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would this bother you if you saw it at a climbing area?

Original Post
EB · · Winona · Joined Jan 2002 · Points: 1,207

Is it just me or is this a scary sight... beginners inverted rapping...
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skeeter · · Lakewood CA · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 10

at least they are wearing helmets and are being backed up from below (kinda)...my buddy did this with no backup and flipped head-first, no injury luckily

they both look like they don't have left arms, what are they doing with the other arm?

Ian Stewart · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2010 · Points: 155

It would only bother me if they were rapping down where I want to climb. They look pretty safe to me with helmets and fireman's belays. I've seen climbers do much, much worse.

20 kN · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,346
EB wrote:Is it just me or is this a scary sight... beginners inverted rapping...
Aussie style rappelling... It is not that unheard of it, I have even tried it a few times when I was young. I can tell you that it really, really sucks. It is not fun at all. All your weight is put onto your waist which makes you want to pass out. Plus, harnesses are not really designed to be loaded in the back. So is it a death sentence? No, but rappelling the normal way is a lot safer. Anyway, to answer your question, I wouldent be that worried. They will probably quickly realize that not being able to breath sucks.
M Sprague · · New England · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 5,090

The purpose is so you can shoot people on the way down. It is kind of stupid otherwise.

EB · · Winona · Joined Jan 2002 · Points: 1,207

Correct, harnesses are not meant to be loaded in this manner and some have haul loops which are not meant for load. I would hope this was clarified to the beginners, otherwise, yes death sentence.

David Appelhans · · Broomfield, CO · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 410

How do you tell a beginner rappeller from an expert...?

EB · · Winona · Joined Jan 2002 · Points: 1,207

one way is when they say, this is my first time rappelling or climbing... ever...

Marc H · · Longmont, CO · Joined May 2007 · Points: 265
David Appelhans wrote:How do you tell a beginner rappeller from an expert...?
The leg position of the dude on the right is a good indicator. ;)
Larry S · · Easton, PA · Joined May 2010 · Points: 872

I had my first encounter with "Sport Rappellers" about 2 months ago. They were all using some variation of a swiss seat tied with 2" webbing and rappeling like this at a local TR crag. The tall point of the cliff is 110 feet. The "guide" among them was wearing what I would takes a fork-lift full body harness, and would make it down that 110 feet in about 5 seconds. He's there trying to teach these 18 year olds to "do it right" by jumping out from the rock in HUGE bounds, throwing the brake end of the rope up & out, basically in free-fall between bounds. No firemans belay.

The climb they were occupying has a bolted anchor, but he didn't trust that, so he had it primarily anchored on a 2' diameter tree 20 or so feet back, backed up on the bolts, and also backed up on the next anchor over (so 4 bolts), Whole anchor built with something that resebled old "gold line"

To top it off, he thought we were insane for using cordolette to extend my anchor over the edge. Spoke up to me about it and said he didn't think i should trust just two bolts or use cord so small (8mm)

Adam Fernandez · · Matawan NJ · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 90

I saw something similar at the New this past April. These guys were just running laps rappelling as quickly as possible off a 40ish ft overhang meanwhile chain smoking reds. Was pretty rad.......

Dustin Drake · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 5

Regardless of their proficiency at rappelling, sport rappellers deserved to be mocked.

John Husky · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2011 · Points: 5

As long as I don't have to carry it out or give it CPR or hold part of it together, it doesn't bother me.

The sketchy soloists I could do without, and the blabbermouths.

Ed Wright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2006 · Points: 285
Dustin Drake wrote:Regardless of their proficiency at rappelling, sport rappellers deserved to be mocked.
Why? Do you really believe that being a climber makes you any better than anyone else???
Morgan Patterson · · NH · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 8,945
M Sprague wrote:The purpose is so you can shoot people on the way down. It is kind of stupid otherwise.
+!1
S.Stelli · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 150
M Sprague wrote:The purpose is so you can shoot people on the way down. It is kind of stupid otherwise.
I havent laughed this hard in a while, thanks man!
ROC · · Denver, CO · Joined Feb 2003 · Points: 155

Looks Awesome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLEaXEql1po

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

More like rappellers at a climbing area in general.

Bound to have something stupid happen when mixing those user groups, one going up and going down.

David Grahek · · Kill Devil Hills, NC · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 1

can't help but laugh at the video.

Adam Fernandez · · Matawan NJ · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 90

Wow...that video is classic. Physics wins again.

Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241
M Sprague wrote:The purpose is so you can shoot people on the way down. It is kind of stupid otherwise.
Hmmm... Imma kill your crag dog Aussie style?

It just seems like a bad idea for climbing considering all the stuff you care about on the descent will be located behind you.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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