Gunks in magazine ad, 1967

Very Cool!

First thing I thought was, "Wow, a biner break." You don't see that very often anymore. I'll bet most climbers don't know how to set one up. Can be really handy if you drop your device.

BTW I do think it's Dave Craft

frank minunni wrote:First thing I thought was, "Wow, a biner break."

Probably even less often then a biner brake - but it does happen. Are you the type of person who puts a steak in the ground?

frank minunni wrote:First thing I thought was, "Wow, a biner break." You don't see that very often anymore. I'll bet most climbers don't know how to set one up. Can be really handy if you drop your device.

Last fall I talked to a climber who was recovering after decking. He dropped his belay device and could not rap. I can not remember what he was doing but it did not work out. I explained a biner brake to him and he wanted to cry cause he understood how simple it was and he had the biners to do it.

As others have noted the woman is rappelling using a biner brake with the rope around her waist for more friction. The guy is giving her a hip belay. Back in the 70s we did the same in our high school climbing club with new climbers.

Munter hitch, my friends. If you drop the device, I mean.

It's worth knowing both. A munter hitch with two strands needs a big locking carabiner, and maybe your only appropriate one got dropped along with the belay plate. Plus, the biner brake will not twist your ropes the way a Munter hitch might.

You can set up a biner brake with almost any carabiners and certainly don't need lockers. There is some concern about possible damage to wiregates---better to use solid gates if you have 'em.

Biner brakes were used by everyone for years and are safe and effective. The only issue to be aware of is not to just pull your rap lines out of the biner brake set-up at the bottom of the rappel; if you do this you'll drop the two cross-piece braking biners.

By the way, there is some ability to adjust the amount of friction from a biner brake. Two crossing biners is the standard set-up, but for a single strand 3 crossing biners might be better. If Kaye had that, she probably wouldn't be passing the rope around her waist and looking stressed.

As an aside, you can rappel pretty comfortably with a single small locking carabiner or two small non-lockers. Clip the carabiner(s) into the harness belay loop, pass the rappel lines through and pass them around your waist. If you are wearing thin clothing (and perhaps also suitable undergarments if female), take off your shirt and stuff it around the back of your waist under the harness for extra padding. Pass the rope around your waist and you're good to go. If the carabiner is a single locker, make sure the rap lines are not running over the gate---in this case two non-lockers with the gates opposed is arguably better. This used to be my preferred method before the biner brakes became popular.

You can rappel on a simple friction hitch.... the same one you tie as your rappel back up

Russ Keane wrote:You can rappel on a simple friction hitch.... the same one you tie as your rappel back up

Can you elaborate? Because that doesn't sound like a very good idea to me

Russ Keane wrote:You can rappel on a simple friction hitch.... the same one you tie as your rappel back up

BAD BAD advice. See ANAM 2011 - woman nearly died trying that. As expected the accessory cord melted, friction went to zero and down she went.

Best alternative if one climber drops their device is for their partner to lower them. SO simple.

Using a single friction knot to rappel with is such an incredibly bad idea that it almost has to be a troll.

Getting lowered after dropping your device doesn't work well if you are the last rappeller and everyone else is below you already. I guess you could haul up a device, but given that there are several safe and effective ways to rappel without a device, why would one add the extra time, aggravation, and potential to somehow lose more devices?

RGold,

What are your thoughts on a using a carabiner wrap, which I put as a separate category from a carabiner brake?

Well, they work (but you have to spend some leisure time figuring out how many wraps). They twist the living hell out of the rope, so are inferior to biner brakes and the Munter hitch. The wraps go around the solid side of a locking carabiner. For a double-strand rappel, you'll need a pretty big biner.

If you lean back too much (or slip and somehow end up horizontal or beyond) there is the possibility that the wraps could move around and over the gate. Sketchy! Be sure to wrap in such a way that if the wraps do migrate to the gate, they tighten the screw rather than undoing it.

All told, considering the better and safer available methods, I'd never use a carabiner wrap myself.

Hey Rich,

I recollect that photo from long ago, and yes, it is definitely Dave Craft. He caught me on a leader fall, when I was a Noob.

I'm not so sure about the girl's identity; unless Kaye's hair was short, around 1967. In 1970, Kaye's distinctively auburn red hair reached down to her waist.

I asked Dick about it (Kaye was his girlfriend at the time). At first he thought is was Kaye, then he started having some of the same doubts you expressed---more about the hair color than the length.

We all agree it is Dave Craft. He's hard to contact, otherwise I'd ask him who the young woman is.

rgold wrote:...more about the hair color than the length...

I wouldn't get too hung up on the hair color in that image as there's a pretty significant color shift/cast from reality.

Random factoid - that ad is the inside front cover from an issue of Playboy.

(I only buy it for the ads)

Gunkiemike wrote: (I only buy it for the ads)

very funny

^ I was pretty sure it wasn't the inside cover ad from Ms. Magazine.

For that it is the same ad, but guy rappelling and woman belaying.