In reply to Slackboot:
I too was deceived by Goucho, and there are two things in this story which I don't get:
1. I don't understand the mechanics of the cutting of the ropes into pieces, none of which was then longer than 15 feet. They must have been lying on the belay ledge, but that was "tiny" - doesn't seem to fit. How did you get back to the ledge; downclimbing?
2. A very concrete question: which mountain, which climb? It sounds like a 2000 foot needle, being only descendable by abseil in all directions.