I wasn’t going to post this in public since it was a really stupid and embarrassing mistake (so no need to chastise me as I agree that I did something really stupid), but here’s a mistake I made back in August in Cascade Creek in Ouray. Of all the rappels I have done, this is the only one I lost control on. I have a fair amount of experience in technical canyons, but not as much experience in canyons with flowing water.
The accident was on the Charmin Tube rappel, which is a “stretchy 200 feet” and near the end of the canyon.
The rappel was super slick (more so than other canyons in the area) and we did it single-line; I was unfamiliar with the rope, so I rigged an extra biner on my leg loop for extra friction (something I have done many times before). It turned out to be too much friction and I had to force the rope through the biner, which was slow, but didn’t seem to be too much of a problem at the time. Unfortunately forcing the rope through the biner actually unscrewed it without me noticing (I didn’t notice it because I had a waterfall crashing down on my head and was paying attention to that) until it popped open. I wasn’t ready for the sudden loss of friction and fell fast due to being on a single line with wet gloves. It was the first time I ever lost control during a rappel. At least it happened near the top than near the bottom or I could have hit the ground.
On most of the other rappels in the canyon, either Kessler (my 12 year old son) or I went first. This time I didn’t (luckily) and had a belayer. Unfortunately she wasn’t paying attention until I yelled and someone else did too. I didn’t yell immediately because I just assumed I would be caught. The rappel is just over 200 feet and someone else estimated I fell half the length. I was able to gain control about the same time the belay kicked in, but I hit the wall hard and somehow got burned (face and neck) by the rope on the way down.
I didn’t even realize I was that hurt until the finally 300 foot rappel, which is at the end. On that one I almost passed out from the pain of rappelling with a bad shoulder and a messed up elbow (unfortunately on different arms, so switching didn’t do good). I was really dizzy and faint part way down and I took a rest on a ledge partway down. By the time I was at the end I just lay down in the rocks.
I’m glad I didn’t get killed or really seriously injured since my kid was with me and watched it all happen.
The next day I thought I was better, but my elbow was huge, so we did something really easy. Probably should have gone home though.
I wasn’t going to post this publicly, but I guess it can be a lesson about stupid mistakes and never letting your guard down. Also, too much friction can also be dangerous and it is always important to set the proper amount of friction (and to set it up correctly) on a rappel.
ratagonia
Scott: “I was unfamiliar with the rope, so I rigged an extra biner on my (right) leg loop for extra friction (something I have done many times before). It turned out to be too much friction and I had to force the rope through the biner, which was slow, but didn’t seem to be too much of a problem at the time.”
Righthanded, putting a carabiner on the right leg loop and running the rope through that, then up to the right hand is a common technique people use. It just does not work so well. Partly because it often provide too MUCH friction, and partly because it means holding twice the weight of the rope up in an awkward position; and partly because the rope runs sharply over your hand.
Better is to go to a carabiner on your LEFT leg loop and then right across your lap and over your right leg to the brake hand. Friction can be varied (a LOT) by twisting one’s hips in or out. Friction can be fine-tuned very precisely. CAN be converted to a Z-rig easily.
It CAN be a problem to get the rope clipped into the carabiner, under combat conditions. In addition to clipping the carabiner while still well in control, the trick is to move the carabiner to the rope (by rotating the hips) rather than trying to clip the rope into the carabiner.
It takes some practice to use this technique smoothly, but once learned, it is quite a powerful and useful technique.
Tom
Scott Patterson
Never mind. I looked at the diagram wrong. I meant that I probably put my hand in the up position (rather than brake position) after the biner popped, which caused loss of control.
Scott Patterson
I believe the right. I actually rappel with either hand though and can go right or left.
ratagonia
There’s a better way to do that. Also, did you have one or two biners under the Bug?
Perhaps you have seen this tech tip: http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/techtips/black-diamond-atc-rappelling/
(I am looking to establish your level of proficiency with the device you chose to use).
