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Parties of Three on the East Standard Third Flatiron Route

Greg D · · Here · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 883

KEEP it super simple. One rope. Party of two. Pre rig her rappel device. Get on the rope below her and rappel. She is now in a locked off firemans. Get to next anchor. She rappels with you as fireman back up. Forget the prussiks and autoblocks. They will complicate the rappel for her. You already have her backed up.

You get to rig her device
you get to locate the next anchor.
You get to control her rappel.

No fancy rigging. No extra gear. No extra time.

Simple!

Andrew Sharpe · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2009 · Points: 25

I went up the Direct on the 1st this past week as a party of 3 using 2 ropes. We found if one person does all the leading, the climb is more efficient. Two ropes definitely takes time, rope management skills, and finding good belay ledges that accommodate 3 people. All of that should be fairly easy on the 3rd though.

It was the second time I did a multipitch with 3 people. One was a new to Colorado climber that hadn't been on longer multipitch before. Bring extra food and water.

Ive also done the 3rd as a party of three. Take the double rope rap on the second rappel; the ledge is more accomodating to three people.

Knock out some rap training and give her a firemens and i think you'll be fine.

Tim Pegg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 5

Ideally, teach her to rap the day before. Whether or not you can do that, go as a group of three. In a party of three, you rap first, she raps second. That way, she has help at the top and bottom and you can provide a belay from the bottom.

BrianH Pedaler · · Santa Fe NM · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 50

+2 on the potential for emotional meltdown. For that reason I would climb with three. That way she is never alone, except when she is actually climbing. Technical skills are one thing (not falling on a 5.8) but exposure, especially if you are alone, can freak people right out (for good reason!).

Think about it. Your stalwart, rock jawed boyfriend casts off. Maybe there is a little wind making communication difficult, maybe the pitch places each out of sight of the other. The mind begins to race, and next thing you know the terror starts and it's "why did you take me up here!!!"

RockinGal Moser · · Boulder CO · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 30

I climbed the Third with a total non-climber in a party of three. My experienced partner led all the pitches and belayed me and the non-climber each on our own rope as we climbed up together. The leader used a Reverso of some sort. I talked the non-climber up the rock. You probably won't have to do that. Belays are not a problem.
On top, my partner lowered her off and I rapped down next to her as she was being lowered, crying most of the time. I tried to distract her as much as possible. I recommend doing that. We did three rappels. You don't want her rapping by herself (her hair or clothing might get stuck in the system, then what do you do?), there might be communication problems or someone may start telling her what to do or want to rappel ahead of her. I wouldn't let her out of my sight unless there's someone else with her. Just my two cents.
There's more to this story but it's not relevant here.

MarcRobinson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 10

It's great to see this, because I took my wife on the third flatiron in August of 2009 -- same situation. Though she'd rappelled before, it was only a couple of times, back in 1981. (We go back a ways.) I suggest that you buy her a figure-8 (despite its tendency to twist the rope) because it's simple. Drill her on the use of it a couple of times. You rappel first and weight the rope if she starts to go too fast.
It worked out great for us. Just exercise some care.

MarcRobinson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 10

P.S. -- on the walk across to the second rappel anchor, I tied her to the bolts and set up a fixed rope so she could cross safely.

Ross Purnell · · Palmyra · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 766

Do what Greg D suggested. Seriously. I do this with my children all the time on multi-pitch raps at Seneca and the Gunks. I get them on rappel, put myself on rappel on a lower part of the rope, and after making sure they re close to the rings, I rap in a straight line away from them so as not to knock them off balance, them I can go down first, make sure I find the next rings, and give them a fireman's belay from below.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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