ABSEILING

What is abseiling? How is it carried out? Where can we carry it out? As stated in the Wikipedia, abseiling originates from a German word: abseilen which means to rope down. Abseiling is also known as rappelling in American English. It is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection. Besides abseiling and rappelling which are the main ones, we do have slang terms for this activity. Slang terms for the technique include: rapping or rap jumping (American slang), deepelling (Canadian slang), abbing (British slang for "abseiling"), rappling (Hindi slang). The term rappel / rappelling is derived from the French language: French, recall, return, rappel, from Old French, recall, from rappeler, to recall: re-, re- + appeler, to summon. In the book, Rock Climbing and Abseiling written by Paul Mason, he mentioned that these are sports that people do for fun, not necessarily for competition. Furthermore, Terry Adby and Stuart Johnson mentioned in their book The Hillwalker's Guide to Mountaineering: Essential Skills for Britains Classic Routes that abseiling is not a sport in itself but a technique used to retreat or advance. Although abseiling is one of the many recreational sports, always bear in mind that abseiling is a very dangerous technique. There are so many things that can happen while doing this activity. This includes the occurrence of a jammed climbing rope, equipment failure, ropes cutting through sharp edges or rocks, and other incidents that are risky to the abseiler. Take note that any of these can happen even if you think you have done everything to ensure your safety.

HISTORY
Everybody would be wondering how did abseiling come by? The origin of the abseil is attributed to Jean Estril Charlet, a Chamonix guide who lived from 1840 1925. Charlet originally devised the technique of the abseil method of roping down during a failed solo attempt of Petit Dru in 1876. After many attempts, some of them solo, he managed to reach the summit of the Petit Dru in 1879 in the company of two other Chamonix guides, Prosper Payot and Frdric Folliguet, whom he hired. During that ascent, Charlet perfected the abseil. Until this 21st century, the popularity of this recreational sports is just increasing and its well-known all over ther world. Malaysia is not excluded from the list where abseiling is a total crowd-puller. This can be proven when it is stated in http://www.tsitours.com/malaysia/mountain-climbing-abseiling.html that Malaysia

offers two peaks and a hill for global climbers. If you are longing for a bigger challenge within the rainforest, rivers and mountain ridges, then just make your way to Malaysia. Malaysia offers mountains to tempt every class of climber. Gunung Jerai in Kedah, Gunung Angsi in Negeri Sembilan or Gunung Ledang in Johor are the specific regions of Malaysia from where the beginners can start their trails. These are less demanding as well as popular sites where outings take several hours of a day to end. The mountain climbing can start with easy walks in the cool soothe of the Main Range of Peninsular Malaysia to the more demanding mountains of Sabah and Sarawak.

EQUIPMENTS
Ropes: Climbers often simply use their climbing ropes for rappelling. For many other applications, low-stretch rope (typically ~2% stretch when under the load of a typical bodyweight) called static rope is used to reduce bouncing and to allow easier ascending of the rope. Anchors for rappelling are sometimes made with trees or boulders, using webbing and cordellete, or also with rock climbing equipment, such as nuts, hexes and spring-loaded camming devices. Some climbing areas have fixed anchors for rappelling. A descender or rappel device is a friction device or friction hitch that allows rope to be paid out in a controlled fashion, under load, with a minimal effort by the person controlling it. The speed at which the rappeller descends is controlled by applying greater or lesser force on the rope below the device or altering the angle at which the rope exits the device. Descenders can be task-designed or improvised from other equipment. Mechanical descenders include braking bars, the figure eight, the abseil rack, the bobbin (and its self-locking variant the stop), the gold tail, and the sky genie used by some window-washers and wildfire firefighters. Some improvised descenders include the Munter hitch, a carabiner wrap, the basic crossed-carabiner brake and the piton bar brake (sometimes called the carabiner and piton). There is an older, more uncomfortable, method of wrapping the rope around one's body for friction instead of using a descender, as in the Dulfersitz or Geneva methods used by climbers in the 1960s. A climbing harness is often used around the waist to secure the descender. A comfortable climbing harness is important for descents that may take many hours. A prusik, Klemheist knot, or Bachmann knot may be used as safety back-up, also called a third hand, and is used as a back-up in the case of the rappeller losing control of the rappel.

Helmets are worn to protect the head from bumps and falling rocks. A light source may be mounted on the helmet in order to keep the hands free in unlit areas. Gloves protect hands from the rope and from hits with the wall. They are mainly used by recreational abseilers, industrial access practitioners, adventure racers and military as opposed to climbers or mountaineers. In fact, they can increase the risk of accident by becoming caught in the descender in certain situations. Boots or other sturdy footwear with good grips. Knee-pads (and sometimes elbow-pads) are popular in some applications for the protection of joints during crawls or hits.

