Uh ... thanks, Mark.

Julie, take a look at some of the models made by Misty Mountain and Metolius. There might be options there for you.

RG, your reflective response to this incident is a not only an considerate analysis of the specific event, but also a worthy template for considering any accident or potential accident. Thanks.

Personally, I dislike double-back harnesses because of the annoyance of putting on and taking off clothing. The double-back harnesses I used in the past required, after a while, some effort to thread the doubled back end through the buckle, and this made it frustratingly slow to throw on a fleece or windshell and tuck it under the harness. Maybe the more recent double-backs have eliminated this issue; I'm on my second Petzl and so haven't used a double-back for eight years or so.

The safety aspect of non-double-back buckles seem to me to be a minor plus, just one less item on the preflight check list.

It's all what we're used to - I learned how to climb with a double back harness. It's no big deal to check it for me; I do it automatically. I bought a petzl luna a few years ago, thinking hey great, it's pre-doubled back. One less step/thing to worry about.

Apart from being the most uncomfortable harness I've ever had the displeasure of trying on (their frame construction means that when you're hanging for extended times, all the load is being taken right across the top edge of the harness, right where it digs in, with no padding), I find it really annoying to unbuckle to take on and off (it doesn't fit over my hips so I need to, or else do lots of squirming). No, it's not hard. But it has a tab, and I find it annoying to have to feed it through the buckle - So if I'm going to have to unbuckle a harness to get it on and off anyway, I'd rather have the easiest possible one to do so.

And, you're going to be checking it anyway. You're an idiot if you're not.

p.s. just bought a BD Lotus harness, and it's WAY more comfortable. Yes, also stupid automatically doubled back buckles that I have to undo but it's way more comfortable. I didn't realize until I used it that I'd forgotten how comfortable harnesses could be... I just sort of forgot when I was wearing the Luna... the digging in seemed normal. Of course, this is completely off topic and I'm just sharing my revalation about petzl's frame construction. I really wish I could get one of those fancy arcteryx harnesses so my harness doesn't take up so much room in my pack, but they don't make one with ice clipper slots that fit women. Booooo.

What you can get webbing at any climbing shop and make a swami now that's old style harness. I hate leg loops and often climb w/ a swami.

^^bowline is less gear intensive

Actually you're right, a triple wrapped bowline is less gear intensive, and just as safe as your fanchy schmancy pre double backed gadgetry.

I think Rich's earilier response is the most poignant reminder of what we do when we climb. If anyone here thinks that an "accident" like this is a normal part of climbing....please go back and re read what RG wrote. We all make mistakes yes, but when you start compiling mistakes on top of mistakes is when tragedy strikes. RG's analysis shows very clearly that the mistakes started occuring long before the "accident" happened.

RR

What he says...

A couple years ago I was at Rumney with some friends and hiked up to a wall without my harness. I asked to jump on and TR the climb that had just been put up and was refused a belay when an individual saw me doing the old bowline on a coil, stating she wouldn't be a party to something so dangerous. It is just a matter of what you are exposed to and think through, but to think that the rope you fall on isn't good enough to wrap around your waist was pretty funny.

There was a guy who used to troll the base of the cliffs asking for topropes, and he wore jeans and old leather mountaineering boots. He would do the same thing. Shocked the hell out of me in my first day of climbing outside when he flew up P-38, in those boots, and a bowline around his waist. Anyone remember who that was? This was mid 90's