What to do when stuck on the rope for a long time
Posted: Jan 10, 2023 9:36 pmAfter reading Risks and Management of Prolonged Suspension in an Alpine Harness I started thinking about ways to mitigate the deadly effects of hanging in a harness for long time. If we find ourselves in this situation we should be empowered to help ourselves survive so that a rescue does not turn into a body recovery.
So couldn't one just use the fact that cave harnesses have low attachment points and occasionally pivot the body backwards from time to time? Maybe not a complete inversion, but at least your your body can become horizontal. Or pull up a bit of the rope below and tie it above you so that a loop hangs down at waist level such that you can place your legs on it in horizontal position. Of course this all depends on the situation and the particular hazards present.
So couldn't one just use the fact that cave harnesses have low attachment points and occasionally pivot the body backwards from time to time? Maybe not a complete inversion, but at least your your body can become horizontal. Or pull up a bit of the rope below and tie it above you so that a loop hangs down at waist level such that you can place your legs on it in horizontal position. Of course this all depends on the situation and the particular hazards present.