Self Rescue

Who is only climbing when they have another competent climber with them or do you mostly rely on self rescue.

In my limited experience to have a capable rescue climber with you is rare and one with dedicated rescue kit( like the comp. climbers have ) is even rarer.

If this is my situation only ...." tough" but if as i suspect i am not alone in this what are you doing as integral to an overall risk reduction stratergy?

Very good thread Rob.

Will be interesting to see the poll outcome, pity you couldn't of put nationality into the question.

I've been involved within the LA Treework for 15 years, so have Always had competant climber/s as back up.

We're developing more efficient systems currently, nothing ground breaking, moved on from just having a throw line left in the tree, to having a second rope installed in 90% of Trees, rigged with harness and hitch/lock jack etc.

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always worked alone or just with a groundie, not saying this is the correct way but its what i have always had to do.

UNfortunately a lot of the time I have just a groundie....It dependes on how much climbing there is on a job. If its all or most of a day i get a 'rescue' qualified helper for the day, if not then i dont pay the extra money. Before i had learnt to climb i quite often got 2 guys so i would be meeting requirements of having someone capable of performing a rescue, having been told not to climb by my physio. Then i ignored her advice and thought that if i was qualified then i could save myself the cost of one climber who was on the ground waiting to do a rescue that was never needed. It never panned out like that.....i just started climbing myself and enjoyed it so much that i rarely have another qualified climber now. Naughty i know, but like i said in another post in my fairly limited experience i have only met one guy that has done a rescue 'in anger'. Thats my excuse anyway.

I get in a subie rescue climber in for my LA work, its part of their HSE policy.

To be perfectly honest if I thought for one moment I would need rescuing I would not climb.

IMO, using a rope long enough to get down in one, keeping your rope clear,etc, is far more important. If things go wrong you best hope is self rescue.

I have read on here of several fatality's and serious accidents, but I don't recall reading of any successful rescues.

I very often have a competent climber as a groundie so I'm lucky in that respect, but like Stevie, sometimes I have to just go with a groundie and rely on self-rescue.

As far as risk assessment goes and controlling risk, the best thing I can think of is to make sure the groundsman knows if anything happens he'll need to get hold of the fire rescue service and the ambulance very quickly - if in doubt, 999. Grid reference and/or address always on risk assessment as well as the grid reference of any accesspoints. On some of our paperwork we have even identified suitable helicopter landing sites as an extra precaution.

If you have a throw line or even another climbing line set up in the tree ready to go.... do you get any problems with branches falling on it, tangling etc??

I only get another climber in if the job is big and there is a requirement in the risk assessment. If it is in a public place, roadside etc etc. So 90% of the time I don't.

BTW I think one handed self rescue should be a CS unit or at the very least regularly practiced

I see it that if you need to be rescued then there is a good chance you will have suffocated or bleed to death before they get to you, self rescue is what we need to think about and practice.

I have no probs working with just a groundie who cant climb but wouldnt be climbing on my own, well not for long anyway

I very rarely climb with a second climber at the moment. I am however in the process of getting one of my groundies to do an areal rescue ticket.

Other than that, always keeping ropes clear etc is the only way. It makes you think a bit more!