Tom
darhawk
Tom, could you elaborate on this “there’s a better way to do that”? Do you mean: don’t use a leg loop at all to add friction (do it in a different way)? Or use a leg loop in a better way?
Scott Patterson
On single line thin rope, I usually use two biners. Double line, it depends (and which friction setting is used). Two biners with a leg loop was too much.
As far as the device I used (Trango Pyramid), I had only used it a few times before this, but I have been using ATC’s for a long time. Since I bought it in Moab that January, checking my 2014 trip log, this would be the 4th trip I used it on and had six canyon days and three rock climbing days experience with it. I like the device, especially for belaying.
Mountaineer
Subtle difference, and easy to do.
ratagonia
Scott – did you put the leg loop biner on your left leg or right leg (assuming you are right-handed)?
Tom
Ram
Thanks for sharing this. Thanks for others not going into a feeding frenzy of judgment. What you said about getting hammered by the flowing water being distracting? Oh that resonates with me. I have distinct memory of often having to focus very hard on NOT letting the water matter or distract. Those who would make efforts to get out of the fall line, to avoid getting hammered by water,are p;laying with danger, in this rope eating venue. Inattentive bottom belayers. A common thing. It matters. Stay alert….and out of the rock fall zone.
Finally something about this canyon, Cascade Creek specifically. I have done all the other published canyons in the areas at least twice. I have not done this one yet. I was never there with what felt like the right group of talent to feel comfortable. This canyon has had more epics than the rest of them combined, or so it seems to me as a casual and distant observer. When it rains, the place rains rocks and if you are there then, OH MY!……Core shot ropes and more core shot ropes. Bouncing? Avoiding water off fall line? Then not enough intact rope left so….Bivys? A couple. Heck, I am home hundreds of miles away and I get a series of cell phone calls from inside the canyon in fading light. A couple of folks stuck on rap unable to get down on their own. Those come right to mind. Other incidents? probably I suppose the big raps are a big draw but it is not a casual or beginner canyon. I will continue to have patience for the timing to be right, to see the place
Scott Patterson
The two main difficulties are the slippery rock (slipperier than any canyon I’ve done in the region) and abrasive rock that you have to be careful with the ropes on. With the slick rock. I think we all ended up on our butt at least a few times.
That said, I don’t think the canyon was any harder than we expected and we went through quite fast and efficiently (much faster than recommended in the guidebook). We made it out with plenty of time to spare and had plenty of time to make it to the social gathering/dinner. Although we hadn’t met each other before, the team worked well together. There was one person who was perhaps a bit slower and maybe a little less skilled in downclimbing than the other four, but even then the skill set seems ideal. I think our gear was ideal (we even brought extra ropes that we didn’t use) other than I wish I had brought better gloves and footwear (it was adequate, but sticky rubber would have been better).
I don’t think the difficulty of the canyon was a contributor to the mistakes made and I’d still do the canyon again and recommend it to others. I would do some things differently though.
Before the incident, Kessler and I were having a blast and usually went down the rappels first since we were often ahead. Sometimes the others were ahead too and we leap-frogged and traded setting up rappels.
In retrospect, I think there is sometimes an unintentional and subconscious tendency to be a bit less careful when you have a belayer below then when you do not. I think I’ve always been extra careful whenever I am first down. Even though setting up too much friction was a mistake in the first place, until the biner popped, I only viewed it as a minor annoyance. Actually even after the biner popped, at first I remember thinking something like “oh well” since I expected to be caught right away. The perception of the danger didn’t come until after.
Even though there was a few seconds of inattention by the belayer, there are no hard feelings since she did catch me and although I was starting to gain control, I was caught and it could have been worse.
