AAC Know the Ropes: Rappelling
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- Опубликовано: 17 сен 2024
- Accidents while rappelling are common and often fatal. Understand the basic best practices to avoid injuries with our latest video, presented by Adidas Terrex.
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I agree with Ma Ja's comment that a body-weight test of the rappel set-up before unclipping the tether is a very good idea. And I'm glad to see the recommendation for a fireman's belay for the second person down, rather than a french prusik backup. But I think there is a more effective way to apply the fireman's belay, as some testing has suggested that it can be hard to stop a rapidly moving rappeller by just pulling with the hands, especially if the party is fatigued and the ropes are slippery. I suggest that the first person down leave their rap device on the rope and use it to apply the fireman's belay (by taking in rope and sitting back). This give much more leverage and much better control than just pulling with the hands.
The rappel set-up around 2:15 is sub-optimal because the rap device has not been extended. There is visibly very little space between the french prusik and the device, which means that if the rappeller lifts his right leg or leans to the left and so tilts up his right hip, the device will release if locked or fail to grab if unlocked. This has happened more than once and at least once with serious consequences, so characterizing it as something that will "reliably arrest a climber" is a potentially dangerous misunderstanding of system failure modes. Later in the video, the climbers extend their devices and put the prusik on the harness belay loop, which is a much safer alternative and should become the SOP.
The fact that the rappeller takes his hand off the brake strand at 2:15 in a further indication of a complacency that can be fostered by the third hand backup, which is very far from foolproof in this sub-optimal set up. But in this case, it may be that the rappeller was simply testing whether the prusik would grab, and only shifted his hand after the prusik had engaged.
In this age of manufactured rappel stations, climbers can count on a relatively smooth pull. But if the rappel is part of a retreat involving anchors constructed by the party, the potential for not being able to pull the ropes goes up, and it is more than prudent to have the first person down test whether the ropes will pull before the second person starts their rappel. Of course, you can't have the second person already rigged before the first person leaves in this case. This makes it more important that the second test their setup before unclipping their tether, as the first person will not have been able to inspect it.
All of the videos I have found on RUclips that are supposedly teaching how to rappel are actually made for and watched by people who already know what they are doing.
As much as I appreciate the effort you all put into this video, I feel like it lacks some serious detail. There was no call for "testing your weight" before moving off the tether and onto the rappel device. Also, giving a brief description to the practice of body position when rapping seems to be overlooked as well. I've seen new people want to have their feet straight below them, opening up a chance for them to face plant into the wall if their minimal foot-wall contact slips.
5:00 tying the rope ends together, I like it! Expedites things and makes it more foolproof.
Excellent video, thaks so much!
Love the video, keep it up!
Good video glad the AAC develops these. Two minor comments. (1) At around 6:20 I think it would have been a good opportunity to explain that the two climbers have both rigged the rappel before leaving the anchor. This insures that each can inspect the others rigging, this is especially important at the end of the day when tired or benighted. (2) At 7:31the rappelling clips the rappel device to the end of the tether, my preference is to secure the locking carabineer with the belay device above and below the knot that has been tied to the tether. The benefit is that when she gets to the next rappel station the longer end of the tether can be used to secure herself. As portrayed in the video she misses that opportunity and would need additional gear to secure herself. The other advantage of the securing the carabineer above and below the knot on the tether is that it theoretically adds redundancy if either the top or bottom loops of the tether gets cut (very remote situation).
John Tedeschi at 7:31 she’s cleaning a single pitch climb.
I think this could have gone into more detail about transferring between anchors during the multipitch rappell. For example, warning you to untie the knot at the end of the rope before pulling it through the above anchor so it doesn't get stuck and irretrievable, and to remember to retie the knots at the end of the ropes.
I think they should have mentioned it for different set ups, but in this case, remembering to untie the ends of the rope would not be necessary, because they tied both ends together! So even if they had forgotten, the rope forms a loop, and they would have realised they were just pulling it in circles, then pulled the other end back down!
Nice video. Load testing would be good to stress.
Always weight the new system before committing to it and taking yourself off the anchor. That’s the best way to ensure the system works and is set up properly.
the rostrum! the first scene of the whole video. best route on the planet!
IMO there should have been more focus on rope retrieval. A snagged rope is THE CLASSIC rappel challenge
Happened to me just two days ago. One strand went into a wide gap and got caught in a crack. Luckily it was wide enough that my son could lower into it and free the end, otherwise we would have had to cut about 20’ off the end to get free.
@John Coleman .... Yes Sir!!🙏Glad you had positive outcome
It’s a struggle for sure.
That's Willow Spring if I ever saw it.... Ragged Edges?
Yup.
I wish secured during set up was closer to the beginning of the video. For example at 1:38.
Why do you people insist on including interfering music on an instruction video. Totally unnecessary; the sound isn't particularly good anyway.
Glove on brake hand
no need for glove if they are using a machard
At 2:16, there was then potential for a fall when the rappellers hand came off the rope.
.....THE potential for a fall........the RAPPELER'S hand came off.....
dave garber Not his third hand!
Amanda Young do you really think a weighted autobloc using a Sterling hollow bloc on two ropes is going to slip? Why would we use this setup at all if it didn’t reliably arrest a climber who lets go of the brake strand(s)? Have you or anyone you know ever had this setup slip after being weighted?
No Dave. Nothing wrong was done there.
Backing up from the leg loop is extremely poor practice.
Where would a proper backup be attached?
@@brokeasdope You should clip your backup prusik into your belay loop and girth hitch your extension to your hardpoints.
@@brokeasdope ruclips.net/video/07xUFZRQdng/видео.html Here's the AMGA video guide on setting up a rappel that shows the placement. Anything they put out will be well researched and use best practice, they are the best internet resource for climbing information.
It is fine. The prusik on the leg loop is only taking the the force to brake the rope NOT the bodyweight of climber. The force is much less than what a leg loop is rated for
Arvin W it’s not about weight, it’s about potential contact with the rappel device which would cause it to fail. All you have to do is lift your leg and it will come in contact with the rappel device. Extending it removes that chance.
3:50 that is NOT where you should put a prussik backup to a rappell! If you lift your leg, youre done. Old school and unsafe, surprised this is in the video … wtf man cant trust AAC videos!!?
a climber didn't use a rope protector.
Not a good video. So much detail missing here. She clipped her PAS (a sling she was clipped into the anchor with) right to the rappel device without weight testing it first. You should always be on your PAS, set it all up, and then test the system and even do a mini-rappel before committing your life to it. She may have done that, but they didn’t show it. Never watch a RUclips video on outdoor climbing technique, and then go out and try it. You’ll end up dead. Climb with an AMGA certified instructor who can coach you in a live setting. There really needs to be a good option for going from the gym and knowing top rope and a figure 8 and top rope belay, to climbing outside with its myriad number of challenges.
The final rappel at about 8:00 is bad news. The climber is relying on her friction hitch to provide the resistance through the rappel device. If the friction hitch fails for any reason, the climber can easily loose control. No, no, no. The climber should be using their brake hand to provide the resistance.
There is a firefighters belay as backup.
who use ropes this days ? :P
Just saying, and I know this is being done for instructional purposes but where are the climbing shoes of the so called other climber. Absolutely nothing hanging off her harness. Is she really a climber? Looks like more of a model out for a days work. Try to keep it real would you please.
No gloves???....poor technique
you should always wear gloves when belaying and rappelling