Why throw ropes for rappel?

Phil Esra wrote: I guess my question is this--I got away from the mtnrs coil (on the ground, at a belay, for example) because that twist always seemed to come back to haunt me, in the form of a tangled rope while lead belaying. And it also took longer to do than a more casual flake. But that was a long time ago, and i've gotten better at rope handling in the intervening years. Do I need to revisit? What do you do with the rope when you're flaking/stacking/coiling at a belay? cheers.

Well it's complicated... The twists aren't usually a problem if you over/under coil it (stiff new ropes might give you a little grief). It does take slightly longer than a casual flake. Feeding the rope off a ledge is better than a butterfly coil & about the same as a flaked rope. Coiling around your body while bringing up the second with a guide mode device is OK, uncoiling and belaying the leader is tricky (unless you have something protruding to hang the coil from). The advantage would be if you want to pick up the rope tie in short and simul-climb. If it's really windy (or making long lap coils is inconvienient or in the climbers way) it would be worth a try, or better yet stack/flake the rope in a bag.

If the pitch is short and I can see the ground, I lower until the end hits dirt.

If it is a longer pitch or I cannot see the ground or there are cracks, ledges, or protrusions in the rock, I pull the rope through, coiling it over my leg until halfway point, then toss out after yelling "rope!".

Always knot each end.

Success!

Ryan Williams wrote:
I've always wondered why people insist on throwing their rope(s) down when they are about to rappel. It makes more sense to me to lower them.

Ryan Williams wrote:
I do actually throw the ropes when I am on anything low angled or if there is a chance that I could be lowering the ends into a rope eating crack.

EricSchmidt wrote: Great... thanks for answering your own question. Can we move on now?

sir, you have been Schmidted

harpoon toss, the only way to fly

I've tossed my ropes down vertical to overhanging walls that were taller than the rope was long and heard them CRACK! like a bull whip at the end of their fall. That can't be good for them. I've also heard them WHACK on a ledge 180' down. I don't like it when my ropes make noise. Every rap is different so if I don't want to either toss, lower, or 'saddle-bag' the rope through a runner, I'll toss the middle of the rope down and have the ends clipped to my harness. At any time in the rap I can unclip the ends and toss them or just keep them clipped. my $.02

Buff Johnson wrote:harpoon toss, the only way to fly

Can you expound on this so-called "harpoon toss"? Teach us.

(make sure you're good to toss)

thread it (at least one side & make sure the rope will stay with you),

re-stack that side,

butterfly coil from an end; just a hand-full of butterflies.

again, clear the route with the rope call and make sure you're good before you toss. don't just toss and yell. I hate it when people do that shit. now,

fucking overhand that bitch as hard as you can, down but away from the wall. (make sure you're tied in). Thing takes off like a harpoon.

repeat for the other side.

It's a Luebby & Nigro trick, but he didn't write it up in his book. Good for wind; you just overpower it.

Buff Johnson wrote:(make sure you're good to toss) thread it (at least one side & make sure the rope will stay with you), re-stack that side, butterfly coil from an end; just a hand-full of butterflies. again, clear the route with the rope call and make sure you're good before you toss. don't just toss and yell. I hate it when people do that shit. now, fucking overhand that bitch as hard as you can, down but away from the wall. (make sure you're tied in). Thing takes off like a harpoon. repeat for the other side. It's a Luebby & Nigro trick, but he didn't write it up in his book. Good for wind; you just overpower it.

I feel like I'm trippin now bro

aim for the purple oliphaunt

Fixing the first 3 pitches of Lurking Fear on El Cap, I tied both ropes together and chucked them in one big coil to the ground. As the ropes came unwound, the lower line sawed over itself resulting a big core shot in my static haul line. Won't do that again with 2 ropes tied end-to-end.

If there's a chance that the ropes will get tangled or caught (especially at night or in a storm), then I'll take the extra effort to coil them into a few stacks slinged to my harness, and pay them out as I rap. Otherwise, it's more convenient to toss them.