Self rescue (climbing)

See also: Mountain rescue
Skills used in self-rescue by climbers
Ascending back up a fixed rope with prusik knots[1]
Forced abseils into usual places off the route[2]

Self-rescue (or self-extraction) is a group of techniques in climbing and mountaineering where the climber(s) – sometimes having just been severely injured – use their equipment to retreat from dangerous or difficult situations on a given climbing route without calling on third party search and rescue (SAR) or mountain rescue services for help.[3]

The reasons for a retreat can include an injured or fatigued climber(s) who can no longer continue the climb, the climber(s) having lost their way on the climbing route, a sudden severe storm/bad weather, lost/damaged climbing equipment—or food/water provisions— due to an avalanche or a dropped haul bag, or the route grade is too difficult.[4][5][6]

Self-rescue techniques can materially speed up the time taken to get injured climber(s) to safety thus saving lives, and it will also save the climber(s) from being charged for SAR services (e.g. full helicopter rescue is expensive),[7] and avoids putting the SAR team members into harm's way and diverting SAR resources from being able to support other emergencies.[8] In remote locations, there may be no readily available SAR services (e.g. Himalayan climbing on remote peaks), and self-rescue is the only option for the climber(s) to be rescued within a reasonable period that will make treatment viable.[3][6]

Not all climbers are familiar with—or skilled in—self-rescue techniques,[1][2] which can involve carrying out unfamiliar actions with improvised climbing knots in lieu of the correct equipment (e.g. having to safely transfer the loaded tension from a climbing rope to another anchor point,[1] having to complete extended or weight-laden abseils without the correct abseiling device,[2] having to ascend back up a fixed rope without an ascender device,[1] or having to extract a fallen climber from a crevasse without a pulley system),[1] and under difficult circumstances (e.g. with broken limb(s), or in a storm).[9] Self-rescue can be particularly complicated on multi-pitch or big wall climbing routes,[1] and on alpine climbing routes, where the climber(s) are almost continuously hanging from ropes on exposed vertical rock/mountain faces, and very often—particularly for alpine climbing—in bad weather.[10]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Black, Christian (12 December 2022). "Don't Get Stuck! 3 Essential Multi-pitch Self-Rescue Skills". Climbing. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Nicholson, Ian (15 April 2024). "This Is Why Climbers Need to Know Advanced Rappelling Tactics". Climbing. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b Tyson, Andy; Loomis, Molly (June 2011). "Introduction: Why self-rescue?". Climbing Self Rescue: Improvising Solutions for Serious Situations. The Mountaineers. pp. 11–14. ISBN 978-0898867725.
  4. ^ Nicholson, Ian (2024). "Chapter 11: When you need help". Climbing Self-Rescue: Essential Skills, Technical Tips & Improvised Solutions. The Mountaineers. ISBN 978-1680516203.
  5. ^ Fasulo, David (June 2011). "Chapter 16: Analysis of Select Rescues and Accidents". Self-Rescue: How to Rock Climb Series. Falcon Guides. p. 212-233. ISBN 978-0-934641-97-5.
  6. ^ a b American Alpine Club (2012). Accidents in North American Mountaineering. Golden, CO USA. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-933056-77-7. ISSN 0065-082X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ Clarke, Owen (1 April 2022). "Personal Self-Rescue Drone to Debut in Late 2022". Climbing. Retrieved 14 May 2024. The average cost of a rescue helicopter starts at $1,600 per hour, and that's on the low end. All told, most rescue operations end up with bills far higher than that—usually in the $50,000 range and beyond
  8. ^ Levy, Michael (27 February 2023). "Was I Wrong To Call For a Rescue?". Climbing. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  9. ^ Davis, Shannon (26 November 2012). "Save Yourself! A Guide to Self-Rescue". Climbing. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  10. ^ Ellison, Julie (23 May 2023). "Climbing Multipitch Routes? Better Master the Art of Self-Rescue". Climbing. Retrieved 15 September 2023.