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Rescued in Blue Mountains May 31, the analysis 29-Jun-2015 At 9:23:35 AM kieranl

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On 29/06/2015 Drake wrote:
>Here are a few accident reports where climbers lost control of their abseil
>and came to grief. I think an autoblock brake or equivalent would have
>been helpful in these cases.
>
>http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13199401500/Rappel-ErrorNo-BackupBelay-Inexperience-Weather-British-Columbia-Park-Range-Watchtower-Peak
>
>http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13199901101/Fall-on-Rappel-British-Columbia-Rocky-Mountains-Mount-Stanley
>
>http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13199601101/Fall-on-RappelNo-Belay-Inexperience-Nova-Scotia-Eagles-Nest
>
>http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13198603802/Fall-on-Rock-Inadequate-Belay-and-Communications-Colorado-Rocky-Mountain-National-Park

1. First problem was inexperience. Second was that the leader apparently let go of the ropes after the swing to the ledge. An autoblock may well have helped and knots in the rope-ends would have stopped her sliding off the rope-end. All well and good but then she'd have been hanging on the rope, in the rain, tired and unable to help herself while the leader is stranded ropeless at the last anchor. The more experienced person should not have lost contact with the rope.

2. Lost control of rappel on a low-angled slab? They don't need an autoblock they need remedial abseil lessons.

3. Inexperienced climber. A belay would have been more appropriate. If she had been using an autoblock for the first time a belay would still have been appropriate. Gloves wouldn't have hurt ether.

4. The belayer dropped him out of surprise. You're not going to use an autoblock if you want to give your belayers some catching practise. The autoblock is likely to catch you first.

I don't mean to rubbish autoblocks but they're not a cure for all ills. They're a safety tool for experienced people. The known common denominator for at least 3 of the 4 incidents, and arguably of the other, was inexperience. Failure of the more experienced people to allow for this inexperience was the major factor in those incidents.