26
votes
Accepted
Can you Rappel with an Old Climbing Rope?
You probably should not use it any more. Old ropes seem to be surprisingly strong. A German mountaineering magazine made tests with old ropes. Of 14 tested ropes, 10 would still have been strong ...
- 7,850
13
votes
Backing up a abseil anchor with a human
Once when I was in the Marine Corps I did rappel for fun off of a guard rail in the central staircase of my three story barracks building. I did not have any problem with the guard rail as an anchor, ...
- 9,648
11
votes
Accepted
Rappelling with only one arm
Yes
If we assume that this is a summer camp setup where experienced (ish) instructors set up and oversee the rapell, sure.
A one-armed person would face two major difficulties. Setting up the rapell ...
- 2,002
11
votes
Can I use SteriGENE broad spectrum disinfectant on abseil rope?
I visit a lot of caves in the Canadian Rockies, and there are similar concerns with transporting microorganisms from cave to cave, as well as diseases such as white nose syndrome in bats. For the ...
- 53.7k
11
votes
Can you Rappel with an Old Climbing Rope?
No, it’s not worth the risk. Ropes aren’t that expensive and if it breaks you could hurt yourself.
- 69.4k
10
votes
In canyoning, [why] do people skip a backup prusik?
Canyoneering has one major danger that is not (normally) one in mountaineering: water. If you get stuck abseiling along/in a waterfall and end up hanging in the waterfall, you can drown. An "engaged" ...
- 21.8k
10
votes
Accepted
In canyoning, [why] do people skip a backup prusik?
Canyoneering presents different risks than rock climbing because water is involved This comment on another post shows why water is an important factor (emphasis mine):
Canyoneering with an ...
- 9,648
10
votes
Accepted
Lowering other members of a party on belay after rappelling
Here is what I don't like about your plan, the less experienced people will be tying themselves in without you present and the last person won't have a second pair of eyeballs to double check that ...
- 69.4k
9
votes
Accepted
How to stop in the middle of a rappel without an autoblock?
The simple solution is to take the rope (both strands if rappelling on a doubled rope) below the device and wrap the several times around your upper leg and hold your upper leg perpendicular to the ...
- 69.4k
9
votes
What do you do when you're rappelling a halfed rope and you run out of rope on one side?
One thing you can do if there isn't too much friction in your rope, is lock off the short side of the rope, and continue to descend on the long side.
With the short end locked off, you can lower ...
- 53.7k
9
votes
Accepted
Protect hand skin while belaying
Making the Grigri's cam absorb most of the friction by finding the sweet spot of its lever, if this device is employed.
You should always be doing this anyway. Never depend on friction of the brake ...
- 959
8
votes
Lowering other members of a party on belay after rappelling
Extending everyone's rappels and tying everyone into the rope before the first person descends is the proper, safest way to do things, unless you wanted all the followers to tie an autoblock as well. ...
- 53.7k
8
votes
Knots when abseiling with single rope
Safety disclaimer first
I have a rope of 10 m which supports 3 kN (300 kg) strength. I will abseil with it as a single rope.
Edit addressing the new info about the rope:
Please don't use this rope ...
- 21.8k
8
votes
Accepted
Transition from ascending to descending a rope
Ascending a fixed rope using an ATC guide in lead mode is totally valid, but it is not the "quickest" method (IMHO). Usually what is taught in basic climbing and self rescue courses is to ascend with ...
- 3,394
6
votes
The dangers of simul-rappelling
I think it isn't fair to simu-abseiling to pull out horrific accident reports and use them to say it isn't safe, because there are just as horrific accidents with "traditional" abseiling. The only ...
- 21.8k
6
votes
Rappelling with only one arm
I've done it with a broken arm in plaster, but that was nearly 30 years ago when I was a similar age to your character. We always used figure of 8 descenders in those days and had a safety belayer ...
- 27k
6
votes
What is this no-harness rappel called?
I have been shown this as an emergency method with the note that you would only want to do if there is a real danger of death if you do not do it.
We were allowed to try the feel of the method with no ...
- 4,740
6
votes
What is this no-harness rappel called?
In Britain, this is considered a form of classic abseil. In the other common variant, the live rope passes between the legs, then across the front of the body and over the shoulder to the control ...
- 4,799
6
votes
Accepted
What is this no-harness rappel called?
Another British English answer, with a few more terms:
Body abseil: rarely used term, any abseil not using a abseil/belay device or carabiner
Classic abseil: Rope goes between legs, round the thigh, ...
- 216
5
votes
Accepted
Rappel: How do I start rappel from a ledge when using rappel extension
Don't extend your rappel too far
If your extended brake device gets stuck above the ledge, you probably extended it too far. This might also lead to problems if you have to pass a knot or otherwise ...
- 2,002
5
votes
Accepted
is it safe to use a 4mm cord for French Prusik auto-block friction hitch when rappelling off parallel 10mm dynamic rope?
There is a significant difference between using an autoblock for rappelling/lowering and a Prusik for ascending. In the ascending case, the Prusik typically goes around a single strand of the rope ...
- 10.7k
5
votes
Backing up a abseil anchor with a human
Sicherungsmann
Before they invented the first climbing aids, human anchors were all alpinists had for protection.
This sounds exactly like something I would do. In fact, I've done it. When I was a ...
- 53.7k
5
votes
Backing up a abseil anchor with a human
Anchors to rappel from have to be able to withstand some dynamic load -- the difference between just hanging from this point and falling or even just sliding before the rope tighten. So when ...
- 1,469
5
votes
Use of a personal anchor system to rappel (abseil) off a cliff with anchors by the edge and at foot level
As you are looking to rappel for fun, you should find a place better suited for it. As you mentioned, the anchors are not well situated for an easy rappel. If you want to rappel off that cliff, just ...
- 10.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Rappelling using the Munter hitch - stopper knot at the end of the rope?
TLDR; Join yourself to the ends of the rope.
My preference if the rope isn't on the ground is towards tieing an overhand on a bight on each side and clipping them both my belay loop.
This strategy ...
- 2,722
5
votes
Lead climbing and descending with a rappel
It depends, but I have made a habit to always leave the rope in the draws if I rapell from the anchors of a route.
There is a good reason for this.
On some routes it is easier to clean the draws if ...
- 2,002
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