On December 7, a party of two (ages 25 and 26) climbed the North Chimney (4 pitches, 5.9) on Castleton Tower. Person 1 had three years of climbing experience but was a novice trad leader. Person 2 was a novice. The team brought two 70-meter ropes to descend the standard North Face rappel route. Around 4:30 p.m., the team found the rappel anchors. Concerned about the unusual size of the rappel rings, they tied the two ropes together with a large flat figure-8, backed up with an overhand bend with three-foot-long tails. The unusually large knot was intended to prevent the rope from pulling through the rappel rings.

Each climber did a double-rope rappel using an ATC-style device. Unfortunately, the large knot at the anchor became trapped when it squeezed through one of the rappel rings. The party tried pulling in both directions and whipping the ropes from side to side, but it would not budge. The sun was setting with the party stranded midway up the tower. They had headlamps, semi-warm clothes, and cell service, but neither knew how to ascend the ropes. The nighttime forecast was in the 20s, with possible precipitation. The team decided to call 911 for rescue at 5:20 p.m.

The weather conditions allowed four rescuers to be flown to the summit. The climbers’ ropes were found stuck between the two top rappel rings. One rescuer descended to assist the climbers to the ground. They were able to walk out. Unfortunately, the wind picked up, preventing the helicopter from retrieving the remaining rescue team from the summit. The stranded rescuers rappelled the tower in strong winds with poor visibility. Once they were on the ground, the winds briefly died, allowing them to be flown out. They returned to base around 3:30 a.m.

ANALYSIS

Guidebook and local wisdom identify the North Face rappels as the best descent option on Castleton because they tend to be less crowded than the south-side rappels. The sheer face is also less likely to snag ropes. That said, access to the rappel rings requires an awkward transition from the flat tower top to a hanging position below the anchors. It is possible the knot got stuck between the rings as a climber was transitioning over the edge, while they were rappelling, or if one strand for some reason was pulled more than the other. While initiating a rappel, it is prudent to double-check your systems, including where and how the knot joining your ropes is positioned.

A strong, simple knot, like a flat overhand, takes little rope, is easy to assess, and avoids snagging when the rope is pulled. Knowing how to ascend a rope with commonplace trad gear like slings and carabiners is a basic and essential traditional climbing skill. 

As a side note, these large rappel rings have contributed to several incidents in recent years (see ANAC 2022 for one). Local volunteers have plans to replace these four-inch-diameter rings with standard rappel rings. (Sources: Person 1, Person 2, Grand County Search and Rescue, and the Editors.)