Life is full of learning opportunities. Happy to know that this experience turned out well and even more happy to know how well you processed what happened to learn from it yourself and to help others. Kudos.
@NorthWashOutdoors3 жыл бұрын
Good job trouble shooting in the heat of the moment. Glad you learned from the incident and no one was hurt! First rule of canyoneering...... Always Rig Contingency!!! Unless the person on rope has the means (equipment and skill) to free themselves from a problem. Keep up the learning. The rescue course is one of my favorite because of all the problem solving scenarios like this. It's fun to create solutions to situations with the gear on hand. Nice Work!!
@vcneumann2 жыл бұрын
For the second improvement I think a Mariner's Hitch might have been better than the VT Prusik. The Mariner's is meant to release safely and controlled with all the friction you might want. What I remember from a rope rescue book i read is that you pull up the rope with a pulley system and you capture the pull with the Mariner's hitch. Then replace the block with a contingency, then undo the Mariner's hitch to snug up the block against the rapide/rappel ring. Glad you made this work :)
@JakeMarcin2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting this It makes everyone safer when they learn from others and it takes a lot of guts to put up a post incident video where you constructively criticize yourself This this was extremely helpful and a great learning experience for those who have watched it, thank you and well done on a successful rescue
@tonyjewel50652 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing this. Stories like yours will help us be more prepared can definitely prevent others getting into trouble. I would add that an auto block hitch can also be used (rather than a VT prusik) for the "ratchet" in the 3:1 pulley system. This can also be released under load, takes up less space than the VT and is "self tending" in my experience. (Be sure to set it and make sure it's holding the rope though!)
@jwgolding3 жыл бұрын
"At the last rappel of Pine Creek (off the boulder), my friend's VT Prussik jammed on the rope, leaving him stuck 70ft above the canyon floor." Carry a knife and know how to use it.
@tonyjewel50652 жыл бұрын
Much better to have prusiks and know how to self rescue. A sharp knife near a weighted rope is a scary thing!
@jwgolding2 жыл бұрын
Tony Jewel certainly it’s not the first choice, but tying off and cutting the VT is an option here. Those VTs aren’t free tho
@SMRMenace Жыл бұрын
Im glad that you pulled this rescue manouver but it was a very simple fix and you used to much gear. All you had to do was to clip one of your lanyards to the blocker carabiner instal the blocker like you did on the quickdraw and use your weight as counter weigh to pull the rope slightly up so you could load the blocker and remove the knot on the carabiner blocker then you could put yourself on the rope and blocking your descender, using again counter weight to free the blocker and from then you could lower your partner directly from your descender. Very simple manoeuvre when you know what to do. It’s a basic rescue on the canyoning guide course and believe me a small guy can counter weight a bigger guy. This was one of those times that a simple releasable system could have avoided all this. Biggest lesson is always work with releasable systems. 😉
@jeremydefidance49682 жыл бұрын
Great video! I'm just thinking out loud and I would have put in a vt prusik in place of the first grab, then you could have released it to weight the totem.
@galenokazaki45972 жыл бұрын
Great analysis of your strategies and improvements you could have made. Good work
@sbradshaw663 жыл бұрын
Super sweet problem solving! Nice work!
@mattharmon79522 жыл бұрын
WOW
@galenokazaki45972 жыл бұрын
Great job. Super good analysis of your strategies.
@abpljacks92012 жыл бұрын
I did that canyon last may and it was the coolest slot canyon I have ever done
@chavenord2 жыл бұрын
Sorry not understanding what happened with the VT Prussik. Did it become jammed in the rappel device?
@shurnoworries43082 жыл бұрын
Can you describe it better yet simulate and provide picture of how the VT prussik got him stuck and how it would have been rigged different to avoid the issue Thanks
@lokmtb85032 жыл бұрын
This sounds like the vt prusik was used below the descender and it got caught in the descender.
@gonchagoncha62054 ай бұрын
I would skip what you did and use the same rope after the totem and put a MMO or a grigri on my harness and make a 1:1 to free the carabiner
@jonathanazbell95962 жыл бұрын
Instead of building a totem block could you have done a sort of indirect belay directly of the anchor with the totem? Seems like it would have been a little easier to lower.
@JonWuClimbs2 жыл бұрын
I'm not familiar with your rappel device but could you fix the second strand to the anchor and drop it to the stuck person and have him use it to free himself? For example, could he tie a foot loop on a second fixed strand, stand on it and then unjam the rappel device? Great video and great job rescuing your partner!
