Climbing Self-Rescue
By Ian Nicholson,
The Mountaineers Press, 2024
When asked what we would do if the leader fell and injured themselves several pitches up, few of us would have a clear idea of what to do. Our likely answers would be, “It’s not going to happen”, or “We’d figure it out then and there.” While leader falls with consequences might be rare, they do happen. If you’re fortunate enough to spend season after season in the mountains, the odds will catch up to you. And what about sudden changes in weather conditions, a pitch that appears to block progress, a dropped belay device, or a struggling second? These are almost common occurrences once you leave the world of single-pitch sport climbing. Studies conducted by various militaries conclude that, overwhelmingly,…
