. You are belaying & your partner is leading about 15-20 meters out from the anchor. Your partner dislocates their shoulder while leading and can't climb. The climber recovers to a fairly stable stance quickly plugs a couple of pieces in at their position. Now What?

Well, this is one the team can probably handle on their own. For arguments sake here, let's say the injury is enough to disable the lead climber, but not serious enough to require a litter. Though with weather hazard, rescue team aid is a question and the climbers might need to take responsibility for the risk they assumed.

In this example, the leader is about 20 meters out and has anchored in & we'll say the placements are A-1 bomber. I'd just have the belayer lower the leader back to the start of P4 anchor & anchor the injured climber there.

Knowing the 1/2 way point in the rope is pretty good to info to have now. Though, if you lower to your end & you're tied in & at an anchor, you can block & tackle to escape belay, fixed-line ascend, and anchor your leader -- or your leader can do it themselves as they are cognizant, they can just make another anchor and try and get the rope re-worked to get back to the start of P4. However, in this case, 20 meters out is a good bet the belayer can just quickly lower saving this whole technical application mess.

Now at the P4 anchor safely, they will probably talk about the situation. With time short due to weather exposure, I'd think about going down.

But, one exception I can think of is the easy & angled slabs on the Flatirons - 3 point contact can work to climb up & out to safety. Not to mention, retreat on the Flatirons I think is much more difficult than continuing climbing.

So, the decision to retreat or keep climbing is dependent on terrain.

Let's say we're on terrain that is more difficult to climb, and descent is looking more like the option. Typically, retreating down with the injured climber is going to be the choice than climbing up & hauling (your partner won't be able to jumar effectively). So, analyze the anchor positions at hand, how many & what were the spacing distances on the way up? Are descent anchors established & do you have a tag line/second strand? If not, probably need to use (burn) gear -- I've got no problem with leaving gear as both lives probably depend on getting out of the exposure.

Probably can do a cow tailed buddy-evac on rap without much fuss as I probably wouldn't have my partner do their own rap. I'd like to see redundancy used like a third hand friction hitch (I prefer below the rap device) just to make sure the anchor tie-ins occur without error & letting go of the brake during any system transitions.

I would think choosing to go down using a buddy evac on rappel, would get the team off the exposed wall the most efficiently.

In medical, I probably wouldn't do anything with my partner's arm that they couldn't do themselves. I like trying to have them shrug it back in. I would think you could sling the dislocation to try and immobilize it; "try" is a stretch as this whole thing is gonna be an ordeal. But, you both have to get off the wall & get to shelter or a less exposed area. So, I could definitely see the injured climber saying to do whatever needs to be done as the storms start rolling in.

Ladd Raine wrote:Everyone should learn some basic techniques that will aid in any self-rescue situation. 1) How to pass a knot.

Swallow a very small, soft knot.

Leo Paik wrote:Assuming his shoulder is not fractured, you relocate her/his shoulder & then have your partner follow or rap off.

That worked on a caving trip I took once. The accident victim had to negotiate some tight squeezes in a wet suit, but she got out mostly under her own power. A dislocated shoulder isn't as serious if you get it back into the joint immediately. If you let it sit and the muscles tighten around it and pin it in place outside the joint, then it can take up to four people to put it back in place.

Case #2 - You and your partner just climbed this sick route! Sweet!! Many pitches of sustained & classic cracks & slabs. It was a hot day though, you both had run out of water about 3 pitches back.

Upon topping out, your partner starts dry heaving, collapses, and is basically incoherent & incapacitated. You've got about 2 hours to sunset and either 8 raps or 10 miles through rugged & exposed terrain 3rd & 4th class. The weather is all clear & warm, though at dark you expect a 40 degree drop in temps.

What next?

Case #2 sounds like an absolute nightmare, and what action to take I think would depend highly on the details:

Are there any water sources nearby? Even if you have nothing to treat it with I think the immediate danger from dehydration outweighs the long term danger from untreated water. If your partner is in such bad shape you probably aren't too far off from collapse yourself.

What did you leave at the base of the climb? If you have a cache of water, warm clothes, etc. waiting for you at the bottom I would seriously consider a simul-rapp. Assuming that was your original plan for descent (and you brought your headlamp) you should be able to manage it even with an incapacitated partner. Of course you had better be in better shape than your partner; if you also are about to collapse it would be better not to commit to such a thing.

Are there other people about, and does someone know where you are? If the rappel doesn't seem feasible it might be time for yelling/waiting for help. Huddle together for warmth and hope it doesn't get too cold.

As always with self rescue, the most important skill is to not get yourself into such a situation in the first place. Haul plenty of water and if you do run out, seriously consider bailing if it is a hot day.

For case #1, take a class and read books. If you just go on what is posted here, somebody will probably be in worst shape. Also practice your process on rock, even if it's at the base of a climb.

For case #2, I'm assuming nobody is within miles and you completely have to be self-sufficient, I would tie them down so they don't wander over the edge in delirium, give them every layer, give them some electrolytes (because water will not be the answer only at this point) which I always carry in my first aid kit, and high-tail it to water.

Liam Willco wrote:Case #2 sounds like an absolute nightmare,

Yes, #2 is a bad one; the two posts offered are about as best as anyone can do or plan for.

I think though if you don't find water in proximity; I would check the phone to see about a signal & call for help if nobody else is near (also I think this would be a good one to start blowing a whistle for help); aid is needed here & the climber that hasn't succumbed may also be soon in trouble. I would stay pat, look for shelter, & insulate with my partner & self.

Anyone have thoughts on getting an evaporation method going & what materials we might have while climbing that could work to make some water?

I like the thought of carrying some electrolytes - is this workable for everyone, or are there cases that you would be worse off?

Also, wouldn't have thought of anchoring my partner. I like that, too.

Probably a bail decision should have been made when the water ran out. The route is probably a classic though, I would go for the send also.

WRT #1 - Yes, there is an assumption the climbers are already technically proficient in basic self & buddy rescue education; though there really is no detrimental issue with discussing the climbers' decision making process & possible options of the given situation.

case #2: First thing I'd do is try to get him into some shade and out of direct sunlight. The sun still has 2 hours left in the sky and we all know that in places like Moab it's still really hot during that time.

(option 2... pee in his mouth)

Pete Laurina wrote:case #2: First thing I'd do is try to get him into some shade and out of direct sunlight. The sun still has 2 hours left in the sky and we all know that in places like Moab it's still really hot during that time. (option 2... pee in his mouth)

Ding ding ding !!!!! You are officially the winner....sicko. I'd like to take a look at your temporary internet files.

I'll throw another one out (for winter).

You & your partner are enjoying some ice & alpine in the backcountry, say 7 miles out. He gets inundated with water & starts getting cold & frozen -- can't climb & basically is responsive at this point but needs help moving. It's late, getting dark, wasn't really a bivy planned for, & communications isn't working. What's the plan?