I was bouldering at Den rock in Andover one day a long time ago and had the place to myself, so I had a small radio going. Decide to take a break and turn off the radio, and hear what sounds like other climbers back around the corner on the main face. I walk over and what I see is a single white static line hanging from over the top. There is a climber about halfway up, he has an old figure 8 rappel device attached to his harness set up as if he is rappelling. But he is not rappelling. He is trying to climb up with the rope between the thumb and first finger of his right hand. He climbs up a little, then struggles to pull the slack up through the figure 8, then repeats. I shout up and ask he has any idea what he is doing? He replies that yes he knows what he is doing and that if he falls he just pulls his right hand down by his side and "puts on the brake". I convince him to come down and try to explain nicely why this is bad. I ask if he is alone, he tells me his friend is up top. I try to convince him that he and his friend should leave this for another day when they have learned the right way to do things. No luck. So, I ask if he knows how to tie in properly? "No". OK, so I show him how to tie in. Does you friend up top have another belay device? "No". Is the roped anchored up top? "I think so". Are you sure I can't convince you to go home? "No". So I say, wait here and head up top with their old figure 8 and biner. Here's what I see there.
Single white static line coming up from over the edge, not anchored to anything. No sign of any webbing, cord, any additional carabiners, nothing. Just the "friend" sitting a little back from the edge holding the static line. That's the "anchor". The "friend" has no harness on, no nothing. I ask if he plans on anchoring said static line. He says, "well ya, I sit with my feet pushed against this little rock here and hold on to the rope in case my friend falls".
OK, once again try to convince them to leave. No luck. Now, we are still the only people there so I feel like I just can't leave. So I ask if they have any other gear? "No". OK, so I show the friend how to tie the single line back to a tree. Then, tie a loop in the line and clip the old biner and eight to it. The "friend" had a vague idea of how to belay, so I make sure he understands the concept better, watch him take up the slack and head back down to the "climber". Watch him for a few minutes to make they aren't going to completely screw this up, then go get my stuff and leave.
