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General Climbing Discussion

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Abseiling tips, tricks, habits and advice 1-Sep-2014 At 10:53:14 PM jpo

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BFW here.

I'm thinking that abseiling as a sport in its own right is quite different to abseiling after a clinmb after reading this discussion.

If you are just abseiling you have some advantages over climbers. You can carry more gear for abseil use. I use some steel pieces and an industrial sling that would hold an elephant. If I can't set up a bomb proof anchor, I don't do it. Won't do it in the rain. Lots of chances to opt out that climbers may not have.

Don't like the mnemonic approach. You must understand the function of every component and KNOW that each is correctly set up before committing. For me, the mnemonic dumbs it down when it should be a deliberate effort of intellect.

Interesting that the fear of some climbers is of the utter dependence on the gear. I can't see the anchor failing or the rope breaking. I hope abseil devices don't break. While attached to the rope I feel protected from gravity. I reckon the riskiest part of sport abseiling is when working at the top of the cliff when not roped to something.

As for backups, I use two. A short French prusik loop below the device and attached to the leg loop. This sets up the basic abseiling motion. My right hand is extended to below the leg loop and is the main brake. My left hand rests above the prusik and slides it down as I descend. Anytime I want to stop I allow the the prusik to lock and I rest.

I also install a longer prusik (a Klemheist) above the device. Initially I make this loose so it won't grip. When I want extra security as in free hanging, I tighten the loop and make it ready to grip if I should slide. It also works to take my full weight if I wish. It's a bugger to unload (impossible to force). You have to transfer your weight to above the loop before you can loosen it.

Doing a free hanging abseil with these two backups is slow but secure. You develop a nice touch that keeps things flowing. The prussiks are lovely controls.

I think a big point of difference between sport abseiling and abseiling after a climb is that in the former the object is to be on rock, to be hanging out on the side of a boulder or slab. It's a great new way to see the bush. So you don't do it quickly. You stop to use binoculars, take a picture, make a phone call or just look around.

My abseiling journey started from reading Chockstone. I had to learn how to use ropes and harness to do a major tree lopping job that's taken me three years. And I've discovered the joys of scaling boulders and slabs, even if bum first.

So thankyou to whoever put the site together. The Guide and Tech Tips have been great for me. (But I won't touch the rap bolts I've found at various Vic sites you've mentioned.)

Cheers,
BFW.