UKC

While watching an episode of Bear Ghrylls he uses an old rope froma shipwreck he visited and uses a sheep shank to abseil ... then retrieve his rope. Does this technique work with climbing/synthetic ropes or is it suicide? And is there any evidence or warnings about using this knot?

In reply to ldavies87:

The general consensus from reading past posts on the matter is it does work, but don't take the risk unless you are navigating excrement creek with no means of propulsion.

In reply to ldavies87:

do you really mean "sheep shank" and not "sheet bend"?

the sheep shank is normally used for shortening ropes or isolating a damaged area and dosn't see any use in climbing.

guy lines on the other hand....

In reply to seaofdreams:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=383397#x5546177

In reply to EddInaBox:

missed that one.

rather you than me...........

In reply to seaofdreams:

He does mean sheep shank. I believe you cut one of the strands of looped and hitched section, so that when you unload the rope at the bottom (and not accidentally half way down....) you can get most of your rope back.

I reckon it's death on a stick, but Bear knows best....

In reply to ldavies87: hum... Sheepshank... why is he shortening his rope....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheepshank

Sheet bend on the other hand....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_bend

In reply to ldavies87:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kamikaze.JPG

oh... this maybe what you mean then!

In reply to ldavies87: I think i've touched a sore subject here. I guess the overall outcome is only use it in life and death .. I wonder if the BMC insurance would cover you if it failed ... =P

In reply to ldavies87:

its one of those things...

we all know about it. we all know what everyone thinks about it. we all mention it everytime the rope-retrieval thing comes up in the pub ('there IS this knot you know...").

but seems no one has ever actually done it.
with good reason too.

evidence of warnings? just the consensual agreement thats its somewhat suicidal, that leaving a rope behind is a better option.

at some point ive been meaning to rig it up with a safety line and belay and have a go, just to check it out. maybe a guy from the bbc can belay me like they probably did for Bear.
afterall, for years i laughed at the single overhand knot for abseil ropes. maybe same here. may actually be safe.
tho i doubt it.

out of interest, what did old Bear use to descend with?

In reply to ldavies87: I think its called an iron man abseil where you thread the rope through your legs and over a shoulder ...

In reply to ldavies87:

I thin the essential part is using an old rope,
the knot relies greatly on friction, so I wouldn't try it with modern climbing ropes

In reply to ldavies87: so that will be classic abseil or south african then. There is nothing special or technical about anything that Bear does. He will have advisors and safety people who tell him what will look good and keep him safe doing it. When he abbed off his retrievable knot, I'm sure there would have been someone at the top, out of camera, watching just in case.

In reply to ldavies87:

Was he abbing from his hotel room to the dining room for breakfast? Surely taking the stairs would have saved him a lot of time and effort

In reply to argyle_dude: wearing these of course http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=388886&v=1#x5615183

In reply to ldavies87: Haha Abbing to breakfast i can imagine him doing that :P