In reply to bamboorodmaker:
Even though this post has got 'bridge dweller' written all over it, on the off chance it is genuine, here are some observations.
Firstly, in over 45 years as a climber, and someone with a personal history with the face, I have never heard any climber air any criticism of Kurz and the tragic events of 36'.
The sentiment has always been one sadness and respect for such courage and bravery. True, the mainstream European media of the time were critical, and post this event, the Swis authorities banned any further attempts on the face - although this ban lasted barely a year.
Regarding whether or not Kurz could have been saved either by his own actions, or those of his rescuers, has been pondered many times, but the overwhelming consensus seems to be that everything that could have been done, was, and that it was an impossible situation.
The fact that Kurz survived as long as he did, is testimony to the man's astonishing courage, strength of character, skill and will to survive - try splicing the strands of a rope together with two hands in the warm surroundings of your kitchen, then imagine trying to do it with just one frostbitten hand after 5 days surviving a horrendous Eiger storm, the deaths of your companions and a night hanging on the end of a rope all alone in in sub zero temperatures where your whole body is wracked with pain and you are barely alive?
Any other mere mortal would have already died.
The thing people need to realise regarding the 'junction knot' issue, is that Kurz only had one functioning hand and arm, his other was frozen solid and dead after he lost a mitten two days earlier. And the hand that was still functioning was badly frostbitten, not to mention that after surviving so many days, he was almost dead.
So even if he had a prussic loop, he'd have had to somehow find a way of attatching it to a rope sheathed in ice, clipping into it, then take his weight to unclip from the ab rope, then clipping back into the ab rope - all with one frostbitten hand?
I suppose he could have avoided the junction knot problem by not using a krab on the ab rope, and just wrapping it round one of his legs and then over his opposite shoulder, effectively using a leg break technique, but this leaves absolutely no margin for error, and given the situation and circumstances could well have been fatal.
In the end, as long as there was a slim thread of hope, he could somehow, against all the odds, and despite his awful suffering, keep going, but the 'junction knot' jamming and the thought of another horrendous night hanging on the end of the rope, must have finally ended any hope of survival for even this remarkable and unbelievably courageous man.
I hope this provides some additional perspective to your question.
However, if this is a troll, it is in extremely poor taste.