Extending your rappel anchor

[ratagonia]

In general, the webbing from the anchor (the rigging of the anchor) should extend out to a point where the RING can be seen from where the rope is pulled. Two reasons: A. Less than this CAN result in excess friction and/or unremovable twisting which can make the rope difficult or impossible to pull; and B. Less than this results in the rock being chewed up where the rope crosses it - what we call rope grooves.

Sometimes it makes the rappel start for the last person rather awkward, but such is the price to canyoneer responsibly. Other than the last persons can be given a "courtesy rappel" either off meat or by shortening the sling temporarily.

At FreezeFest, in Paradiso, the anchor on the last rap was set up short, so that the rope passed over an edge, where two deep grooves were already in place. Part of the irony here is that putting the ring over that next edge does not make the rappel start more difficult, because there is a plenty-comfortable ledge down there.

Now, I can see how someone could set that up and through ignorance or lack of citizenship think it was good. What annoys me more is that the anchor was well-used, meaning somewhere between a few and quite a few parties inspected and used that anchor, and FAILED in their DUTY to extend that anchor. C'mon Folks - please exercise that citizenship muscle and improve those anchors when they NEED it. If you are not going to canyoneer responsibly, please don't canyoneer at all!

Curmudgeonly yours -

Tom

[summitseeker]

Good reminder. Thanks Tom.