Highline Systems for Climbing Rescue

Written By: Lance Piatt

Highline Systems for Rescue Operations: A Comprehensive Guide

As climbing continues to grow in popularity, emergency response teams must be prepared to operate in challenging environments. Highline systems, essential for technical rescue operations, require meticulous planning, robust equipment, and well-trained teams to ensure safety and efficiency. This guide provides an expanded and refined approach to setting up and deploying highline systems, focusing on the critical elements required for success.

Anchor Systems for Highlines

Removable Bolt Anchors

Material and Design: Utilize 1/2″ to 3/4″ removable bolts crafted from high-strength, corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel to ensure reliability and longevity.
Placement: Pre-drill holes in solid rock sections, avoiding cracks or weak points to maximize anchor strength. Cover unused holes with dirt to maintain the aesthetics of the natural environment.
Inspection: Regularly inspect anchors for signs of wear or environmental degradation. Replace or repair as needed.

Natural Anchors

Assessment: Use large, healthy trees or immovable boulders as natural anchors. Ensure they are robust enough to handle expected loads.
Tree Protection: Utilize tree protection devices like webbing or padding to prevent damage and promote the sustainability of climbing areas.
Backup Systems: Combine natural anchors with removable bolts or other redundancies to enhance overall stability.

Pre-Planning and System Design

Rope System Layout

Tension and Track Lines: Carefully pre-plan the tensioning and placement of track lines to ensure smooth operations. A quad bundle highline system provides increased stability and load capacity.
Pulleys: Use high-efficiency pulleys like the Petzl REEVE Carriage Pulley to reduce friction and improve system performance.

Anchor Point Elevation

High Placement: Position anchor points as high as possible to allow for a planned sag and minimize dynamic forces on the system.
Catenary Angle: Maintain a catenary angle below 120 degrees to reduce load stress on anchor points and equipment.

Tensioning Techniques

Mechanical Advantage Systems (MAS): Employ a 5:1 MAS for initial tensioning, ensuring even distribution of forces.
Prusiks and Dynamometers: Use tandem triple-wrapped prusiks for locking the main line and a dynamometer to maintain optimal tension (approximately 1,000 pounds for a 9,000-pound rated rope).

Team Composition and Training

Personnel Requirements

Assign roles such as riggers, communication officers, medical personnel, and edge attendants to ensure specialized focus on different aspects of the operation.
Ensure all team members are certified in technical rescue operations and familiar with highline systems.

Training Programs

Joint Training: Conduct regular joint exercises with local climbing organizations, park services, and other agencies.
Scenario-Based Drills: Simulate complex rescue scenarios to prepare for real-world emergencies.
System Familiarity: Practice various highline configurations and ensure every team member is proficient in setup, operation, and troubleshooting.

Equipment Considerations

Essential Gear

Ropes: Use reliable options like CMC Static Rope or Petzl Parallel 10.5 mm Rope for main lines.
Anchor Plates: Employ devices like CMC Anchor Plates or Petzl COEUR Stainless Steel Hangers for secure connections.
Carriage Systems: Use specialized systems compatible with quad bundle highlines for smooth operations.

Safety Equipment

Equip all personnel with harnesses, helmets, and gloves designed for technical rescue.
Implement backup systems such as secondary safety lines and fail-safe mechanisms to prevent accidents.

Communication Strategies

Clear Protocols

Establish predefined communication protocols for each phase of the operation to ensure clarity and efficiency.
Use standardized emergency hand signals as a backup for verbal or radio communication.

Multi-Channel Approach

Employ a multi-channel communication strategy using radios, mobile devices, and visual signals to enhance situational awareness.
Consider using integrated systems to centralize communications and improve response times.

Operational Considerations

Risk Assessment

Conduct thorough checks of all equipment, anchors, and rigging before initiating operations.
Continuously monitor weather conditions and adjust plans to maintain safety.

Coordination with Local Authorities

Partner with local climbing organizations and park services to integrate rescue plans with broader emergency response systems.
Develop coordinated strategies that include input from local experts familiar with the terrain and conditions.

Conclusion

By adopting these comprehensive strategies, emergency responders can significantly improve their capability to execute highline rescues in popular climbing areas. Regular training, clear communication, and meticulous planning are key to ensuring the safety of both rescue teams and those they are tasked to save.

Next Steps: Stay tuned for upcoming articles addressing:

Peace on your Days

Lance

About The Author:

Lance Piatt

Beginning his career in the rescue and rigging world as a “blue collar” SAR member with Deschutes and Jefferson County teams. Lance Piatt owns and operates Red Ibex Solutions, a sales and marketing wheelhouse blending rope rigging education and exquisite imagery with equipment knowledge and understanding; housing Rigging Lab Academy and Rescue Response Gear… Lance is producing high-end video education, working with several experts and instructors to produce unique series of “how to videos” and courses for rope rigging: Such as; the first ever full-length rescue training DVD, 'Tower Rescue', released in fall of 2005. As well as a series of scenario-based rescues ranging from cave rescue to cliff rescue.