Being able to perform a competent belay escape is an invaluable resource. It is difficult to be of use in a problem situation if you are trapped in a belay. The belay escapes presented here each incorporate load releasing hitches. These load releasing hitches enable resumption of the belay after it has been escaped and loaded without having to cut anything or rig a complicated haul system.
THE MARINERS HITCH
The most simple configuration involves keeping the knot at the end, wrapping twice around the anchored carabiner, multiple times back around the prusik and then pushing the knot through to hold it in place. This hitch must be kept neat. It can be difficult to pop the knot through under load, so a bight can pushed through instead and clipped with a carabiner. It is possible to start with a munter before doing the wraps. Make sure that the munter is pre-aligned to lower if you are using a regular carabiner.
Begin with two wraps around carabiner. Note: one of the carabiners is connected to the anchor, and the other to a prusik or kliemhiest on the load line. The mariners will work regardless of which carabiner is connected to the anchor. multiple neat wraps and finish by pushing the knot between the two strands. The last drawing below is an alternate finish: push a bight through and clip with a carabiner This is much easier to undo under load than the finish with the knot.
BELAY ESCAPE USING THE MARINERS LOAD RELEASING HITCH
NOTE: AN ACTIVE BELAY MUST BE RESTORED BEFORE REMOVING THE BACKUP AND RELEASING THE MARINERS
The belayer is tied into theend of the rope with a figureeight follow through. A figureeight on a bight in the rope secures him to the anchor.
The belayer first places a prusik on the load line, attaches the prusik to a mariners hitch, and attaches the mariners hitch to the anchor. The belay line can be wrapped around the leg three times to create a friction wrap and hold the belay if two hands are needed to tie the mariners. A backed up mule hitch could also be used to free the hands.
The belayer then backs up the load releasing mariners hitch with a figure eight on a bight in the belay line, clipped into the anchor.
MAINTAIN THE BELAY UNTIL THE BACKUP IS IN PLACE.
The belayer removes himself from the belay and feeds unnecessary slack through the back up figure eight on a bight.
OVERVIEW OF THE MARINER'S HITCH BELAY ESCAPE:
Step 1: The belayer puts a prusik on the load line.
Step 2: Attach the prusik to another prusik with a carabiner and attach the second prusik to the anchor with a Mariners hitch and another carabiner.
Step 3: Ease load onto the mariners hitch, but maintain hand on belay until the figure eight on a bight back up is installed.
Step 4: The belayer can leave the belay and remove the belay device if necessary.
To resume the belay:
Step 1: Reinstall belay device and hold belay.
Step 2: Remove figure eight on a bight back up.
Step 3: Remove slack from line.
Step 4: Release the Mariners Hitch so that the load comes back onto the belay.
NOTE: This belay escape can not be performed if the belayer is not attached to a solid anchor that is within reach. A belayer should always be attached to an anchor.
THE LOAD RELEASING MULE HITCH
The mule hitch is an extremely useful load releasing hitch which can be used to escape and regain a munter, figure eight descender or slot device belay while under load. It is basically an overhand knot, tied with a single line, except that a bight is passed through to finish, rather than the single line. It is the bight which can be pulled out under load.
Tying the mule hitch while holding a real load in belay requires practice. A full hand must be maintained on the active belay side of the rope throughout the process. The break hand must be prepared to catch a fall right up until the point when the back up is secured. Be especially careful when tying a load releasing hitch and a back up on an unloaded line: if the line is loaded suddenly during the process, the belay could be lost disastrously if the rope on the breaking side is not held securely. The same is true in reverse. A hand must be kept on the belay while the backup is being undone and while the mule hitch is being released.
If belaying directly off of an anchor, the mule hitch can be used to fully escape the belay. When belaying off of the harness, the mule hitch will allow the belayer to free his or her hands and return to the belay under load, but not to escape the belay: The hand would be freed from belaying, but the belayer would still be there, stuck in the harness and held tight against the anchor. To escape the belay when belaying off of the harness, a rope grabbing wrap must be placed on the load line and secured to the anchor with a backed up load releasing hitch.
As with all load releasing hitches, the mule hitch must be backed up. It makes a great deal of sense to insist that every load releasing hitch be backed up with a figure eight on a bight and clipped to the anchor. The illustrations of the mule on the munter and the mule on the slot device both include back ups with an additional overhand knot, tied around the rope with the bight protruding from the mule hitch. The overhand by itself is secure, fast, and can minimize slippage, but it may fail if the mule hitch or is tied improperly. The mule hitch with the figure eight on a bight back up alone is perfectly secure and relatively fool proof. The advantage of using both is the combination of reduced slippage and a fool proof set up. Illustration below shows the correct mule hitch on the left and incorrect versions in the middle and right. EXPERIMENT FOR YOURSELF WITH A NON-HUMAN LOAD!!!
THE LOAD RELEASING MULE HITCH FOR THE MUNTER BELAY.
This is one of the best uses of the load releasing mule hitch. It can be performed with a doubled cordellete as a part of a belay escape. In this illustration, the mule hitch is backed up with both an overhand around the load line and a figure eight on a bight clipped into the anchor. Be sure to push enough rope through the mule hitch, into the bight, to make the back up.
THE LOAD RELEASING MULE HITCH FOR A FIGURE EIGHT DESCENDER
Begin this hitch by crossing the belay side of the rope under the load side. This creates a light duty load releasing hitch in itself. Proceed to tie the mule hitch back around the neck of the descender. It is tied in the same way as the mule hitch off of the munter and requires the same precautions. This also works with double lines running through the eight.
THE LOAD RELEASING MULE HITCH FOR A SLOT DEVICE
Begin by bending the rope back in the breaking position and passing a bight through the carabiner. Then bring the bight back up and tie the mule hitch around the load line. Remember that the mule hitch is tied with a single line and finished with a bight. This must be practiced with a realistic load on the rope. When releasing this hitch keep a hand wrapped around the device and the belay rope that is bent back beside to control the belay
THE LARSON LOAD RELEASING HITCH
This load releasing hitch was developed by Arnor Larson for use with large rescue loads. It can sustain a small shock load with the rescue load and still release. IIt is tied with a long piece of heavy cord (22-30 feet of low stretch 8mm accessory cord). This load releasing hitch can also be tied with a thick cordellete or even a piece of webbing, but only if it is going to be used to hold static single person loads.
The cord is tied into a loop with a double eight bend. One end of the loop is clipped into a carabiner and the other end is made into a munter and placed in a carabiner. In the illustration, a parabiner is used for the munter. If a regular carabiner is used, be sure to preset the munter for lowering. The cord is then wrapped three times around the first part of the cord. A bight of the doubled cord is passed between the two strands of the first part of the cord. This bight (four strands thick) is tied around both the strands of the first part of the cord in a simple overhand to secure the hitch.
To release this hitch under load, untie the overhand, hold the wraps while pulling the bight through and lower the load on the munter. Remember that you only have a few feet to lower with this set up. It is not a belay. It will be attached to a load line with a couple of prusiks. It can be used to ease a load onto a belay, but it must always be backed up with a real belay or by tying off the load line with a slightly slack figure eight on a bight.