Warning: All of these procedures need to be learnt in the presence of an instructor.

This procedure is used when the climber is abseiling with a prussic connected to the rope above the belay device. In situations where the prussic knot locks up (whether intentional or not) it is important to know how to release the knot in order to continue abseiling. This skill is used in more advanced procedures (including rescue down).

Insert Picture of abseiler with prussic above the knot

1. When prussic is locked you must tie off the belay device (this procedure covers tube belay devices only, please ask if you use a figure 8).

2. To tie off run the abseiling rope from below the belay device through the karabiner attached to the belay device (from the brake hand side to the non-brake hand side), this will give you a loop of rope. With this loop go around the abseiling rope (above the belay device) and through the hole made (like a hitch). Do this 2 times and then clip a karabiner through the loop and onto the abseiling rope.

3. After you have tied off attach your leg prussic below your locked waist prussic (leaving some room to move the waist prussic down).

4. Stand on the leg prussic to remove weight from the locked waist prussic, unlock the waist prussic and then move it down, you can then sit down. If your weight is still on the waist prussic you will need to move the leg prussic down and repeat this procedure until your weight is on the belay device tie off (this will depend on how log your waist prussic is).

5. Note: With the above step, when lowering yourself onto the belay device tie off be careful and go slowly, you want to make sure the tie off will hold.

6. After you have loosened your waist prussic remove your leg prussic and slide your waist prussic down as low as possible.

7. Remove the tie off. Unclip the karabiner and remove the first of the hitches. For the second hitch hold the brake hand (don’t let go of it from now on) and pull slowly until hitch pulls out. When this happens you will drop slightly and you will be back on abseil. Make sure you lock the belay device off quickly otherwise your waist prussic will lock off again.

8. Continue on your abseil and make sure you pay attention to your prussic.