Page 85 - Rappelling

Knots for Joining Two Rappel Ropes

For long rappels—more than half of a standard (60-
meter) rope length—climbers often tie two ropes
together to still have a retrievable system, threading
one rope through the rappel anchor and tying the
two ends together (making a note of which rope to
pull down based on which side of the anchor the
joining knot is positioned), then rappelling on both
strands. Once at the bottom of the rappel, rope is
retrieved by pulling down the rope on the knot side
of the anchor.
Standard knots for joining two ropes include
the double fisherman’s knot and the figure eight
bend. The double fisherman’s is more difficult to
untie than the figure eight bend once weighted;
the figure eight bend, while relatively easy to untie,
is bulky. Carefully tighten the knots before using
them. A stiff rope makes it harder to cinch the knots
tight, so be especially careful with a stiffer rope.
Which knot you use should be based on several
variables. If the ropes differ drastically in diameter,
or are very stiff, the most foolproof knot is the fig-
ure eight bend, backed up with half a double fisher-
man’s on each side. This is a bulky knot, but it gives
you a real sense of absolute security.

Double fisherman’s bend. Figure eight bend.

74 RAPPELLING

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