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Thread: Hauling ample rope

  1. #1

    Hauling ample rope

    So I've been Canyoneering for quite a few years and have never really had anything go wrong. Knock on wood. There was a post on here or Canyon Collective about not being able to pull a rope at neon due to the pull cord stretching etc.
    This wasn't a real big problem but I thought I would post it for those that are carrying minimal rope. Whoever has set the webbing up in Constrictnine has done a good job of having the ring hang over the edge to reduce rope grooves. On the big rappel I rigged it and realized it was going to be a pain for some of my newbies to make the difficult start. So I decided to set up a courtesy rappel for them and I would go off the ring at the end. To make the story short in the process of doing this I lost hold of the 200' rope and away it went. Needless to say about 5 other guys shit theirselves when the saw the end go over the edge.
    I played it up that we were screwed and they all started sweating.

    We had two other ropes for short rappels and to tie together for this pull. So we lowered rappelled one guy to the bottom and then tied the big rope on and brought it back up.

    My point is trying to save a bit of weight by only bringing the absolute minimum rope and a pull cord whether 6 mil or smaller can really get your butt in trouble when a whoops happens. Yes I know should of clipped the end to me etc but hey I didn't and it got away.

    With the advent of the fiddlestick/smooth operator I think more guys are just hauling one rope and a pull cord. Think it thru, would of been a long day sitting there wishing we had another real rope.

    YMMV
    Mark

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  3. #2
    Agree. 3x the longest drop is a good "rule of thumb". It also seems as of late that canyoneers are hell-bent of finding sneak exits to everything.

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  5. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by mzamp View Post
    It also seems as of late that canyoneers are hell-bent of finding sneak exits to everything.
    Turning a 8-12 hour canyon with a shuttle into a 4-6 hour canyon with no shuttle? Yeah I like the new sneak routes in the West Fork.

  6. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by moab mark View Post
    So I've been Canyoneering for quite a few years and have never really had anything go wrong. Knock on wood. There was a post on here or Canyon Collective about not being able to pull a rope at neon due to the pull cord stretching etc.
    Here, btw

    http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...Neon-Escalante

  7. #5
    I was thinking more in the line of Shamrock. I thought the published exit was short enough.

    But now that you mentioned west fork. Although it takes some coordination and coercing, I prefer being dropped off and exiting out call of the canyon. You get the enjoyment of the west fork and all down-hill in 6 hours. :-) YMMV

  8. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by moab mark View Post
    With the advent of the fiddlestick/smooth operator I think more guys are just hauling one rope and a pull cord. Think it thru, would of been a long day sitting there wishing we had another real rope.

    YMMV
    Mark
    Point in case: Not long ago (5 Mos.) I was invited on a hike of which I'd done quite a few times. Longest drop=200'. I inquired as to whether they wanted me to bring my BW Canyon Pro. 200'? The response was no, as they had a 200' rope and pull cord (new dyneema stuff) with fiddle stick. I sneakely dropped my 200' rope in my pack anyway. Got to first drop and Voila, fiddlestick and dyneema cord hopelessly stuck on bush on ledge. Non-retrievable! I personally was pretty glad that I'd silently snuck my rope in my pack as the 200' drop was yet to come! 2X or more the longest drop is and has been a good equation for me over the last 25 or so years!

    FWIW: I'd been on trips and had ropes snag on this first drop in the past, but always able to get the ropes free, or jug back up for retrieval.

  9. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Bo_Beck View Post
    Got to first drop and Voila, fiddlestick and dyneema cord hopelessly stuck on bush on ledge. Non-retrievable! I personally was pretty glad that I'd silently snuck my rope in my pack as the 200' drop was yet to come!
    Did you make them sweat it out a bit before you surprised them with the good news?

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  11. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Sombeech View Post
    Did you make them sweat it out a bit before you surprised them with the good news?
    YES!

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