Is there ever a risk of hanging upside down

J

JMB6

Location
Cary
Newbie here, asking all kinds of questions.

I am curious if there is ever a risk of losing balance and somehow to hang upside down?
If there is, how can it happen and how to recover?

Thanks.
 
I’ve hung upside down on purpose, but never by accident. Only way I can see to get stuck upside down is to have something catch me - if that happens, I think the upside-down position is the least of my worries.
 
I saw a video once of a climber who was stuck upside down for some reason. It was a long time ago but it seems like his saddle and his pants were down around his lower thighs and the Fire Dept rescued him
 
I wound up stuck pretty badly once early on. I was coming down on spikes without being tied in with a rope (dumb ass move number one). It was drizzling and my wire core flip line slipped unexpectedly. Both spikes were jammed in. I was stuck with the spikes just barely below the lanyard and my legs bent double. I was by myself (dumb ass move number two), and scared to death that my lanyard would slip a little more and I'd go upside down with my back toward the stem. I couldn't get either spike loose. After what seemed like an eternity trying to figure out what to do, I gave it every bit of strength I had to push with my legs and pull with my hands on the lanyard to get vertical again. That was the closest I've come to a serious accident doing tree work, and that was pretty close.
 
Thanks. I am just starting and what worries me is that so many things can go wrong that I cannot even imagine yet, because I just don’t have experience. Now I will remember about not keeping the lanyard too low.
 
Deliberately hang upside down and then right yourself. You can hook your legs around the rope to assist you. Just watch you don't disengage your device.

I occasionally hang upside down on purpose to stretch or align my spine. No big deal.
 
I'm basically an SRS guy and just now (4 years into tree work) starting to flesh out my MRS skills. I still haven't dialed in where I want my friction hitch positioned relative to my bridge, and sometimes get it too close. That way I don't get much of a pull each time, so it takes forever to get anywhere. To avoid dropping back down and having to retie my hitch (or lanyarding in) I found that being upside down enables me to get a longer pull. No problem doing that or flipping back right side up. In my worthless opinion I still find MRS to be a dumb way to get up into the canopy, even for short climbs, but a good thing to know how to do and be at least somewhat skilled at. I'm also really enjoying messing around with the S.C.A.M. system once at height. (check Free Fallin's Youtube).
 
southsoundtree said:
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southsoundtree said:
@JMB6
Find a way to learn from someone safe and experienced.

I'm pretty much self-educated, but coming in having seriously rock climbed for 15 years, and with forestry sawyer experience.

A little knowledge is an easy way to get killed or injured.
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Thanks for the advice. As a former mining engineer I very well understand role of safety and professional knowledge.
 
It takes me some deliberate effort to hang upside down.
I stretch like that sometimes at the beginning or end of a climb. I have to hook a heel around my line or I just flip right back to an almost vertical sitting position.

I used to show off by descending upside down and releasing my hitch with a foot while the other was hooked. I haven't played with it in a while. I think I might mix it up with ascent practice to keep from zipping so quickly and frying hitch cords.

@dmonn that is a terrifying experience, and one of the only ways I can see being inverted against your will.
 
In my caving days I once did a 150ft rappel with full SCUBA gear to start a cave dive at the bottom. The weight of the tank flipped me upside down. No problem. I rappelled the 150 ft inverted. Didn't get right side up until I got to the bottom. To get out, I had my topside helpers haul the tank up by itself, with a tag line to keep the tank from banging against the walls of the pit. I didn't want to try to rope walk up with the tank pulling me upside down!
 
dmonn said:
In my caving days I once did a 150ft rappel with full SCUBA gear to start a cave dive at the bottom. The weight of the tank flipped me upside down. No problem. I rappelled the 150 ft inverted. Didn't get right side up until I got to the bottom. To get out, I had my topside helpers haul the tank up by itself, with a tag line to keep the tank from banging against the walls of the pit. I didn't want to try to rope walk up with the tank pulling me upside down!
Click to expand...
Impressive.
My center of gravity may be higher than most climbers (due to my belly which I am trying to get rid of) and this is causing my concerns as well:)
 
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