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Scott Lougheed
Trad climber
Fallon, NV
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 23, 2012 - 10:52pm PT
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My wife and I want to climb a multi pitch where rappelling is the descent. I think I need to rappel first to find the next anchor, but don't want to rappel without knowing my wife has her rappel device rigged and the prussik back up in place. Any recommendations? A guide from AAI explained one way a year or more ago and I have had a few beers since and don't quite remember. Any help links or videos would be appreciated.
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adam d
climber
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May 23, 2012 - 11:00pm PT
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Pre-rigged rappel for her off a single sling, girth hitched to her harness. With the extra length she won't get weighted when you rap first.
Belayed rappels are a great tool too. Pre-rig yourself as above but tie a big power point in the rappel ropes below your device and belay the 2nd on one strand as they rappel on the other.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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May 23, 2012 - 11:01pm PT
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Full on put on from Fallon?
State tuned in Nevada...
Take up golf, dude.
lot of edit: trolls abound. Did not read correctly. Apology to you and the spouse. Mouse not man.
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Scott Lougheed
Trad climber
Fallon, NV
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2012 - 11:10pm PT
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Thanks Adam
Man from Merced what's the issue? We have climbs in Fallon but were bombing to Red Rocks and need some advice
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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May 23, 2012 - 11:18pm PT
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fireman's belay and rely on your wife's intelligence (assumed, not proven) that she can put the biscuit in the basket
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MisterE
Social climber
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May 23, 2012 - 11:22pm PT
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If you want to be 100% sure, bring another line to give her a belay from the top on rappel.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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May 23, 2012 - 11:24pm PT
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It would be wise to train for it, by starting with single pitch routes where she rappels and is belayed with a separate rope.
Rappelling is usually scary the first several times, so she may not enjoy it if you jump into multipitch rappel routes right away....
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Scott Lougheed
Trad climber
Fallon, NV
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2012 - 11:29pm PT
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I like the second line for belay, that is how we practiced on Fallon rock. But may need second line for a double rope repell. Ideally, I would like her all set to repell, I repell complete and let her know I'm off repell so she can begin without too much overhead.
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micronut
Trad climber
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May 23, 2012 - 11:30pm PT
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If you really want what's safest for you and your wife, don't use multi pitch rapping as a way to "learn." Learning on the fly is for when you're young and selfish and willing to face the learning curve with a bit of ignorance. We all do/did it, but your situation is different. Reading "Accidents in North American Mountaineering" every year has made me realize how frightningly real accidents can and do happen to parties just like yours. Its horrible. Don't go up there and "learn" to rappel. It's your wife's life in your collective hands and you are he leader here.
This is what I'd do
1. Practice on a single pitch route the day you get there. Have her do a few...a bunch if you can, while you top-rope her on a short sport climb. This might take an hour or two max.
(have her back-up, set up, check, remove the backup and rap...Then do it again. Then have her do it with her eyes closed at least once)
She should OWN this one technique before you leave the ground. What happens if you fall and get hurt and she needs to get down alone. It happens.
2. Then go up and send that route. Pre-rig her if you want,and talk it out each belay.
Let us know how it goes.
Be bold. Be smart. You guys are gona have a blast.
Scott
(And look up how to use a klemheist or autoblock while you both rap. A smart move for sure.)
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Scott Lougheed
Trad climber
Fallon, NV
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2012 - 11:43pm PT
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We spent Saturday practicing multi pitch raps. Her first was on belay, the remainder we all her with a Prussik backup that she really liked. But I was at the anchor supervising. This weekend I'll be rapping first
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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May 23, 2012 - 11:49pm PT
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"adam d" described briefly the safest way - she extends her rappel device away from her belay loop on a sling, and attaches it while you check it.
The extension makes it possible for you to rappel first.
She can move to the side and not be pushed into the wall by the rope while you are on it, because of her extension sling.
There's an illustration here, under "extending the rappel device", about halfway down the page:
http://climbinglife.com/tech-tips/five-rappelling-techniques-you-should-know.html
This is the way guides do it.
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micronut
Trad climber
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May 24, 2012 - 12:00am PT
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Hey Clint and anybody reading this.
PLEASE NOTE !!!
The EIGHTH photo in the above link...the one with the daisy chain and gear loop... is a DEATH TRAP! Please Don't do this! Death on a stick for sure.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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May 24, 2012 - 12:12am PT
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This one?
It looks OK to me, but it's unclear exactly how the slings are clipped by the locking biner (could be done incorrectly).
The illustration with the daisy chain is probably the simplest to get the concept:
The bare feet are probably also unsafe.... :-)
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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May 24, 2012 - 12:22am PT
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You mean this?
Care to elaborate?
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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May 24, 2012 - 12:25am PT
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in the history of "yer gonna die", I bet this is the first to make good on the prognostication/derision
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micronut
Trad climber
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May 24, 2012 - 12:41am PT
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The Daisy chain getup. The whole thing...the whole kit and kaboodle is on a tacked daisy loop, hooked to a gear loop.
Back up was at least in place with the prussik. just saw that.
Shady if you ask me. The rest of the site was a good resource from what I saw though. Good stuff mostly.
The sling one looked fine.
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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May 24, 2012 - 12:53am PT
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can't see the advantage to an autoblock prussik backup or whatever tied below the belay device and on the leg loop. That knott will run right into the belay device an be hard to remove with a weighted rope. I always tie mine above the belay device and clip it to the belay loop. Then should I need it it's way more manageable
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tooth
Trad climber
B.C.
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May 24, 2012 - 12:57am PT
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Does anyone ever actually back up their rappel with a prussik? Or is that something to confuse/intimidate new climbers?
I was teaching my assistant tonight how to rap on her own and talked to her about that possibility - but told her to just pay closer attention to what she is doing than when we are doing a root canal. (she just climbed 10b tonight outside, and has only been coming out for one month!)
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Gilroy
Social climber
Boulderado
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May 24, 2012 - 12:58am PT
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The pix from the link all work for me. Of course Eli's wife's anatomy is a bit distracting. If you don't like the use of the daisy chain, see Dale Remsberg's tech section in Climbing issue 305 for a simpler version of pre-rigging a rappel for a client/loved one.
Climb High and come down slowly,
Keith
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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May 24, 2012 - 12:58am PT
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always back it up .. unless you're a "sport" climber
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