I think my final mistake was that I should have asked to be lowered off the last (300′) drop. The lowering location wasn’t very convenient though (the start of the rappel is pretty exposed). Even then I still set up perhaps a bit too much friction on the last drop since I was worried about my elbow and shoulder (which was sore, but I didn’t know it was messed up until after the rappel started). I didn’t even think about asking to be lowered until after the fact, and I don’t like having to rely on others to help (not to mentioned I was embarrassed about the situation; though this shouldn’t be a factor), but looking back, it may have been a good idea.
Anyway, looking back we did a lot of dumb things in the late 80’s through the mid to late 90’s in canyons. We never had an accident, but we got off lucky. In more recent years I’ve considered myself to be much more careful and cautious, but it’s then that the incident happened. You never can let your guard down no matter how long you have been doing something. It only takes a few seconds (or less) for something to go wrong and the consequences of mistakes can be serious.
townsend
I too thank you for sharing this incidence. Glad you made it. I never thought about this happening in that fashion, so I think it is good for all of us to hear about this happening. I can understand the concern about inadequate friction in a wet canyon.
What about just using an autolock biner on the leg loop — specifically, I am referring to the Rock Exotica ORCA pirate biner.
ratagonia
Thank you Scott for bringing this incident forward.
Glad you are OK.
Tom
hank moon
X2.
And please do check out one of the 21st century devices – they are pretty good.
PM sent.
Deagol
another nice thing about the CRITR is that it, IMO, it simplifies rappelling since it is so easy to add friction on the device itself- there is no need to use a leg loop biner. I tried a leg loop biner once a long time ago and really don’t like that set-up.
Mountaineer
Having too much friction, feeding the rope, and thus “bouncing down” can be just as bad as not having enough friction. You tend to naturally want to ‘err’ on the side of what you think is caution, which is having too much is always better, right?
One time I made this mistake and error-ed with too much from the beginning. I couldn’t reset. (Tip: be able to add friction dynamically later. Having too much to begin with where you can’t go back is dumb). I had to pull up and force the rope through, bouncing down over a sharp edge. Not good for the rock, the rope, potential to compromise the anchor, my arm…scary feeling. It certainly was not safe.
I have learned to always lock your biner away from the rappel line/side, or facing your body, to minimize this from happening. I’ve never experienced the rope or other objects opening the gate, however this is another great safety tip to remember. I’m sure some biners are better at preventing this than others.
Thanks for sharing!
Kuenn
A few years back, one of my friends was doing a deep pit in the Sierra Madre region of Mexico. The pit being about 330m. He didn’t get his friction right to start and ended up hefting rope for the first 80m of the rappel. (Setting friction can be an added challenge with long ropes and rope weight.) Anyway, he was both exhausted and nauseated; had to retreat and leave it for another day.
skunkteeth
Glad you are ok, sounds scary! What descender were you using? Rope diameter?
Also, if I am using a leg loop biner I have practiced with leaving the rope going thru the biner from the start. I keep the rope in the down position until I need the extra friction and I pull up on the rope to start using the leg loop biner. Does this make sense to anyone else?
This is a good warning though, I will pay attention when placing friction adding biners either leg or for a Z rig. I will remember to check which way the passing rope will act on the screw gate. Sounds like you had the gate facing away from you? I generally have the gate facing my body to avoid any unscrewing from the environment but it sounds like it would protect against this also.
Scott Patterson
It wasn’t my rope (we used mine on the shorter ones and the long one on the two biggest raps), but I it was a 8mm to 9mm rope I believe. I was using a Trango Pyramid.
To be honest before then I had never worried too much about the leg loop biner itself coming unscrewed by the environment or otherwise; it was unexpected and I have viewed it as the less critical one. I had always been more worried about the one on your harness as being the critical one and the one to be careful of unscrewing. So, yes, obviously a mistake (actually part of a chain of several).
Kevin
Glad you are okay. Thanks for sharing, class C canyons are a different animal. Wonder if the positioning of your biner caused it to unscrew? Was the screw facing outward, or towards your leg?