Basic Self-Rescue Procedures

Introduction

This represents a small number of tips among a vast knowledge base you need to be competent at self-rescue and is no means a substitute for learning this hands-on with an experienced instructor.  A good book on the subject is David Fasulo's Self-Rescue. https://www.amazon.com/Self-Rescue-How-Climb-David-Fasulo/dp/0762755334
Competently knowing how to use an assisted braking belay device such as a Petzl GriGri makes many of these techniques much easier and safer.  

Belay Escape

Get belayer’s hands free.

a. Tie a mule knot by passing the rope through the belay biner twisting it and passing the end through (shown below and illustrated video at: http://vimeo.com/17441295).
b. Then tie an overhand in the loop as a back-up or a half-hitch back through the biner.

2. “Close the loop” or back-up system.

a. Tie a figure-8 on a bight on the rope that’s on the belayer’s side of the belay device and clip this bight knot to the anchor as a back-up (not shown below). You do this because you don't want to leave the climber hanging off only a 6mm cord.

3. Transfer load of the climber to the anchor.

a. Place a prusick hitch on the rope that’s on the climber’s side of the belay device.
b. Attach this prusick to the anchor with a separate locking binner with a Munter mule knot or a mariner’s knot. (A long cordelette, prusicks, or sling girthed to the prusick all work for this.)

Mariner's hitch -- clip the two ends together (image on right) with a biner and to the anchor.

c. Slide the prusick up the rope to get it as tight as possible and carefully unload the mule knot at the belay device, transferring the load to the anchor.

4. Escape the belay.

a. The belayer may now take the rope out of the belay device and escape. 

5.  Regaining the belay.

a. Take rope between prusick and eight on a bight and run through belay device as you would to belay.
b. Get the rope tight and tie a mule knot by passing the rope through the belay biner twisting it and passing the end through.
c. Then tie an overhand in the loop as a back-up or clip a biner to loop.
d. Release the Munter-mule/mariner’s knot to transfer weight to climber/anchor.
e. Remove the prusick knot.
f. Untie the back-up eight on a bight.
g. Carefully unload the mule knot at the belay device, transferring the load back to the climber/anchor.

Passing the Knot on Rappel

The Munter pop is the simplest, least gear-intensive way to rappel past a knot.

1. Pull up the rope and install your rappel device on the rope immediately under knot tying the two ropes together. Clip to harness and tie it off with releasable mule hitch.

2. Install locker (MUCH easier with a notchless biner) with Munter Hitch on rope and clip to harness with a sling long enough (4 ft) to put the Munter up just above head level (high but still reachable).

3. Rappel on extended Munter until hanging from tied-off ATC (the extension will allow the tied-off ATC to become weighted before the knot reaches the Munter).

4. Unlock the Munter biner, detach its connecting sling, and wiggle the biner until it "pops" the Munter off the weighted line (try it---you can do this---the Munter does not have to be unweighted. (If you can't pop it just unclip the sling and leave the biner).

5. Continue rapping on the rappel device, after undoing the backup loop.

Practice this in a controlled setting so you know how long the Munter extension has to be.  It is harder if the knot reaches the Munter before the rappel device below the knot is fully weighted but even then you can pop the Munter by opening the gate and wiggling the biner out.

3:1 Haul System

This is useful when you have to haul a climber over a section that they can not climb or to haul an injured climber. It is simpler to set-up if you are using a belay device such as a Black Diamond ATC Guide or a Petzl Reverso in auto-locking mode then you don't have to use the Garda hitch.

Ascending a Rope "Prusikcing" up a rope is a scary and exhausting proposition, and it is best to have a practice before you need to use this technique in an emergency. - Tying prusick   Tie a prusick on to the rope, and attach it to your belay loop with a locking biner.     Attach another prusick below the one attached to your waist, this is for your foot.       To start with pump the foot loop down and move the waist prussic up. It is more than likely that you will have to repeat this pump action a few time before the slack is taken out of the system. It also allows you to test that there are enough turns in the prussic to bite. If there aren't then add another twist to the prusick

When the slack is taken you will have to commit to going up. This time you will have to move the foot loop as high as comfortable, it is possible to attain a very high step but too high will effect your efficiency in ascent.     From this position, you need to rock over and try and sit on you foot, it is possible even when free hanging to balance in this position. You will now have taken the weight of the waist prusick, so using you thumb release the tension on the prusick and get ready to stand up.     As you stand up move the waist belt prusick with you and when you have got it as high as you can sit down on it and repeat the process.
To make this system safer you can tie a clove hitch in the rope below your footloop and attach this to your belay loop. By rolling the clove hitch up every few moves you will have a back-up should the waist prusick fail.
- Mechanical ascenders
As well as prusick there are a couple of lightweight ascender on the market that will make your life easier. The petzl Tibloc is the lightest and simplest but very aggressive on ropes.  Whilst a Wild country Ropeman is slightly heavier but less aggressive on ropes.
Tibloc	Ropeman

Miscellaneous

A common occurance is someone dropping a belay device. So how do you rappel down? Munter hitch.