@vanyoneer2 жыл бұрын
Yes, these are good ideas. If he had a footloop on his harness, a second rope wouldn't be needed, it's just as possible to attach a footloop on the main rope above the jam. If he *didn't* have a footloop, a second rope would be necessary. In that approach, the most time-efficient, gear-minimal solution is to tie a figure 8 on a bight in the main rope tail (or an entirely separate second rope) and drop that down as a reeeeallly long footloop. He/she sticks foot in the figure 8 and stands up on that second rope strand.
@JonWuClimbs2 жыл бұрын
@@vanyoneer I was assuming that the stuck person did not have any gear so I thought dropping a second line and letting him/her tie a foot loop in the best location would be an efficient solution. I really enjoyed your video and your description of the the problem and solution. As a rock climber, I carry an entirely different set of gear (GriGri for belaying, ATC guide for rappelling, and lots of slings and carabiners, etc). I liked how you solved the problem with your gear.
@vanyoneer2 жыл бұрын
In this specific case my friend didn't have a footloop and I was firmly set on a conversion to Totem lower, it was what I knew and could recall under pressure. But your comment is more efficient and a better tactic to practice and internalize. Glad you enjoyed.
@lokmtb85032 жыл бұрын
Hard to think of options when you're in the thick of it. The person Stuck on rapel could have made a foot loop in the free hanging rope below them stood up on it and unjammed their equipment. Self rescue is usually the easiest. Other things could have included zipping an ascender/ropegrab down to them on the rapel line so they could unweight themselves. That's assuming they know how to use the tool.
@mjhor3 жыл бұрын
Great Job Trouble Shooting!!!!!! Was his VT used as an auto block underneath the Sqwurel?
@vanyoneer3 жыл бұрын
He used a Critr, with VT autoblocking *above* the critr.
@thejacobean2 жыл бұрын
@@vanyoneer So your friend had the VT tied as an auto block, not in the valdotain tresse configuration? How, exactly, did it get stuck? It seems like either the auto block or VT config could have been moved with his free hand...? Great video, man.
@vanyoneer2 жыл бұрын
@thejacobean He was using the VT tied as a VT, but my guess is he got the wrap pattern wrong. It got stuck because it was wrong but really all the prussik variations tend to cinch much tighter when above the device weighted with full body weight. it's happened to me practicing, climbers never experience this because they autoblock below their device, so it doesn't see full weight.
@tonyjewel50652 жыл бұрын
@@vanyoneer Weighing the pros and cons, I've decided that I prefer an auto block below my rappel device most of the time. This story helps confirm my opinion on this. Also an auto block or VT Prusik that's above the rap device, can get pinched and stuck if you go over an overhang and the hitch goes against the rock. The two times that I can think of to use a VT Prusik above the rappel device is if you think the rope might not reach (easier to rig for ascending) or if you have to pass a knot. A VT Prusik can make this much easier.
@vanyoneer2 жыл бұрын
The VT hitch can be mastered and become second nature. But when canyoneering the best braking system is a friend at the bottom giving a fireman belay. I would suggest you try a variety of techniques to find what works for you. I personally use a Squwurel or Critr and find that you cannot “lock off” with a below autoblock. I also like the device close to my harness as it makes downclimbs easier. Practice and repetition with your chosen technique makes you an expert with muscle memory at whatever you choose.
@aaroncrowe95952 жыл бұрын
part of me feels that with new tech and popularity in canyoneering that everyone is complicating things. I've been into canyons for 20 years leading multiple youth groups down canyons. Its a different story when you have someone's kid hanging at the end of the line. I aways tie everything off with two static lines and I top belay each kid down until they are all on the ground. Then I clean it all up and go down double strand myself with a prussik. Its a lot of work but at least I know everything is backed up and redundant when the kids head down. I also keep my back up well above my device so I don't have issues with it getting in the way of my device. It simple, straight forward, and yes slightly slower then ripping down a canyon but the more time i can spend in the canyon the better. We always let faster groups run down our ropes so the canyons don't get backed up. Pine Creek has been a favorite of mine for years and i have been down it over 10 times. Good for you for having the wear Withall to get your friend out. but I still like the saying keep it simple.
@vanyoneer2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment, you might try converting a top belay to a 3:1 (if someone’s hair gets stuck).
@jordigrau832 жыл бұрын
I think I'm doing it easier with a simple pulley a tibloc or ropeman and a piece of rope or long sling, just counterweight your partner and when the locked binner has slack then you can add your preffered releasing system, then release your partner weight from your pulley. its easy and faster