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Bare Bones Ascending with Paracord

Description

Scenario: you rappel down into a pool of water and lose your only rappel device. Then when pulling your rope, you realize that you forgot to untie the stopper knot in the end of your rope. You can't continue down canyon and are forced to ascend the rope to untie the knot. You have a paracord autoblock, a survival bracelet with 9 feet of paracord, and the knife around your neck. What do you do?

1. With a 2-foot length of paracord, tie a Distel Hitch around the rope and attach it to the locking carabiner that is clipped to your harness.
2. If you have two more carabiners, use one of them to tie a Bachmann Hitch around the rope at around head height; otherwise tie a Klemheist.
3. Clip a carabiner, preferably locking, into the Bachmann or Klemheist.
4. From here, you need to tie a safety line from the Bachman or Klemheist carabiner to the carabiner on your harness. You can do this with more paracord, accessory cord, webbing, or the end of your rappelling rope.
   1. If you're using the end of your rappelling rope, do the following. Tie a Figure 8 on a Bight at the end of the climbing rope and attach it to the carabiner that is clipped to your harness. The Figure 8 should be attached below the Distel Hitch that is already there. Tie another Figure 8 on a Bight about 4' up the rope and attach it to the carabiner on the Bachmann or Klemheist. There should be enough slack so that you can slide the Bachman or Klemheist as far up the rope as you can reach without being shorted by the safety line.
5. Now you need to create a foot loop. As with the safety line, you can use paracord, accessory cord, webbing or your rappelling rope to make the foot loop.
6. Once you've tied a foot loop (using a Bowline for round rope or an Overhand on a Bight for webbing), attach the foot loop to the Bachmann or Klemheist carabiner.
7. When you stand in the foot loop, the Distel Hitch at your waist should almost be able to slide up to the Bachmann or Klemheist. If they touch, your foot loop is too short; if they don't come close, your foot loop is too long.

How to ascend:

1. Start by sliding the friction hitch at your waist as far up the rope as you can go. Jumping often helps get the slack out of the rope.
2. Sit down.
3. Lift your feet up and slide the friction knot at your hands as far as it can go.
4. Stand up in the foot loops.
5. Slide the friction knot at your waist as far up the rope at it can go.
6. Sit down.
7. Repeat.

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Bare Bones Ascending with Accessory Cord