Rock Climbing Basics: Extending a Rappel

Climbing magazine is producing a series of how-to videos to demonstrate a number of basic skills and techniques. In this video, Julie Ellison, Climbing's gear editor, shows how to extend a rappel setup for a slower and safer rappel.

Thanks to our partners: Wild Country, Red Chili, Vertical Girl, and New England Ropes.

[climbermichael]

Thanks for the video! Very helpful.

Really wish the music had been turned off once you started speaking though.

[bjarbj]

This is a very good rappel set up. I do this exact one except I have never made a platform knot but I think I will try this method since it saves the climber from needing a second sling to tie into the anchor with. The only thing I would mention is you did not weight your back up to make sure it would catch. If you used the same back up and same climbing rope often that wouldn't make any difference. However, I noticed on some of my friends ropes (such as the dry core ropes) they can slip with less than 4 wraps. Since 3 wraps usually is perfect I don't always do 4; but then when I weight it and see it slipping and I know I need more wraps. this is especially true if you used a stopper knot instead of a prusik. I prefer the stopper despite needing to check more for slipping because it rappels smoother and doesn't jerk me around. Overall, this is one of the very few Youtube videos that is safe to learn from.

[Tenalirama]

Very Useful. Thank you so much. Love from Mumbai - India

[gbeane]

The second loop on the sling is used to clip into an anchor while you setup your rappel device. It is just clipped back onto the harness to keep it out of the way while you are on rappel.

It is an autobloc, not a prussik knot. It will lock up if you let go of the brake strands. Pretty common for a rappel backup.

I don't like knots in dyneema slings though, the break at much lower loads.

[CabinetOfCuriosity]

For someone who knows nothing about climbing, I like to have more detail in either the actual video, or the description section about the equipment used. A single length sling is how long versus a double length sling 60 CM/120 CM? 30CM/60 CM? Size/type carabiners? Specifically what's being used in the demo? But something made three years ago, probably isn't going to get a response from Climbing Magazine. But thank you for the videos. I love instructional videos for new things.

I'm also amused how in any activity in which I have participated, backpacking, cycling, climbing, reenacting, whatever ... everyone is an expert. And there is a lot of contradictory advice. People are funny.

[AndrejHosna]

1) first biner - clip it through both loops of the eight created by knotting the loop
2) both knots you have tied actually decreased sling strength. With 120cm sling you could have just put one end through your harness and join both ends with biner(no knot, you would have used just one biner, double the strength of sling)
3) use of sling for long rappels might be dangerous because of the friction + generated heat. Rappel ring on the harness is built for that.

[dude]

Problems I observe with this setup:1. Use of a Dyneema sling. Nylon would be a better choice.2. Tying an overhand knot in the Dyneema. 💀Death sentence here.💀3. Girth hitching it to your harness. Better to use a locking biner to attach it for Dyneema.4. Using a 4' sling. Better to set this up with a 2' sling for the rap extension and a separate tether for the anchor, preferably a Nylon sling or some dynamic cord.The concern here is not so much during the rappel but as she stated using the same system as a tether/personal anchor at the next set of anchors. Dyneema is very stiff and much more so than Nylon. Small falls can create extremely high shock loads when using Dyneema or even Nylon (much less than Dyneema) as a tether. These forces could be as high as 4x the force you feel in a typical lead fall. Tying a knot in Dyneema further lowers the load carrying capacity of the sling as does girth hitching the sling. If one uses this system with a 4' sling as shown, the overhand knot, girth hitch and then uses the locking carabiner to clip themselves at the next anchor it's very likely they would be attached with a decent amount of slack in the system. Even a small Fall Factor 1 (FF1) drop can generate very high loads enough that the Dyneema sling would fail catastrophically. Climb slightly above the belay anchors on this system and it looks even worse. Inexperienced climbers unaware of this information could easily put their faith in this system and not pay attention that the Dyneema tether should be kept taught at the anchor station. 💀💀

[Tan_YongWei]

Can I ask why the larger loop carabiner attached to the belay device is place top and the smaller loop of the carabiner was place bottom?

[ddroog]

did the background music need to be so high in the mix?

[TypesOfMe]

Can you show us how it is suppose to look like when u rappeling down ? Just incase.

[azib]

How do you unload the auto-block once loaded?

[callumgibb]

I'm worried...
Firstly that the second loop on the sling serves no purpose... the 'biner (argh!) needs to go through both sides of the loop then it is at least a back up.
Secondly, it's doubtful that the prussik demonstrated would stop anyone falling as it's not tied propery... too much slack so it would slip.
Finally, i wouldn't permit anyone to use the belay loop to clip onto. That maybe the american way to do it so i'm prepared to accept that this may just be pedantry..!

[EduardoCosta-xrue]

bom ensinamento pena que não entendo o que falas

[josephheinz]

Not sure why you don't tie a figure eight on a bight to hook your atc biner way you are really backed now, the tie in leading to the biner on your belay loop is useless if that cord breaks on your girth tie side....no redundancy right now.
would hate to rely on the prussik to save me if all that gave way suddenly.

[toddkreider]

you never actually showed it being used

[BrandonKeating]

personally i would hate to rely on everything else...id much rather just a rope and prussik haha

[baghaei]

DON'T TIE A KNOT IN DYNEEMA. Use webbing for this.