Page 117 - Rappelling

Rappelling Safety Checks

lways go through a mental checklist before rappelling: ABCDE. A is the rappel anchor. Take
A a look at the anchor, slings, chains, etc., and make sure the rappel rope is threaded properly
through the anchor. The anchor should be redundant all the way to the point where your rope is
threaded through the anchor. What this means is that you should not rely on a single piece of gear in
your anchor system, whether it is a single cord, sling, or rappel ring. B is for buckles on your har-
ness—double-check to make sure they are buckled properly and doubled back appropriately. C is
for carabiner. Make sure the locking carabiner that attaches your rappel device to your harness is
being loaded properly on the long axis—and check to make sure that it is locked! D is for look down
and see where your rope goes. Does it reach the ground? or the next ledge? E is for the rope ends.
Do they have stopper knots?

are several fatal rappelling accidents in America exactly this. Luckily for me I’d rigged an autoblock
where someone has simply rappelled off the end backup, and as I weighted the system I noticed my
(or ends) of a rope. Usually it happens when the error. If not for that autoblock backup, I probably
ends are uneven on a doubled-rope rappel. Uneven wouldn’t be writing this today.
ends can occur when the ropes are different lengths, This is an easy mistake to make if you’re not
when one rope stretches more than the other, or alert and double-checking your system. When visu-
when there is no middle mark. When the short ally inspecting the top of a tube-style device, it
end passes through the rappelling device, only one will appear as if both strands are properly threaded
strand of the doubled rope remains in the device, because the device holds the bight of rope inside
and the climber’s body weight rapidly pulls the rope itself, even if the rope hasn’t been clipped into the
through the rappel anchor, quickly dispatching the carabiner behind it. If only one strand makes it into
climber to the ground. To prevent this, tie stop- your locking carabiner, when you lean back and
per knots separately in both ends of the rope. It’s a weight the rope, you’ll descend as rapidly as in the
simple solution, and a key safety habit in all rappel- first scenario—and with equally injurious or fatal
ling situations, even if you’re less than a rope length results. A good safety habit is to first tether in with
above the ground. It’s what I refer to as “closing the a sling to the rappel anchor, rig your rappel device,
system.” Make sure that the stopper knot you tie then weight the rappel system and double-check
will jam in your rappel device. Remember, if you’re everything before unclipping the tether. Rigging an
using a figure eight descender, a regular stopper autoblock backup is also a good idea!
knot will probably slip through the device, so tie a Scenario 3: Not tethering to the anchor.
BHK (big honking knot) instead. This happens, albeit infrequently, more often than
Scenario 2: Not clipping both strands not in alpine environments due to rock/and or
of the rope into the carabiner on a double- snow giving way underfoot. A simple sling clipped
rope rappel. I’ve done thousands of rappels in my to the anchor with a locking carabiner is all it takes
climbing career, and one time I caught myself doing to prevent this scenario. Using a daisy chain as a

106 RAPPELLING

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