Do you back up your rappel?

It seems like everything I read says you should back up your rappel, usually with a prusik, but I never have. Is this a dangerous habit or not a big deal?

Are you sure that if something sketchy happens you aren't going to let go of the brake? Like you slip and accidentally reach out with the wrong hand to steady yourself? That seems like a pretty lame reason to break your legs or die. Read Accidents in North American Mountaineering and learn just how many people die because stupid crap like that happens.

That photo is awesome! Second person down can use a fireman's belay.

I think it's a good idea to use a prusik or related backup. I used to never do it, but at some point I realized I was taking an unnecessary risk.

Besides the advantage of making your rappel safer, it can make it easier to deal with your rope getting stuck in a flake or to clean the gear off the route.

It also doesn't even take much time once you get in the habit.

ScoJo wrote:I think it's a good idea to use a prusik or related backup. I used to never do it, but at some point I realized I was taking an unnecessary risk. Besides the advantage of making your rappel safer, it can make it easier to deal with your rope getting stuck in a flake or to clean the gear off the route. It also doesn't even take much time once you get in the habit.

Kind of why I'm asking. Been thinking lately that maybe I should get in the habit, I've just never been with anyone that backed up their rapel and didn't know if thinking I should was old school and no does that anymore or if I should because...things happen.

Ryan Hamilton wrote: Kind of why I'm asking. Been thinking lately that maybe I should get in the habit, I've just never been with anyone that backed up their rapel and didn't know if thinking I should was old school and no does that anymore or if I should because...things happen.

The related question... Do you extend your rappel device when you use the backup?

Never make excuses to not use safety measures that take less than a minute to set up to begin with.

I always back up and extend my rappels.

Yep. A nice fellow I met at Joshua Tree showed me how he uses a Sterling hollow block for this. He told me a convincing story and I've backed up my rappels ever since.
Convincing story:
He'd climbed for ~20 years not backing up his rappel. Then he up and decided it would be a good idea (or something made him decide to start). A couple years later he carelessly rappelled off of an overhang. To keep from bashing his head on the lip he let go of the rope to put both arms up in front of his forehead. He said that it's not certain he would've let go if he hadn't known his rappel was backed up, but what good is a not backed up rappel if you're unconscious after bashing your head?
Convincing enough for me.

For single pitch I ask for a fireman's belay. For multi pitch I use an autoblock hitch.

Standard practice among all my climbing friends. Extra safety for minimal effort.

I generally do using a 3 wrap autoblock. But occasionally, for shorter rappels I wont.

It takes 10 extra seconds to set, and makes the decent much more pleasant. I don't wear gloves so the auto block takes a lot of the heat my hands normally would. Making cleaning sport routes much nicer too.

I haven't noticed a speed difference on decent, but I don't do super fast rappels anyway - see hands and rope burn...

I generally extend because it's more stable then having the brake tugging on your leg loop.

NeilB wrote:Convincing story: He'd climbed for ~20 years not backing up his rappel. Then he up and decided it would be a good idea (or something made him decide to start). A couple years later he carelessly rappelled off of an overhang. To keep from bashing his head on the lip he let go of the rope to put both arms up in front of his forehead. He said that it's not certain he would've let go if he hadn't known his rappel was backed up, but what good is a not backed up rappel if you're unconscious after bashing your head? Convincing enough for me.

Maybe learning how to rap over an overhang would be more useful?

In answer to the OP: perhaps a handful of times over the past 45 years.

I use an AlpineUp belay/rappel device(assisted locking) most of the time, so I'm backed up by default on most of my rappels. When I do rappel with an ATC, I'll use an autoblock hitch under the ATC sometimes, depending on how straightforward I expect the rappel to be. If I'm going to be dealing with knots, tangles, Choss, cleaning gear, going over a roof, or traversing, I'll generally throw a hitch on.

Kinda what Trevor said: depends on the terrain. 60m double rope in high consequence terrain (ice, multi-pitch, tall routes) yes for sure. Things less than like 10-15m where I can see the ground clearly, the rope ends, and no overhead hazard, maybe not. Or better yet, low angle terrain like a snow couloir that I don't want to glissade or downclimb probably won't back it up.

+1 for the sterling hollow block.

How is no one else hung up on the in-your-head pronunciation of his use of the word rappel... literally cant get past it. Ryan if you have read everything explaining the pros, and still have to ask, you have some Darwinism to try and avoid

Interesting the dichotomy I see between posters on MP and out at the crags. The amount of people that I see backing up their rappel when I'm out climbing is pretty slim. The amount of people commenting on here makes it seem that everyone does it.

I never backed up any of my rappels until about 4 years ago. Since then, I now back up about a 1/3 of them. Generally, any time I am in a situation with an unknown rappel, choss, if I want to stop mid way or if I am in an instructional setting or with a newer climber then I will back up. If it is a rappel that I have done many times, that is not chossy and there is little/no chance of rockfall then I get lazy. That being said, I am making the effort to change the 1/3 to 100%.

Another benefit to extending and auto blocking your rappel is that you don't have to worry about tearing your hands up with the rope. I tend to rappel faster with said set up than without because there is no contact with moving parts.

Trevor. wrote:I use an AlpineUp belay/rappel device(assisted locking) most of the time, so I'm backed up by default on most of my rappels. When I do rappel with an ATC, I'll use an autoblock hitch under the ATC sometimes, depending on how straightforward I expect the rappel to be. If I'm going to be dealing with knots, tangles, Choss, cleaning gear, going over a roof, or traversing, I'll generally throw a hitch on.

How have you found the 'backup' on the alpineup when rappelling? Does it seem secure and reliable and have you tested it much? Works on doubles? And is the rappelling still smooth?

Just wondering because it would be a big selling point for me.

Ryan Hamilton wrote:It seems like everything I read says you should back up your rappel, usually with a prusik, but I never have. Is this a dangerous habit or not a big deal?

I sometimes use a friction knot as a "3rd hand" when I'm rappelling, and sometimes I don't. I don't really think of it as a backup -- it isn't really doing much of that for most anything that can go wrong. What it is supplying, though, is a convenient way to go hands-free if I need to deal with something on the rappel -- e.g. untangling a knot, rescuing the rope from a crack, or whatever.

If a rappel is clear, easy, and simple -- 2nd or later down on a rappel; I've seen both ends hit the ground with no knots in the way; I don't need to clean gear/draws/anything off the route on the way down; etc -- then I'll rarely use a friction knot backup on such rappels. I may even choose to do such rappels faster than is strictly necessary for the fun of it. (I like gloves for rappels.)

Climbing safety is no accident.

I just got a Petzl Shunt used off of this site. I've been racking it quite often and setting it up over my ATC for rappels. It locks every time. I tried top rope soloing with it--it was flippin' SCARY, but it locked every time.