Page 88 - Nate Fitch, Ron Funderburke "Climbing Knots"

Guide’s Insight

When I first learned to COPE with an autoblock
for rappelling and lowering backups, I tried to
quantify my admiration for the hitch. Here’s what
I came up with: It takes me three seconds longer
to tie a Prusik than an autoblock on average. It
takes me one second longer to untie and stow it
on average. When lowering or backing up a rap-
pel, the Prusik results in two seconds of “hassles”
for every one in ten lowers or rappels, because
it grabs too tightly and has to be wrestled free
from constriction.
Every year, I spend about 210 days on the
rock, either working or recreating. An average
outing consists of 600 feet of climbing, adding
up short climbs and averaging them with long
climbs, short days with long days. Let’s call it six
rappels and three lowers per outing, because
the lowers are less frequent.
9 x 210 = 1,890 uses of friction hitch backup
for rappels and lowers
(1,890 Prusik ties x 3 seconds) + (1,890
Prusik unties x 1 second) = 7,560 seconds
Even if I managed to have zero hassles all
year with the Prusik, it would still cost me two
hours and six minutes every year. That could be
an exotic meal with my wife one night, and beer
with my friends the next night.
Thanks to the autoblock, I get to have an
exotic meal with my wife and beer with my
friends once a year. I earned it! —RF

Using the Rope to Manage Risk 75