Nomenclature Picayunes...

[ratagonia]

Abseil - The process of descending on a fixed rope. Americans call it rappelling. "Rappelling" is rigging a rope for descent so that it can be pulled down or "rappelled" (French for "to recall") after the descent. Abseiling is just sliding down a rope. So if the rope is fixed at the top (as in caving) it is not "rappelling".

Wow, never heard that one. Single line, fixed, floating, moving at a moderate pace - no matter. Sliding down a rope, in the dear old USA, under control, is rappelling.

Cavers rappel. Climbers rappel. Rescuers rappel. Sometimes the rope is set for pulling (ie, retrievable), sometimes not. Englishmen abseil. Sometimes they "rope down".

The French word seems to have more of a sense of "returning". Thus, after one does the climb, one returns by sliding down the rope... "Rappel" is written on roadsigns in France - I think it means "Return" as in, how to get back to the highway, for instance.

Any Francophiles willing to show their stuff on Bogley??? Cirrus?

Tom :moses:

(1 word down, a zillion to go.)

[ratagonia]

Abseil - The process of descending on a fixed rope. Americans call it rappelling. "Rappelling" is rigging a rope for descent so that it can be pulled down or "rappelled" (French for "to recall") after the descent. Abseiling is just sliding down a rope. So if the rope is fixed at the top (as in caving) it is not "rappelling".

Wow, never heard that one. Single line, fixed, floating, moving at a moderate pace - no matter. Sliding down a rope, in the dear old USA, under control, is rappelling.

Cavers rappel. Climbers rappel. Rescuers rappel. Sometimes the rope is set for pulling (ie, retrievable), sometimes not. Englishmen abseil. Sometimes they "rope down".

The French word seems to have more of a sense of "returning". Thus, after one does the climb, one returns by sliding down the rope... "Rappel" is written on roadsigns in France - I think it means "Return" as in, how to get back to the highway, for instance.

Any Francophiles willing to show their stuff on Bogley??? Cirrus?

Tom :moses:

(1 word down, a zillion to go.)

I was looking for an argument. Where did the original come from? Does someone hold the distinction, of whether the rope is rigged for retrieval???

(You call that and argument!)

Tom

[Iceaxe]

Hey... I just agreed with you and fixed the glossary.

Sorry I took all the fun out of it for ya.... :haha:

[oldno7]

The question is just dying to be asked---
If you are not rappelling on a fixed line............
Then you are not ascending if on a fixed line? :ne_nau:

Just trying to figure out what it is we do. :lol8:

[Scott Card]

The question is just dying to be asked---
If you are not rappelling on a fixed line............
Then you are not ascending if on a fixed line? :ne_nau:

Just trying to figure out what it is we do. :lol8: :roflol: :roflol: I'm so confused. All canyons must be shut down until we figure out what we are doing. Oh mercy! I need a bailout. (I have no idea where that came from . . . )