In many climbing stories and books one comes across the term 'epic'. This generally implies an arduous and dangerous ascent or descent, or both. The scale means little: to the beginner, a two-rappel retreat in a light drizzle can be a shocking experience: they may as justifiably call this an epic as does the hardened climber who experiences prolonged difficulties at high altitude on some remote peak. Whatever the specifics, the epic situation must be dealt with, in my view, methodically and with confidence. I have just recently been through a minor epic involving a retreat from an easy route in snow; these are simply notes I assembled during the mental dissection of that episode...This is not meant to be an exhaustive treatment of the topic, just some points that came to mind. MENTALITY
In a storm situation is is of course natural to be afraid. The key to survival is in how you deal with the fear; it must be managed. Rationalize your position. Consider the tasks at hand and the tools you have to address them. Be aware of -- but do not dwell on -- either the consequences of error or the many tasks ahead: take things one at a time and work methodically. I have learned in stormy descents and retreats to go into what I call 'Machine Mode'; this is working through every step of the descent process one by one. Do not slack off on your check-lists; these are the situations for which they were developed. Of course, you must adapt them to the situation, but the principles always remain. For me, these principles are (1) to ensure the security of the anchors and the rappel system (harness, rappel device, etc) (2) to be prepared for what situations may arise (such as ending short of a ledge or anchors) and (3) to be confident and to move with efficiency. Maintain a positive mental attitude; one thing that can really ruin your chances is to become despondent or panicked. Personally, I consider my fear a tangible, wild thing to be managed. You may be able to alleviate some stress by letting it out physically: I sometimes clench my fists repeatedly while telling myself that I am literally working out the fear. You can deal directly with fear in such a way, as you can also directly try to induce calm. Find a technique that works for you and stick to it; ritualize it. Personally, I take a deep breath, hold it...then let it out evenly while thinking to myself that it is time to be calm, that I can worry later, that this is not the time to be tense, but to be confident and competent. These are simply examples of how I deal with fear and stress; do what you need to do, get your mind in order, and then turn methodically to the task at hand: getting down safely.
RAPPELS
You should be well aware that rappeling is the most dangerous aspect of climbing. Get in the habit of using saftey measures on any rappel, and get in the habit of checking out several critical elements at each and every rappel. I suggest the following list: 1. ANCHORS: Must be equalized.
2. ROPE: Must be threaded so that it will pull easily and not hang up on slings, etc.
3. KNOT: If the rope is knotted, be sure the knot is secure.
4. HARNESS: Be sure the buckle is properly threaded.
5. RAPPEL DEVICE: Be sure it is correctly threaded and that it is clipped to your harness.
6. SAFTEY MECHANISM:Use some saftey mechanism ON EVERY RAPPEL. You can use a prussik or klemheist on the ropes. Be sure these are clipped to your harness. You can also tie knots at the end of the ropes so you cannot rap off the end, or tying the ropes together and clipping a carabiener between them which simply rides along as you descend, and will hang up on the knotted ropes if you lose control. I cannot think of any reason NOT to use at least a klemheist on ANY rappel, no matter how short or long, or what the conditions. Even if you are on the last rappel and see the rope lying on the ground or glacier below, you do not want to lose control somehow (e.g. being hit in the head by a rock or a piece of ice, or whatever): USE A SAFTEY METHOD ON EVERY SINGLE RAPPEL.
7. TERRAIN: Look at the terrain below and consider where you are headed and where you are not headed.
8. OFF YOU GO: Rappel smoothly rather than putting jerky stresses on the anchors. Once down, set some anchors, clip in, and call for your partner to come on down.The first man can considerably help the second by holding the rappel ropes while the second is rappeling. If the rapeller loses control (for any of a thousand possible reasons, such as being hit by a falling rock or ice) the person below can pull the ropes apart from each other, which should slow the descent. GENERAL TIPS FOR RAPELLING
* Many belay / rappel devices lock the rope quite easily and make a smooth, jerk-free rappel difficult. One way to smooth out the rappel is to pass the rope through TWO carabieners at your harness: this way the ropes pass through a less acute angle than with just one carabiener and are more easily controlled.
