Rappelling Without a Device: How to Do it (And Not Die)

Knowing how to rappel without a device could save your life. In this video I cover the carabiner rappel, Munter hitch rappel, Dulfersitz Rappel, and South African rappel techniques.

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[PB-skjn]

I once went on a multipitch on the Mont Blanc massif (Pyramid du Tacul) with someone who assured me they had done multipitch before. Regardless, out of caution I verified & drilled the Munter hitch with him in the campsite and later before getting on the route. Half way up the six pitch route he confessed this was his first multipitch. (He's now a medical doctor!). Said he fed me false info because he thought I wouldn't climb with him if I'd known. But, of course, I'd have drilled him more.
The descent was six back to back rappels down unclimbable (for me) territory. I went first on each, to take responsibility for safely finding the next anchor.
After my third rappel, I hear "ping, ping ping ping..." of a dropped ATC.
Then my name called .... "pete pete, how do you do that Munter hitch thingy?"
Damn... I carried two belay plates just in case, but they were both with me.
But described it again, and he was convinced it was taking his weight and running correctly. I tied off the rope as tight as possible and wrapped it round a limb and put full body weight tension on it too, to maximise the friction. He had indeed tied the knot right as I had shown him, used my spare belay plate for the rest of the descent. But damn... that scares me still 20 years on.
(In hindsight, I should have prussiked back up, and not trusted his belief the knot was good and he was confidentt. Could have had his death on my conscience.)
Munter hitch can save lives. This does happen from time to time.

[billbowdren]

Watched your video yesterday and successfully rappelled down a very steep slope to recover dumped trash in a wood.

[melvinpasik]

Thank you for your postings..
I'm very new but want to learn

[theenglishalpinist]

The south african is the only no-equipment one I would consider on vertical terrain. You're pretty secure, and yes it's damn tight but the burning is not so bad if you take it very slow and are well-clothed.

[mentalitydesignvideo]

What about the clamp arrangement used in crevasse rescue? I forgot the term of art for it. It's two carabiners attached to the same point (loop, biner, sling). A bight of rope wraps around both and then goes into the space between the two, that's the live strand. The exiting strand is the braking strand.

[Meowskiii]

no information about the harness. How is this emergency rappeling without repalling equipment, when you have a rappeling harness on?

[ianpuleston]

Two comments: The 6-biner rappel looks like it should really be a 5-biner one. I see no reason for using 2 carabiners to clip it into the harness if you are using a locking one - not really any different to clipping in with a single biner when rappelling with an ATC or figure-8 (or am I missing something there?).

I first learned to rappel in boy scouts back in the mid 70s before we had rappel devices, and so used a body friction technique. One thing different that we were taught was that for safety the rope should be wrapped once around the control arm, not just held in the hand (but we learned using a harness, as follows, so may be different?).

To answer @Meowskiii's question, we learned to do it using a harness, and instead of passing the rope under your crotch, you clip it through a locking biner in the harness, then pass it over the left shoulder, controlling it with the right arm (or vice-versa) with a wrap around the arm. But back then climbing ropes were 11mm so rather less uncomfortable for this than today's relatively skinny ropes.

[youtooyoutoo]

The most essential of the '6-biner rappel are the two 'frame' biners. Remember that these biners are cross-loaded, and only the thin, sharp cut, tangs of the hinge stands between you and death. They are not designed to take ANY load perpendicular to the plane of the biner, but that is exactly what you are doing! With two 'frame' biners, you have at least one solid biner shaft supporting each 'end' of the brake-bar biners.
. The least needed of the six is the redundant locking harness connector biner. Next, the second braking biner (unless you are very heavy with pack or adipose).
. It is also possible to do this (with 3 or 4 biners) without either connector, by clipping the double frame biners into your harness, but extra care must be taken to control the rappel line(s) AWAY from the abrasive/melting contact with your harness.

[CriptonBot]

How do I get down with only a rope? I live on top floor of a tower block which has no fire escape.

[gabrielsolis]

Off topic, I feel like I'm looking at my doppelganger.

[andrewrobertson]

So, noob question...any reason you couldn't do this with three carabiners instead of six? Three singles instead of three pairs?