Page 33 - Rappelling

7mm nylon cord and 1-inch tubular nylon webbing
showed no strength loss at all. Bluewater Titan Cord
(Spectra core/nylon sheath) showed a few hundred
pounds of strength loss but was nowhere near the
drastic loss of Technora. Further research is war-
ranted. The big advantage of these high-tech cords
is their low weight, high strength, and low bulk,
which is advantageous for situations like multipitch
rock climbing and canyoneering.
If you use these high-tech cords, you should tie
the cordelette with a triple fisherman’s knot, and
consider replacing them more often with high use.
Keep in mind that the price tag on the high-tech
cords is roughly twice as much as nylon. The bot-
tom line is this: For an all-purpose cordelette, you
can’t go wrong with old-school nylon—a 7mm
diameter nylon cord is a good choice.
To tie friction hitches like the prusik, klemheist,
and autoblock, you’ll want to use 5mm or 6mm
diameter nylon cord (nylon core, nylon sheath).
When buying this accessory cord, buy the softest,
most pliable cord you can find. A stiff cord won’t
grip as well when used for friction hitches. Also, be
aware of the difference between 5mm nylon acces- Two oval carabiners have the gates properly
sory cord (typically rated at 5.2 kN or 1,169 lbs.) opposed and reversed.
and 5mm high-tenacity cord (like Bluewater Titan
Cord rated at 13.7 kN (3,080 lbs.). You obviously
would not want to use 5mm nylon accessory cord called the nose, and this visually tells you which
for your cordelette! way the gate opens. The basic design has a small pin
on the gate that latches into a groove on the nose
Carabiners end. The preferable “keylock” design eliminates
the pin, and the gate and bar come together in a
Carabiners are used primarily to attach various links machined notch.
(like slings to cord and rope) and attach your rap- For rappelling, oval carabiners are useful for
pel device to your harness. Locking carabiners are carabiner brake rappel systems. Because of their
used in critical applications and in conjunction with symmetry, the gates can be opposed and reversed
belay and rappel devices. Carabiners come in a vari- and the carabiner configuration still retains its oval
ety of shapes: oval, D-shaped, and pear-shaped. shape. Two opposed and reversed ovals can also be
A basic carabiner is of aluminum alloy, with a used in lieu of a locking carabiner at any critical
spring-loaded gate on one side. The spine of the junction in the anchor system in situations where
carabiner is the solid bar stock opposite the gate. you’ve run out of locking carabiners and need extra
The small protrusion on one end of the gate is security at a key point.

22 RAPPELLING

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