Rope too Short to Lower?

If someone is lowering me off a climb with the end of rope knotted and the belayer hits the knot and the climber is still high off the ground, what is the best way to get back down assuming that climbing back up and topping out is not an option? Also saying it's only you and your belayer at the crag and you only have that one rope.

I don't plan on this happening but I just thought of it because one of my ropes is only 45m.

You need to go watch "Touching the Void".... explains it all.

45m cord ????

What you found it in a dumpster?

details, please.

Guy Keesee wrote:You need to go watch "Touching the Void".... explains it all. 45m cord ???? What you found it in a dumpster? details, please.

The reason the rope is 45m isn't really important here but I was rapping off a cliff and massive rock fell off and landed on the rope at the bottom and caused severe core damage so I cut off the bad part.

But really? Dumpster was your first thought? Alright lol

Down-climb, down-lead if on a trad route, adding pro below you if you need it, transferring to it, cleaning as you go.

On a sport route you can down-climb/fall to the next bolt, clean, repeat.

If the bottom of the route is really easy ground you can ask the belayer to climb up until you reach the ground and untie.

Obviously, the best option is to use a rope that's long enough for the route.

If that isn't an option and you are on a sport route, you can lower to one of the bolts, clip in, tie the middle of the rope to you so you can't drop it, untie the end of the rope from your harness and pull that end through the top anchors (leaving the lower part of the rope running through the draws below you) and then retie to your harness and downclimb, cleaning it as you go.
Sounds complicated but isn't really.....

Jim Fox wrote:Obviously, the best option is to use a rope that's long enough for the route. If that isn't an option and you are on a sport route, you can lower to one of the bolts, clip in, have your belayer take you off, tie the rope to you so you can't drop it, untie the end of the rope from your harness and pull that end through the top anchors (leaving the lower part of the rope running through the draws below you) and then retie to your harness and downclimb, cleaning it as you go. Sounds complicated but isn't really.....

Yeah I thought of that I just don't like the idea of being in direct to a single bolt if I don't have to but I know that is always an option. :)

Joel Allen wrote: Yeah I thought of that I just don't like the idea of being in direct to a single bolt if I don't have to but I know that is always an option. :)

I worried about that once but then realized that I'm trusting that bolt to hold me if I take a whipper, so it should be fine to hold body weight

Jim Fox wrote: I worried about that once but then realized that I'm trusting that bolt to hold me if I take a whipper, so it should be fine to hold body weight

Though if it popped on a whipper you would at least have another bolt below. :)

Joel Allen wrote: Though if it popped on a whipper you would at least have another bolt below. :)

true but if a bolt appears solid, I would have no reservations hanging from it briefly. If it looks at all questionable, I wouldn't

Best options are to get a longer rope or climb shorter routes. Less things to potentially go wrong....

Build an anchor. Go off rapell have partner rap down to anchor. Rap to bottom. Write post here of gear left behind on climb

Butterfly knot the damaged part of the rope and learn how to pass a knot.

Joel Allen wrote: Yeah I thought of that I just don't like the idea of being in direct to a single bolt if I don't have to but I know that is always an option. :)

So you get to said bolt that you would go in direct to, you take an eight on a bight and clip that to you with a locker, now you're in direct and on the climbing rope going through the pro below (hopefully it hasn't been cleaned yet). Then you untie and pull until it gets to you, retie in and then you'll be leaving your gear at that bolt, as well as being exposed when you undo your eight on a bight and have your belayer take the newly introduced slack.

More concisely:
Use the right length rope for the climb.

Jim Fox wrote: I worried about that once but then realized that I'm trusting that bolt to hold me if I take a whipper, so it should be fine to hold body weight

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/owens-river-gorge-fatality/110203558

rockandice.com/climbing-acc…

Marc801 wrote: mountainproject.com/v/owens… rockandice.com/climbing-acc…

Yeah, probably a bad idea.

If you tied into the middle part of the rope as I suggested before untying from the end, you'd still be on belay and still have the lower bolts to (hopefully) hold you if you fell, but again. there are plenty of things that could potentially go wrong.

Best solution is to get a longer rope....

Yer gonna die

I know a bunch of folks will say this is unsafe but I just tie off at a bolt pull the rope and rap of the single bolt. Ideal, no? Good enough for me, yes? The lesson bring a rope of appropriate length!

gription wrote:I know a bunch of folks will say this is unsafe but I just tie off at a bolt pull the rope and rap of the single bolt. Ideal, no? Good enough for me, yes? The lesson bring a rope of appropriate length!

While a 50 year old 1/4" buttonhead is obviously suspect, the reality is that visual inspection basically cannot reveal a bad bolt.

climbing.com/climber/built-…

Marc801 wrote: While a 50 year old 1/4" buttonhead is obviously suspect, the reality is that visual inspection basically cannot reveal a bad bolt. climbing.com/climber/built-…

I don't care. I also bring a rope that is long enough so have not had to retreat this way in many years. Again I don't care about the link. Also usually when I have done this it was a bolt that was just installed that same day.

gription wrote: I don't care. I also bring a rope that is long enough so have not had to retreat this way in many years. Again I don't care about the link. Also usually when I have done this it was a bolt that was just installed that same day.

As always, YMMV, and your safety is ultimately up to you. I, too, have lowered off of single bolts. My reply and that link was more of a response to the statement up-thread "...if a bolt appears solid..."

Marc801 wrote: As always, YMMV, and your safety is ultimately up to you. I, too, have lowered off of single bolts. My reply and that link was more of a response to the statement up-thread "...if a bolt appears solid..."

Good point actually. I've never really trusted bolts much (I'm an old trad climber) and concede that you can't tell if they are OK just by looking