Page 60 - Rappelling
P. 60
Rust has taken hold of this chain like a terminal
cancer. The odd piece of hardware the rope
is threaded through is called a lap link, a
malleable piece of soft steel made with a slight
gap that allows you to thread it onto chain or a
bolt hanger, then close shut by smashing it with
a hammer against the rock. An anachronism
from the 1970s and 1980s, lap links are rarely
used today, but you’ll come across them
occasionally. I never liked lap links because of
their relatively sharp edges compared to rings
or quick links. Before rappelling off this ticking
time bomb, I backed up the aging hardware
by threading the white 1-inch nylon webbing
through both bolt hangers and tying it into a
loop with a water knot. A two-bolt chain anchor with welded cold shuts.
Rappel Anchors 49
Rappelling_i-174_3pp_CS55le.indd 49 7/24/13 10:15 AM
