Crevasse Rescue: Micro Traxion Lower Technique

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When I think about learning, I tend to bias towards the position that principles which help us think through process steps help us solve novel problems (problems we haven’t seen before) in a way memorized step-by-step procedures. Step-by-step procedures have their place. When someone is learning a completely new thing, having a particular scenario in mind to allow for that step-by-step set of tasks helps give a richer experience that then allows for a more nuanced conversation about trade offs later. Without mastering that first process, none of the other processes make sense as alternatives. Something has to start the conversation.

But if we stop at the step-by-step, I don’t think we ever get to the point of evaluating that processes weaknesses when applied to a less than ideal situation. To compare alternatives, we have to know alternatives. If we only have one process in our toolbox, what is the point in evaluating it’s safety and applicability to a particular circumstance because we couldn’t do anything with that evaluation, anyway. We have no other option to which we can turn.

This video was born from that perspective. I can find instructions on how to add in a assisted breaking belay device into a system to remove a progress capture device (this video shows that procedure), but I haven’t been able to find anything on what happens if the weight difference between the belayer and the load gets too great. That’s a contingency that I am particularly sensitive to because a) I’m not a large man, and b) I climb so much with my kids and routinely have faced circumstances that are easy to navigate without a large weight difference but which are complicated when there is a large weight difference.

So, that takes us to procedural principles. Don’t undo a system without building a new one, first. Don’t have a life on a system with only one failure point (other than the rope and harness). Maintain control of the break strand (sometimes by adding a knot, sometimes by holding), etc.

These types of principles allow us to think through contingencies. We may not always come up with the most efficient solution as that takes working through a scenario multiple times and trying out different sequences. However, we typically will be able to come up with a working and relatively safe system (assuming we apply our principles well).

So, take a look at the video. Maybe learn a new set of procedures. Whether the procedures speak to you as something you might like to adopt in the right circumstance or not, see if you kind find the principles of safety at play in the processes as presented.