Rappel Backup Friction Knot

Jason4Too wrote:

When I rap with my GriGri I'll pull the rope through the rap anchor as normal, tie an 8 on a bight at the half way point of the rope, clip a locker through the bight in the 8 and clip the locker around the strand of the rope that's still through the rap anchor.  The 8 on a bight plus the locker captures the other strand at the rap anchor and lets me rap off an essentially fixed single strand.  At the bottom I simply pull the strand that I didn't rap on and my knot and locker slide down to me.  I avoid doing this in blocky terrain where it might be easy to get the large knot/loop/locker stuck on something.  I think a variation of this without the locker is pretty common practice in canyoneering and I'm sure there's an instructional video out there that shows this better than I've explained it.

I'm familiar with this setup.   I just prefer not bringing a heavy gri-gri with me on a multipitch climb.  And I would never want to use this rappel setup in Red Rocks

Jason4Too wrote: I always rappel with an autobloc in 6mm accessory cord clipped to a locker on my belay loop unless I'm rappelling on a GriGri.

I extend my rappel device away from me and tie an autobloc to the rope and attach it to a locking carabiner on my harness.  I typically extend my device with a PAS girth hitched normally, locker through two loops and then doubled back to my belay loop.  This creates a system with redundancy to my rappel device plus the autobloc is tied to a full strength loop that will not tip me off balance should something strange happen like my locker at my rappel device is vaporize mysteriously.  If I'm alpine climbing and travelling light then I can use a double length sewn sling in place of the PAS, tied to be redundant.  It takes 3 lockers, either a PAS or sling, my belay/rappel device, and the accessory cord.

This is a good setup and good to see that you use the simple setup to make the PAS redundant.  

rockklimber wrote:

And I would never want to use this rappel setup in Red Rocks

Because of stuck ropes?

Everett wrote:

Because of stuck ropes?

Yes.  Red Rocks is notorious for stuck ropes in even the best of situations.  The discussed setup would just exacerbate the problem.

I always have extended my rappel (after getting my legs destroyed going over a edge, being to naive to understand what i was doing.. haha).  

Used to do it with a single sling Girth Hitched, then a double Sling Girth Hitched through both points on the harness with a Figure 8 on a bite in the middle,  I would place my rappel below the shelf of the knot then i would use the end of the sling with a locker as a cheap simple PAS.

I now use the Petzl Dual Connect that has a strand specifically for extending your rappel, then an adjustable end that works as a PAS/ Work Positioning system.

Regardless of what system I would use I would always use a Autoblock clipped with a small locker back to my belay loop.  I now use a 1M piece of 5 mm cord tied in to a loop with 2 opposing double fisherman's.  I was just out this weekend and 2 or 3 wraps around the rope was enough to grab.   It is important to extend your rap in this setup because it is possible for the friction hitch to work its way in to the feed pattern of the belay device.  I know how to tie a few other friction hitches, but for ease of use and simplicity the autoblock is hard to beat.   I would never bother backing up my rap, but after one discussion with a friend on the subject i was easily brought in to the world of backups.  So much so that i almost will not let friends I take out rap with out one.  

Also having the autoblock on the belay loop serves 2 purposes:
1: It can be your backup for your belay
2:It becomes your third hand that can really help when rigging a rappel, just pull a few arm lengths or rope up, and the autoblock holds the slack making it easier to get the bite of rope in for rigging rappel.  

FosterK wrote: 1. Short sterling hollow block, tied as an autoblock (90% of the time).

This is the easiest and most efficient method.