looking glass

I am going to be in Moab in March and want to do the rappel/king swing on Looking Glass just for fun.

Stewart Green's book says it's 185 feet and 2 60m ropes required. He specifically says 2 50m ropes won't reach.

However, MP posts say that it's "about 130 ft" down and others say that a single 70m rope is sufficient (which means less than 115 feet or 35 meters).

I'm confused and don't know if I should take 2 ropes or just a 70m.

Anyone done this recently?

A 70 reaches easily with 5-10 feet of extra on both ends

The advantage to using two ropes is redundancy and the wear from rubbing the rock during swings is 6-8 ft from the ends instead of the middle. Not an issue unless you are gonna be there all day with a huge group.

Chris Schmidt wrote:A 70 reaches easily with 5-10 feet of extra on both ends The advantage to using two ropes is redundancy and the wear from rubbing the rock during swings is 6-8 ft from the ends instead of the middle. Not an issue unless you are gonna be there all day with a huge group.

Thanks. I didn't think people would post that a 70m is sufficient if it wasn't but there is lots of conflicting info out there.

Good point about the double ropes. I'm climbing it with my son and we will be the only ones rapping on our rope. I'm sure he will want to swing a bit (I might too).

Doesn't look like much of a climb but my son has never done a long free rappel, so should be fun.

Thanks for the reply.

Chris Schmidt wrote:A 70 reaches easily with 5-10 feet of extra on both ends

+1

Joe Stern wrote: +1

Thanks.

So far, 2 people have said that 70m worked with a few feet to spare & got PM from one who said their 70m came up short.

I realize ropes vary somewhat from the stated length and in how much static stretch they have, but am now unsure if I should take 2 ropes up with us. My 70m rope is new & I'm not sure if it is short or not.

Guess I will take a 60m and a 50m?

i dont about any swinging business but we got down with 2 60s. i believe a 50 might be too short but depends on stretch. definitely 2 ropes needed in my memory

minimal gear needed to actually climb up - handful of cams and few draws and youre good

it doesnt seem like swinging on rap anchors is a cool thing to do? maybe set your own to play on, then climb up, retrieve and rap on rings?

Nico C wrote:i dont about any swinging business but we got down with 2 60s. i believe a 50 might be too short but depends on stretch. definitely 2 ropes needed in my memory minimal gear needed to actually climb up - handful of cams and few draws and youre good it doesnt seem like swinging on rap anchors is a cool thing to do? maybe set your own to play on, then climb up, retrieve and rap on rings?

Thanks. Yeah probably take a 70m and a 60m, in case the 70 comes up short. If a 70m reaches (or almost reaches) doubled up, that would suggest 35m down, so a 50m might reach. However, Stewart Green's book says 50m won't reach. Guess I'd rather have way too much rope than come up short, so it's 60m and 70m (I don't have 2 60m ropes).

I wanted to do this so my son can do the long freestanding rap. I agree that maybe swinging around on the rap anchors isn't the best idea (though it looks fun).

I have done the rap/swing many times, most of those times on a single 70.

I also have a rope that I had to cut that is about 110 feet or so and that touches before weighting/stretching.

You also don't need trad gear to climb this. There are probably 8 bolts or so, and the climbing is "5.4" but mostly 5.0-5.easy and most people solo it. Swinging off the rap anchor is not going to damage it either it is a very smooth pendulum and there are 3 or 4 bolts.

Chris Schmidt wrote:I have done the rap/swing many times, most of those times on a single 70. I also have a rope that I had to cut that is about 110 feet or so and that touches before weighting/stretching. You also don't need trad gear to climb this. There are probably 8 bolts or so, and the climbing is "5.4" but mostly 5.0-5.easy and most people solo it. Swinging off the rap anchor is not going to damage it either it is a very smooth pendulum and there are 3 or 4 bolts.

Cool. Thanks.

You can do a biner block and single line rap and tie 20 feet of webbing on the other end or be even more creative and put your rack or water bottle or pack on the other end and when you come off the rappel the weight will pull the short end of the rope to you (since its free hanging), thus amazing your friends and on lookers.

rging wrote:You can do a biner block and single line rap and tie 20 feet of webbing on the other end or be even more creative and put your rack or water bottle or pack on the other end and when you come off the rappel the weight will pull the short end of the rope to you (since its free hanging), thus amazing your friends and on lookers.

I've used a tagline and once tied a bag of rocks to the rope to pull it down (when we unexpectedly came up short on rope and I didn't have a tagline). Worked well actually. I wouldn't want to drop my pack or water bottle that far.

Don't know if we could do that and still swing on the rope like little kids....

Its a super easy climb with almost zero approach so dragging another rope up assuming you have one is a no brainer.

rging wrote:Its a super easy climb with almost zero approach so dragging another rope up assuming you have one is a no brainer.

Yeah, I think I will take 2 ropes. I'd rather have way more than I need than come up 5 feet short....

Thanks