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Mini rescue question 9-Oct-2018 At 3:13:07 AM IdratherbeclimbingM9

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On 9-Oct-2018 Mr Poopypants wrote:
>On 8-Oct-2018 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>>
>
>>WW&S you surprise me with that question as I thought you knew climbing
>>history pretty well.
>>
>>To answer let me first say that a rope around the waist can and does
>work,
>>certainly better than no rope, but it has its issues.
>>Most early serious climbing was done this way and even our relatively
>>recent by comparison early Australian climbing history is included. A
>great
>>example being the classic photos of Dr Dark and his cohorts climbing
>at
>>Boar’s Head and in the Warrumbungles.
>>
>>
>>Duang Daunk is right - consider yourself “schooled”! Heh, heh, heh.
>
>Sorry M9,
>
>if they were belaying like Dr. Dark on the Boar's Head or the Bungles
>I'd be really worried. Dr. Dark, Eleanor et.al. used to all tie in to the
>same rope and then climb at the same time. No belay. Best they seemed to
>have done was hold the rope in their hands or wrap it loosely around their
>back while standing up, no anchor. Amazing they lived into their 90s, eh?
>Ahhh, the good ol' dayz... :-)
>G.

Ahh. good to read your response Mr P.
You do know that waist belays work don't you, so maybe not so amazing?

Far from being a loose affair, they actually practiced their belay technique by belaying falling logs thrown off cliffs as simulation exercises, so those attempting the serious climbs of the day were not unprepared for belaying falls. In fact one of Dr Darks lasting legacies to the Australian climbing scene was actually introducing belaying to the game we play, and Sydney Rockies perpetuated this practice (falling log belaying), for many years afterwards as part of that legacy.

Although this thread is about a rescue scenario, I'll continue the hijack.
You mention that they often simul-climbed, and yes that is my understanding too; however they did so on ground they felt comfortable on and looped their climbing rope over/behind natural protection trees/spikes etc, such that the 'anchor-weight' - lower climber became a moving belay of sorts anyway, ... if the leader fell.
I'm not sure I'd want to trust a manila rope to that extent myself, but hey I wasn't there (though I've repeated some of their climbs), so I'll reserve that judgement!
Mind you the adage / mantra of those days was that ‘the leader must not fall’!

... & yes, those were the (inspirational to me) days*.
;-)

(_{* Where is kuu when I need backup? Heh, heh, heh.})