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Rappelling |
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Rappelling |
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Rappelling is usually undertaken as a means to an end and not as an end in itself. Most rappelling is done to get over an obstacle (e.g. in mountaineering) or to gain access to a place not accessible by other means (e.g. in caving, in military and police operations as a form of insertion etc.). I also learned rappelling as a means to an end during my time in the military. So why devote a whole section of this website to rappelling? Well the short answer: its fun! The long answer: its a great excuse to enjoy the outdoors and get a little adrenalin kick all at the same time. It is also fairly easy to learn and inexpensive, since, once you have the equipment, you can go rappelling whenever you want. All you need is a suitable place to rappel off of. In the following, I'll give a rundown on the equipment needed, on how to set up anchor points, on safety precautions, and on the seat rappel method used by the military. This theoretical rundown however cannot replace actual hands on experience. If you want to rappel make sure you get the proper training first!
First and most important in rappelling is safety. Therefore make sure you read and reread the following disclaimer:
Any type of vertical rope work is dangerous, and requires specialized knowledge, training, and experience. Although these pages give detailed instructions on the techniques of rappelling, using them can get you seriously injured or killed. Therefore if you want to go rappelling get some proper instruction first or go with someone who knows what they're doing before you try anything on your own. I can take no responsibility for the use of these techniques.
Furthermore never go rappelling alone, even if you know what you're doing and always make sure you have someone on belay!
Before you can go rappelling you'll need the proper equipment. This consists of the rappelling rope, a rappelling seat or a 9 foot sling rope with which a seat can be tied, a snaplink, gloves, and a helmet. See the equipment section for more general information and details on each of these pieces of equipment including information on their care and how to inspect them for serviceability.
Never buy used equipment! Your life depends on your Equipment and you never know how used equipment was treated and how serviceable it still is!
In general you can rappel anywhere you have a good drop-off and where the drop is approximately 10 feet shorter than the length of the rope you are using. I have rappelled off of cliffs, bridges, buildings, castle walls, and into caves and cisterns.
In selecting a site you should make sure that the height of the drop is less than half the length of your rope. The reason is that for safety reasons you'll be doubling your rope when setting up the rappel. If the drop is higher you need to employ two ropes. If your planning to rappel off natural rock make sure the rock is not unduly fractured, brittle, loose, slippery or crumbly. Also make sure that you have permission to rappel on the site you are planning to use. If the site is on private property you need permission from the owner, if it is public you need to inform yourself about the local laws regarding what you are about to do and if necessary get permission from the respective authorities. If you don't you might be looking at a hefty fine, or possibly a continuance of your adrenalin kick with a night in jail.
After obtaining the necessary permission you need to set up the rappel. First off you need to find two good anchor points. These will be your primary and secondary anchors. This is important since you always want to back up your system incase the primary one fails (ALWAYS USE TWO ANCHORS!). In selecting the appropriate anchor points you should observe the following:
The selected anchor points should be above the rappeller’s departure point.
Primary and secondary anchors must be solid (natural anchors are preferred).
The doubled rope should reach the bottom with approximately 10 feet left to ensure that a proper belay is possible.
The rappel point should be carefully tested and inspected to ensure the rope will run freely and that the area is clear of obstacles that could be dislodged.
If possible, the rigging should allow the rope to hang free to avoid any unnecessary abrasion of the rope.
The rigging should avoid hazards such as waterfalls, loose or unstable rocks, sharp edges, mud or curved breakovers.
To protect the rope from abrasion, carpet or padding can be used to cover the edge of the rock and trees can be wrapped with cloth.
Securing the rope to the anchors
To secure the rope to the anchors use one of the following methods:
Double the rope and tie a three-loop bowline around the primary anchor to include the primary anchor inside two loops and enough rope in the third loop to run to the secondary anchor (another three-loop bowline secured with an overhand knot).
Double the rope and tie it around a secure anchor point with a round turn anchor bowline secured with an overhand knot (or any appropriate anchor knot). This method can be used if a backup anchor is not necessary due to the stability of the anchor (for example a healthy tree that is more than 12 inches in diameter). I use this method, but secure the rope with a middle rope knot (half hitch) to another anchor in line with the first anchor and the drop off and situated in between the two.
Rappelling, TC 21-24. US Army. Much of the information on these pages can be found in this book. All the images used were also taken from here.
Military Mountaineering, FM 3-97.61. US Army. Very informative!
