Occasionally rock climbers and canyoneers are faced with the prospect of self-rescue. That is, the participant has encountered a situation where they cannot continue - the rope is too short, the rope is damaged, the rope is severed, etc... and they must ascend the rope to rescue themselves from that situation.


Ideally, if self-rescue is happening, you are equipped with a great setup of mechanical ascenders, foot loop of some sort, multiple chains, runners, carabiners, etc... that are all within reach of you. But, assuming you don't have any of those items on your person, self-rescue can appear to be a daunting task.