Rappelling Basics

Rappelling, also known as abseiling, refers to the controlled descent from a cliff, steep slope or a tall tree, with the help of a rope. One of the most popular adventure sport today, rappelling does require some precautions and a lot of practice. That being said, you should never try to rappel from any structure, until and unless you are well-versed with rappelling basics, or have a professional expert to guide him you in person.

Basics of Rappelling

This technique of descent is most often used by rock climbers, when the structure they ascend is too steep to descend without safety gear. In some cases, people are much more interested in rappelling than in rock climbing,.and hence they directly go to the top of the structure by some other mode of transport and rappel all the way down for sheer pleasure. To get the maximum pleasure though, one has to go for both, rock climbing and rappelling.

Rappelling Gear
But obviously, the rappel rope is the most basic requirement of rappelling. Most of the rock climbing stalwarts use their specialized climbing ropes to descend. However, some experts recommend the use of static ropes for rappelling, as these ropes reduce bouncing and make the descend a lot easier. Rappelling anchors can be either natural, such as the trees and boulders, or artificial, such as the nuts and hexes. The descender is yet another important rappelling gear, which facilitates the controlled descend from the top. A climbing harness, used around the waist to secure the person, is yet another must have tool when it comes to rappelling. Rappelling knots, such as the Klemheist knot or Bachmann knot, are used as a safety measure to bring the situation under control if the rappeller loses control while descending. Other than this rappelling gear, you should also use a helmet, boots, gloves and knee pads, to protect the respective parts of your body, when indulging in this activity.

Basic Tips and Tricks of Rappelling
When done properly by taking the basics of rappelling into consideration, this activity can be great fun. Minor mistakes on the other hand, can result in dire consequences. You need to secure all the loose clothes and safety gear straps, as there are chances that these loose ends may get caught in your rappel gear, and hamper the descend. Choosing the right anchor point is equally important. Ideally, an anchor point should be well grounded. It shouldn't have sharp edges, nor should it have any obstruction. The ropes are thick and strong enough to bruise your hands, and hence wearing gloves is also a must. Never use a worn out rope for rappelling. In fact, it is better to check the rope for such worn out points before you even set out for this activity.

Ideally, you should start the descend with small and firm steps. When you are in a near horizontal position, you might experience some swaying which may make the descend difficult. In such circumstances, you should plant both your legs firmly, and wide apart, on the rock wall. Your back should be straight, and parallel to the rock wall throughout the descend, while your legs should be perpendicular and feet flat on the rock wall. While going down, you need to make sure that you look where you are heading, and use your guide hand to navigate and to ease the friction. Ideally, your left hand will be the guide hand, while your right hand will act as the brake. Once you are in proper position, you can slowly start releasing the rope in your right hand, and you will start descending. When you need to halt, you just have to hold the rope in your right hand firmly, and this will make you stop where you are unless you start releasing the rope again.

The amount of risk involved in rappelling is relatively high when compared to other extreme sports. A fall from a mere 10 meters can cause some serious damage to the human body, and a fall from a hundred meters can turn out to be even more disastrous. Statistics show that about 25 percent deaths in rock climbing actually happen in the course of rappelling. That being said, one has to be utterly cautious when indulging in this adventure activity. Irrespective of whether you are an experienced rappeller, or you are an amateur in the field, you can't afford to take risks when it comes to such extreme sports.