Man survives 90-foot fall in the Grand Canyon

[Brian in SLC]

Then again, Nick is experienced with SRT, and screwed up. Good to be lucky.

To paraphrase Freud: sometimes a screwup is just a screwup.

To poke on this a bit further...

But, his SRT technique was driven by a method he employs for everything, when, its really only applicable specifically for one thing: contingency.

He wasn't using the anchor/rope for contingency, but, that's what he was rigging for. Had he just blocked the rope, or, rappelled double strand, that would have avoided the mistake of not finishing the block on the figure eight.

Most of us adapt techniques that are simple and easy to remember and employ. He uses a more complex rigging system I think because he's a guide and that's how he protects clients (or friends who rappel first). I like the technique myself. But, I wouldn't use except for contingency. Why add that complexity? Its not needed. And, why not employ a safety check prior to launch?

The more we do this stuff...the more chances there are to screw up. Having it become commonplace, as part of the "system" to do safety checks of rigging, to have your partner check your harness, your tie in, etc, will pay benefits for folks who manage to stay in the game longer.

[moab mark]

With all due respect to all who competently use the biner block, which has included me, there has been repeated incidents of canyoneers using this method.

Is there not a safe, simple alternative that provides the advantages of a biner block yet ensures the security of the person rappelling?

Just this past fall, after rapping the first sequence of 5 raps on Sons of Yesterday in Yosemite Valley, my partner and I discovered one of our ropes sheathes damaged exposing the core.

I recommended using the biner block for the remaining raps. In response, she introduced me to a different method that might be called the "Reepschnur rappel" in some circles.

Instead of clove hitching a biner and rapping the single good strand, we tied a figure eight or overhand on a bite (sorry, I forget which), then clipped the biner to the single good strand.

The beauty of this rigging is that you can rap both strands or only the "good" strand and still remain safe. This does require pulling the damaged strand to retrieve the ropes. (in the case of canyoneering, this would not be a damaged strand but rather a pull cord.)

So the question is why wouldn't canyoneering adopt similar rigging for single strand rappels?

http://www.mountaineeringmethodology...npram01_cb.jpg

This thread has been pretty much been beat to death, can someone explain how clipping the pull side with a biner makes this safer? Clipping the biner to the anchor, now you got something. The knot is the block?

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