Page 12 - Rappelling

chapter one

Equipment

Harnesses professionals. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines
on the harness you buy, and read the instructions on
A commercially made harness designed for rock how to properly buckle and use the harness. You’ll
climbing or mountaineering works great for rappel- want to retire your harness if the belay/rappel loop
ling. Look for a model that has a belay/rappel loop. becomes frayed or shows signs of wear. Petzl recom-
When you rappel, you’ll clip your rappel device mends using nylon products no longer than seven
directly into the belay/rappel loop with a locking years, even with minimal usage.
carabiner. A model with adjustable leg loops is a
good choice. Top brands include Arc’teryx, Black
Diamond, Petzl, Metolius, Wild Country, Singing Ropes
Rock, Trango, Mammut, and Camp USA. Some
newer models have webbing with “speed buckles” History
that are pre-threaded and already doubled back, Mountaineering’s first golden age ended abruptly on
so all you have to do is loosen them before you July 14, 1865. For Edward Whymper, who led a team
put the harness on, then tighten the webbing to of seven climbers up the first ascent of Switzerland’s
fit. Other harnesses have the traditional old-school Matterhorn—at the time the last great unclimbed
“double pass” buckle, where the webbing belt must peak in the Alps—both triumph and tragedy were
be doubled back through the buckle. his fate on that great and dreadful summer’s day.
Professional riggers and vertical rope access pro- After reaching the summit, the climbers, all tied
fessionals use full body harnesses, which are more together with manila ropes, began a tedious descent.
comfortable for extended hang time. These har- One of the party suddenly slipped, pulling several
nesses have at least two metal D rings at the front of the others off. While Whymper held fast, cling-
of the harness; some designs have additional metal ing to a rock outcrop to avoid being yanked into the
D ring attachment points on the sides and upper abyss, the rope broke, sending four climbers to their
back of the harness for attaching rappel, ascending, death. They were buried in the Zermatt cemetery,
work positioning, and fall protection devices. Yates the Matterhorn soaring above them as their tomb-
and Petzl make excellent full body harnesses for stone for all time. Some speculated that the rope had
been cut with a knife, but a formal investigation and
inspection of the rope revealed the cord had simply
parted—broken under the strain.
Beth Renn rappels from the summit Through the late nineteenth and early twentieth
of the Charlatan Needle, Giant Sequoia centuries, climbing and rappelling ropes were made
National Monument, California. from natural fibers like hemp, manila, and sisal.
Pho to by Gre G ePPerson While strong enough for many applications, these

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