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Do you know the scramble descent from the Pharos |
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29-Apr-2015 2:03:08 PM
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Quite a few years back I found myself on top of The Pharos with the indefatigable Arapiles explorer Greg Pritchard. We’d just done the FA of Throwim Way Leg and were discussing the way down. It emerged that Greg had never done the scrambling descent from the Pharos. This stunned me as I think it’s the most enjoyable way to get down and it’s an easy way off if you have only 1 rope.
I think that anyone who climbs the Pharos should do this descent at least once, preferably on their first climb to the top. It makes the whole experience more of an adventure and adds to your cliff-sense. None of this “Here’s the top, 2 bolts, rapoff”, it’s weave this way, now back that way, oh, a short rap, I wonder if that hole leads anywhere, now right or left, another short rap.
Once upon a time I used to scramble up and down it unroped but there are a couple of nasty bits so one or two short raps are normal
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29-Apr-2015 2:06:16 PM
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This was supposed to be a poll but it seems to have lost that attribute navigating the prompts in the beta section. That's enough one finger typing for now though - I might fix it later
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29-Apr-2015 2:18:21 PM
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It's been pretty much the only way I've descended the pharos for a long time (apart from rapping off after Lamplighter). I can never be bothered carrying two ropes unless I really have to and hardly ever climb in a party of three so that 50m rap tends to be ignored.
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29-Apr-2015 2:54:14 PM
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Yes. It's my preferred way with beginners, as many of them get freaked out by the double rope rap, meaning I really need 3 ropes to be certain.
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29-Apr-2015 3:32:34 PM
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I love throwing beginners off the rap down the back - and usually they love it, too, once back in the car.
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29-Apr-2015 6:38:47 PM
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My wife , daughter and I did this descent only 2 weeks ago. We thought it was more dangerous than the climb up. Had to lower the missus down to the last rap. All good fun. She fell on her bum at the car getting out of her harness.
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29-Apr-2015 9:03:25 PM
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It's not really a scramble descent if you abseil part of it.
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30-Apr-2015 6:50:04 AM
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Yeah my memory is it is one small rap walk through hole and and then another rap. Certainly less freaky then the 50m free hanging rap off the back! But I'm easily scared theses days!
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