* When the terrain below is unknown or doubtful, make sure each person has some hardware. If one person takes off with all the gear, the other has no tools to help with unforseen problems. On a long retreat, consider splitting the rack between each climber so that you both have several pieces of hardware and several slings. * While each person should have both hardware and slings, the second climber, waiting for the first rappeller to complete the rappel, should have a good supply of slings, and the first rapeller should carry a good stock of hardware. This is so that if the rappel comes short of known anchors or ledges below, the climber down below can insert some hardware and hang on that as the second climber, up above, can extend the rappel by adding slings to the anchors. It may be necessary to cinch together several slings to gain a few precious feet. For added distance, consider cutting or untying slings so that they are double their length, and then tying them together with the water-knot. Five two-foot slings cut and tied together can give you an extra 20 feet or so. If you have a cordelette (mine is usually a seven-foot long loop of 8mm rope) you can also cut or untie this, giving you perhaps another ten or fifteen feet. If you still come up short, you will have to rappel down to the first person and arrange anchors to continue down. * On arriving at a rappel station (anchors), clip in to the anchors immediately. A single sling with a non-locking carabiener at each end, one clipped to the anchor slings and one clipped to your harness, is NOT GOOD ENOUGH. A single non-locking crabiener can too easily be twisted off its sling, for example if you lean up against it, pressing it against the rock. ALWAYS BE CLIPPED IN WITH TWO LOCKING CARABIENERS: ONE AT THE ANCHOR SLINGS AND ONE AT YOUR HARNESS. At the very least, clip to the slings with your locking carabiener at the harness and two, gate-opposed standard carabieners at the anchor slings. It is a good habit to climb with two large locking carabieners on your harness, at the crotch. One is your normal rappel / belay carabiener, the other is for clipping in and other purposes. * A tip from Lee Purvis of Vancouver, B.C. : when it is windy and you expect the rap lines may be blown away to get snagged on some flake, you can carry the rope with you as you rap and flake it out on the go. This is better than weighting the end of the rope with hardware (as I have done in the past) which is effective but may also produce complications.
MISCELLANEOUS COMMENTS
* Even wet gloves are better than no gloves. A pair of fingerless pile gloves are a real bonus on a cold rock climb; consider just carrying one pair, for the belayer. You neednąt buy them; when your old pile gloves begin to wear thin, snip off just an inch from the tips, sew the ends so they donąt unravel at the seams, and you have a good working pair. Sewing on a small clip-in loop, at the wrist, is always a good idea. Make sure your belay gloves have a long and warm cuff (not just a thin, elasticized cuff). Exposed wrists cool very quickly! * Numb fingers which are not discolored (white or red or black) should be OK once re-warmed. While your partner is rappeling, rewarm your hands by stuffing them inside your jacket, into your armpits. You can also try windmilling your arms to force blood towards your fingers, or warming them in your crotch or mouth. When they begin to rewarm the pain will be intense; it feels as if your fingertips are being beaten with a hammer; this, however, is a good sign that blood is getting back into the vessels in your fingers. * NEVER worry about the cost of gear as you retreat (once in the situation you will need little convincing here!). You can always buy more gear; now is not the time to be stingy. Leave cams, ice screws, whatever: just get down safely! * Do not trust slings you find on an anchor: either cut them away and replace them with your own, or fix new slings of your own as a supplement. You have no idea what has been done to the in-situ slings; at least one party has pulled ropes through them, probably weakening them with heating from friction. If you come across bolts with sharp edges, clip in with carabieners, or at least one sling and one carabiener in case the sling is severed under your weight. One alternative to leaving a carabiener is to use a lap-link; these are cheap and a good alternative. * If any down-climbing or lowering is required, be sure to have the descending person try to place and clip in some protection. This may save the second climber from a massive fall (directly onto the anchors below) if they come off while attempting to descend. Particularly if there is any lowering involved, be sure to place gear: for the one being lowered it is easy just to lower off, but the second has no such luxury and will need protection as they down-climb what the first person was happily lowered past. * If the rope becomes too icy and stiff to belay through your normal device, remember that you can use the Munter Hitch; this can be used for rappeling as well. Learn to tie the Munter with one hand, blindfolded! * If in any doubt as to finishing the route quickly and efficiently, bring along at spare rope. A 7mmx50m rope works well as a lightweight 'Dire Emergency Line'. This can be tied to an 11mm rope for rappeling, but of course is no good for leading. The 7mm can also be used as a haul line if needed. Rather than climbing with it as a haul line all the time, however, it may be slung on the secondąs back, under a daypack. This allows you to climb with the confidence of a spare rope, but without the potential hassles of a second rope being trailed by the leader. So, there are just a few notes on dealing with epic situations. Good luck, don't unclip and remember to use a saftey measure ON EVERY RAPPEL!
You may be interested in my book:
Technical Alpine Climbing for Two-Person Teams.
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