Rock Rescue Academy Part 2: Learning To Ascend & Rig Anchors

We each practiced on a tree before graduating to the 80-foot cliff

Mechanical Ascenders: (See the example pictured here.) These are sometimes referred to as "Jumars," which is a brand name. An ascender has a cam that allows the device to slide in one direction--in this case, up--but keeps a firm grip on the rope when pulled in the opposite direction--down. A locking mechanism with a trigger prevents the mechanical ascender from coming off the rope. Each ascender is attached to the climber's harness by a piece of webbing or sling (see "Daisy Chains" below), and then clipped onto the rope with a locking carabiner.

Etrier or Aider: This is what I call the "step ladder." Those we used in our training were commercially made out of webbing, and each had several loops--or steps. It was up to the individual to decide which step worked best for him- or herself. When ascending, you can use either one or two etriers, with one or two feet in the steps, to push yourself up with your legs.

Daisy Chains: We used commercially sewn daisy chains as the slings to attach our ascenders to our harnesses. The loops of the chain allowed us to adjust the distance between our harness and the mechanical ascenders, so we could make them shorter or longer until we figured out which length on either side worked best for us.

Locking Carabiners: These are a gated connecting devices, usually made from aluminum or steel. Carabiners are either non-locking or locking (we always use locking 'biners) and hinged to snap shut when released.

Seat Harness: This harness has a waist belt that sits just above your hips, and two leg loops, as well as loops for gear, the belay line, the climbing rope, and a haul line. The life of a harness is said to be about 3 years but can be shorter or longer depending on how frequently it's used and under what conditions. Falls, abrasion, heat, sunlight and corrosives such as chlorine bleach will shorten the lifespan of the harness. Make sure to test the harness for comfort before purchase by hanging in it if possible. The day after this training, during which I was in the harness, on the rope, for long periods of time, I'm feeling every bit of that harness, even though I took it off nearly 24 hours ago.

For descriptions and images of various types of harnesses, and a good diagram of the parts, visit SpadOut.com

A Seat Harness

Chest Harness:A chest harness can be fashioned out of webbing, with the ends tied with a water knot, or you can buy one that's commercially sewn. A chest harness is worn in combination with a seat harness, with the purpose of keeping the person on the rope upright after a fall.

Helmet: Head protection is a must, not only to protect you from trauma in case you fall or slam into the rock, but in the event a falling rock, piece of gear other other object hits you from above. Helmets should be UIAA and CE approved.

Gloves: I can't imagine doing any of this rope and rock work without gloves. Those that allow dexterity are your best bet. I bought a pair of leather, finger-tipless gloves, Metolius brand, at a local climbing gym for about $30.

Here, a few of my teammates are getting their gear ready, adjusting their seat and chest harnesses, gloves and helmets.

Ascending, as I'm referring to it, does not mean using one's hands and feet like rock-climbers do, where they make use of the cracks, ledges and other features that the climbing route provides.

The type of ascending we were doing with the mechanical devices and etriers is aid climbing, which is done when rock faces are essentially featureless with very thin cracks that a person really can't fit fingers into well enough to make the holds useful. This type of ascending is also employed in rescue work.

I've learned there are a number of ways to ascend a rope and none of them easy. But they say it's much more about technique and finding what works for you than it is about strength. I'm sure, eventually, I'll get the hang of this and not have to expend quite so much energy as I did on these first few tries.

After doing some reading, I found that what most of us were doing during the training was some version of "the frog" sequence, which is a sit-stand, two-cycle system. First, you bring your feet beneath you and stand, pushing your upper body up and hips in towards the rope, while using your arms to help you. As you stand, you push the upper ascender up. Then, you bend your knees and sit, and push the lower ascender up. The motion should be smooth. (Easier said than done!) It's said that each sit-stand cycle should move you up the rope at least 1/4 your height unless you are very tired or carrying a heavy load.

With one foot out of the etrier, I found it easier to stabilize myself against the wall, while keeping my other foot in the step and beneath me.

Photo credit: JustinJohnsen on Flickr

After spending the morning learning to ascend, my teammates and I moved on to anchor building "101."

Here, we're learning how to set up a tension back-tie, which reinforces the original anchor by connecting it to another anchor--in this case, another tree--directly in line with (behind) the first.

I'm so new at the whole world of rock rescue--rappelling, ascending, belaying, anchor-building--that I don't even want to attempt to explain the complex topic of anchors. When it comes to the physics and the numbers--why things work the way they do, what doesn't work and why--there's a lot to learn in order to truly be proficient, and I've only just scratched the surface so far.

But here are some sources I've found that have been helpful to me in furthering my understanding of anchors:

Anchor Principles
by Instructor, Ryan Ojerio, from the University of Oregon

Natural Anchors
from CoolSportZ.com

Climbing Achor at SpadOut.com
"What is the correct way to setup a climbing anchor?"
"The importance of Angles when setting up anchors"

Rock Climbing Tech Tips: Equalising Anchors
from ChockStone.com