What's your descender?
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Hello all - I am getting into rappelling and looking for some advice. Hopefully I'm not asking one of those "this has been hashed out a million times" questions. |
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I suspect you're a troll, because nobody actually goes rapelling for fun. That's just dumb. But I'll take the bait. |
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It doesn't take much to excite me I guess. |
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Just saw the troll comment. I'm innocent. I'm just interested in learning the techniques, etc...I'm not good at climbing tough walls but I do enjoy the know-how of getting down. |
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When I was first getting started I was really glad to have found this site. |
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This is probably not the best place on the interwebs for this question. Rappelling is typically a necessity for rock climbers, rather than the end goal. As such, what we will use for descent is not the same as what might be ideal for rappelling for fun. |
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I'd suggest taking your question to bogley.com. It's a canyoneering forum full of people who rappel for fun. They also know more about rappel-only devices than most climbers do. And they're not as likely to be massive douchewads to people who post in the beginner forum. |
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MarktheCPA wrote:When I was first getting started I was really glad to have found this site. instructables.com/id/How-to… Great for self-teaching.I hope you are trolling. I hope everyone is trolling. |
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The Dulfersitz! |
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I like rappelling, mainly because I had to do it before I started climbing. A figure 8 is going to be faster and less controlled(but still as safe) than an ATC. Good for getting you to the bottom quickly, not stopping to clean gear or observe the potential route. |
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Nah. Met a guy at the crag who had a huge decal on the back of his car that said "sport rapeller" and sure enough there was an odd couple exclaiming about the proper angle to hold an ATC at on rappel and the 'difficulty of that descent' amused I offered to let them climb on a TR i had just set. |
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I do appreciate the responses. I do feel a little abused...I see that it is probably better to go to a canyoneering forum. Done. |
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D.Buffum wrote:Learn how to do a 'biner brake: Also, the munter hitch: Both are emergency solutions.Oddly enough I was talking to a guy six months down the road after a little incident. He related to me a story where he was going to rap but then realized he did not have a belay device so he had his belayer put him back on belay. Things did not go well and he got dropped. I asked him if he knew how to use a carabiner brake. Nope, never heard of it so I showed him. I will not fully repeat what he said but the gist was "fuck me" as he realized how simple it is to construct and that had he knew it he would have used it to rap and not decked. |
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D.Buffum wrote:Learn how to do a 'biner brake: Also, the munter hitch: Both are emergency solutions.Now your talkin'...used it for years now..many years |
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Allen Sanderson wrote: I asked him if he knew how to use a binder break. Nope, never heard of it so I showed him.A binder break? That's like when the 3 rings that hold the looseleaf papers don't snap closed right? And the pages start to fall out of the binder. Happened to me once in 10th grade, real PITA. I don't know what that has to do with rappelling though. |
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Joe-GA wrote: I do feel a little abused...Done. Thanks!Joe, hate to see you go. Although there are many expert climbers that look down on us beginners with disdain, there are many beginners that are trying to learn the sport in a safe manner, and look to others for discussion and advice. I am a beginner climber. I had the good fortune to have some basic instruction from a retired Army Ranger Climb Instructor. The really good climbers will laugh at this, it was pretty basic. But I learned a lot of good habits and we spent a half day on rappelling. I continue to read and analyze climbing techniques. I am a baby boomer so will not live long enough to be an expert. But I try. My choice device for belaying is the Grigri, my choice device for rappelling is an ATC. My wife uses a bell shaped ATC, while I use a modified one that has little grippers on one side. We feel the Grigri has to much ability to have a runaway. We also employ an auto block during rappel. There are many other options. But for $30 a bell shaped ATC seems to be the most cost effective and safe. |
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Jason Todd wrote:The Dulfersitz!This is actually correct. |
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"What's your descender?"
Gravity and so far it never seems to fail. |
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Locker wrote:"What's your descender?" Gravity and so far it never seems to fail.Literally in tears laughing. |
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