Touching the Void 5 of 12

You guys dont seem to grasp that these blokes wherent making decisions sitting at a warm computer in a warm house with warm food, they where sitting in freezing snow halfway up a Peruvian mountain.

and i don't know why they could climb a mountain like this but didn't know how pass a knot thru a plate simply using a prussik and munter hitch.

i doubt you could climb the steps at the mall fat ass

he dropped prussik cord but still had two slings over shoulder that can be used as prussiks.

Yeah, in the MOVIE moron.  If these guys say they were out of options, they WERE. How hard is this to understand?

If the belayer has the knot blocked on the belay plate, he can take both hands off the rope, and tie a prussik behind the knot. The prussik should take the weight of the abseiler so the belayer can unclip his belay plate and reposition it. It's kind of hard to explain, but itsmeforallyou is correct... However, considering that they were both probably suffering from hypothermia, judgement and decision making were most likely severely impaired and they probably didnt think of it.

The belay could also tie a figure 8 on a bight with the slack rope, clip a biner into it, and clip the bight onto his harness. This would also allow him to disconnect the belay plate and reposition it.

The belayer can also tie a munter, or a munter/mule on the slack line behind the knot, and then release the belay plate and use the munter as a belay device.

Anyways, its a great story, and I'm sure we can attribute their faulty judgement to severe mental and physical exhaustion.

ok, enlighten me then. If he uses the excess rope and anchors it to himself, would he be able to use a prosik knot and get the tension of the 'main' rope - and slit the knot through? I doubt it, since he does not have a good stand.
What would be an alternative method?

And for all you not interested in what itsmeforallyou has to say, just don't read it. His comments are def more interesting than the wining about them.

When I was in the alps I was told that the energy needed to melt the snow inside you would be too much for you to benefit from the liquid. Think of it as opening the fridge door and over stressing the motor.

He tried to do that but he was very tired and because of the swinging he just turned in circles.