Small Party Self-Rescue

Thinking I wasn’t getting nearly enough learning opportunity in law school, I signed up for a small party self-rescue class through The Mountaineers. I hadn’t practiced rescue techniques for upwards of six years, so this would be a good refresher as well as an opportunity to learn something besides the law.

Our mission today was to practice load transfers (from climbing rope, to wall, to rappel rope) and try our hands at a “counter balance rappel.”

The day started with instructions like: “See this? Use this aid gear to get to the top of the wall and and recreate it up there.”

Aid gear? Wha?!

The intro to aid class isn’t a prereq for this class, but apparently it would have been helpful. I balked a little as I worked through the challenge of managing new gear, but by the third bolt I was working my way up the wall like a champ. I was even confident enough to snap a picture of fellow climbers on the way up.

At the top I did a quick anchor-build-rope-switch-a-roo and I was ready to do my first single strand rappel down the wall. Whew!

The next task was to attach mechanical ascenders to the rope, “jug” back up to the top, set up a normal rappel, clean the gear and descend again. Once I had the ascenders figured out it was just a matter of muscling my way up.

My partner, Jonathan, followed after me in good style and we finished well before lunch.

I spent most of the afternoon hanging on the wall with Jonathan - first as a leader who has to rescue her follower, then as a follower in need.

We finished with varying degrees of success, and everyone seemed to have a really good time.

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