Backing up rappells: Who does it?

Don't back up. Lots of excuses, as for the reason: apathy. Also I typically don't carry cord, so that inhibits the assembling of a backup.

I use one if I'm the first down and 1) the rope needs clearing or 2) I can't see both ends of the rope on the ground.

I'm getting into the habit of tying knots on the ends for the same reason. But if its a clean rappel, and I can clearly see that I won't rap off the ends, I'll go without. The rap is just faster, so I reason that I spend less time exposed to the things that would be addressed by using a rappeller-controlled autoblock.

The fireman's backup is awesome though.

Never done it and until quite recently everyone I'd see do it was doing it because they had been told to by a guide. This was, naturally, quite a turn off for me.

To be honest, I think this is one of the main reasons people do stupid shit while climbing - they don't want to look like a noob. wearing a helmet, protecting the ground fall, knotting the rope ends, backing up the rappel...

I've learned the hard way with a couple of those and I should probably start backing up my rappels too.

I'm losing but still at 245 lbs so I back up my raps and extend them.

Jacob Smith wrote:To be honest, I think this is one of the main reasons people do stupid shit while climbing - they don't want to look like a noob. wearing a helmet...

I occasionally back up my rappels, but most often I just go for it. I most commonly back it up if I'm simul-rappelling (which isn't often).

If I do back one up I'll use a short cordelette and girth hitch my leg loop (right side) and wrap the rope 3-4 times and then reattach to my leg loop with a carabiner (non locking).

100% of the time. It takes LITERALLY 10 seconds and could save my life. If I'm climbing where repelling is possible i have a cord with a locker on my leg loop ready to go. Stupid not to. Even a quick 50' single pitch will kill you in an instant if you foot slips and you let go of that rope for some unforeseen reason.

Happy climbing!

I'm only 180lbs, so I do not back up.

Never.

If I can see the ground, that both ends of the rope are touching it, it's not a double rope rap, and that it's a straight line down that's not gonna cause me any issues, I don't always use one.

Otherwise, yes, I will.

I do it nearly all of the time, although I dont find the autoblock to be that effective on a 9.4mm and 6mm cordelette with a 6mm autoblock. I probably need to pick up some 5mm for my autoblock.

90% of the time. Autoblock.

If I think I'll need to stop to remove gear, fix the rope, or otherwise stop for a bit, yea, extend and prusik. If not, nope. to be honest, most of the time, no back up or extension.

I don't backup my rapple. I also use an atc to belay people so in my mind this is fair. If I won't back up someone else falling, why would I back myself up rappelling?

However, the biggest reason that I don't use a backup is that is takes a long time to set it up. Most people I have encountered that uses a back will tell you that it take 'a couple seconds' but what they really mean is that it will take them longer to set up their backup then it would to rapple 100 feet. This is most irritating if you are witnessing clouds building and watching them mess with backup.

Calm Rob has a good story from another thread that almost made me change my mind about auto blocks- it seems worthwhile to repeat here.

rob.calm wrote: I don't have any data on this, but it seems that the number of accidents reported from rappelling or being lowered are about the same. There are situational considerations in deciding which to choose. A few years ago, I was doing an easy rappel from bolts on a trad route, when a huge gust of wind blew me off the rock. turned me upside down and then I scraped along the cliff being blown to the left. I don't know if I let go of the brake hand or not, but I was glad I had prussic backup and even more glad that I had on a helmet. rob.calm

Wondering, does anyone know of a tale where a back-up rap saved their bacon.

Or is it just me who thinks a back up to a rap is a rookie waste of time?

I use it almost always, eliminates rope burn/need for gloves, and it literally takes 10 seconds at most to rig. Sometimes it's a slow bumpy start but once you lose a little rope weight it's fine. If you move laterally at all while rapping the rope above you can move with enough force to dislodge rock above you. Or your partner/other party's in line above you could drop gear or kick a rock. The only reason not to is because it could breed complacency. I still try to act like there isn't one there and leg wrap etc before going hands free.

I almost never back up my rappel unless there is loose rock, or if I'm going to have to be doing some weird cleaning of stuck gear. I see no need for it most of the time, unless you're rappelling multipitch with loose rock, other parties above, etc.

Another option is to simply use a locking-assist rap device like the Mammut Smart. The Smart is about the same cost as an ATC, length of 6mm and locking biner for the 6mm.

Why wouldn't you use a back up???