STYLES AND TECHNIQUES

Australian rappel demonstrated at a dam in Norway Australian rappel Involves descending facing down. Tandem or spider rappelling Involves two climbers descending on the same belay device. This is done in some rescue situations when one of the climbers is incapacitated, or the descent needs to be done quickly. The set up is similar to a regular rappelling set up with the first climber is girth hitched off a sling into the descender on the carabiner, and has an auto block from belay loop of the harness to the rope as a backup. The second rappeller is also girth hitched into the belay device on the carabiner and also anchored into the main rappeller's harness as a back-up. Simul rappelling Two separate rappellers on the two strands of the rope running through the anchors. Rappellers need to descend at the same speed as each other and should be anchored into each other to avoid the other getting ahead and causing problems. Counterbalance rappelling Used typically by a leader to reach an injured second. Idea is to rappel off on one strand of rope, using the incapacitated second's weight on the other strand of the rope to counterbalance.

Releasable abseil - used by some guides for inexperienced abseilers is by setting up a rope by anchoring it with a munter hitch and locking off the nonrappelling strand of the rope. The client descends on the non-locked strand of the rope. If the client gets into trouble, the guide unlocks the other strand and lowers the client or the rappeller. Useful, when it is an inexperienced rappeller or when the rappeller gets into trouble, by getting a piece of clothing or hair entangled in the descender. Classical (non-mechanical methods) are generally more dangerous and used only in emergencies, when no other option is available. They involve descending without aid of mechanical devices, by wrapping the rope around the body, and were used before harnesses and hardware were in common usage. South African classical abseil (double-roped)- This method is less dangerous as it provides better body support than the classical abseil.

QUESTIONS RAISED WHEN CARRYING OUT ABSEILING

Abseiling is one of those activities that appears to be enjoyed by those who do not know of its risks. Consequently, most non-climbers like it whereas most climbers do not. The reason for this is probably because most non-climbers have never done an abseil under anything but tightly controlled conditions. One abseil under normal conditions would convince them otherwise! So why do most climbers have a dislike for abseiling? Basically it is down to two things:

single system with no backup. Easy to get wrong. However with a little thought many of the risks may be reduced, though not entirely removed. What is the best rope to use for abseiling? If you are just going to be abseiling less than half a rope length then any rope will do as you simply take the middle of the rope and attach to the belay point then lower or drop the two ends. If the abseil is longer (up to a rope length) then you will need two ropes. The only restriction here is that both ropes should be the same diameter. Using an 11mm rope with an 8.5mm rope will lead to problems as the two ropes will interact with the abseil device differently with the thicker rope having more friction and passing through the device more slowly. A slight difference in diameter (9mm & 8.5mm) is nothing to worry about. What Knot should I use to tie the ropes with? There is much discussion as to which knot is best to use to join the two ropes together and over the years thoughts have changed. The table below summarises the various knots that are in common use for tying two ropes together for abseiling. One point to note is that for all the knots, the tails should be at least 30cm in length to allow for slippage and tightening of the knot.

Knot

Difficulty

Notes This is the knot by which to judge all others. If tied correctly, it is the strongest knot available for this purpose. If your ropes are of different diameters then it is the only knot to consider. It does have some major drawbacks though: it is very difficult to undo after being loaded; it is also symmetrical meaning that it is likely to snag easily.

Double Fishermans

Easy to get wrong.

Figure of Eight

To tie the figure of eight correctly requires that both ropes travel a particular path through the knot. This Not as easy is very difficult to ensure in a stressful situation. In as is addition to this, the knot has an alarming tendency to imagined. roll along the rope when stressed at right angles to its main axis. Not recommended At first the overhand knot looks as if it would be Fairly easy. weaker than the figure of eight but in fact it is both stronger and more resilient to pulls across its axis The reef knot (square knot) is very simple to tie but, like the double fishermans, is a symmetrical knot so suffers from the same problems of being prone to catch. It is a very poor knot to use for ropes of different diameters. Perhaps its best use is in the centre of a double fishermans knot, using the latter as a safety backup.

Overhand

Reef

Simple and easy

Come on! Which is best? It depends on the situation. But current thinking/best practice indicates one of the following. The double fishermans. Or, a reef knot backed up by double fishermans. When: Your ropes are of different diameters; You absolutely have to be sure. Overhand knot When: the face down which you are abseiling is featured and you do not want to chance getting the rope stuck. Most abseils. See this article at Needlesports for more info on knots for abseiling. What makes a good anchor for abseils? Basically any anchor that is good enough to belay from. Unless you are abseiling from a permament abseil station it is likely that you will have to sacrifice some of your own equipment to make the anchor. Usually this is no more than a couple of wires or a length of sling or cord to replace existing loops (where the condition of the existing loops may have been affected by the elements or excessive use).

What's the best style to abseil? Commando? Certainly not! Commando style is all well and good when you have solid anchors and an easily impressed audience. Out in the hills it is a different matter and you should aim to stress the system - particularly the anchor as little as possible. Most stress on the anchor occurs in the first few metres of the abseil so it is at this point that you should be as smooth as possible, creeping over the edge whilst making sure that the ropes do not run over any sharp edges and that they have not snagged beneath you. Keep your feet apart for stability and walk down the rock as smoothly as you can. There's a sharp edge! How do I protect the ropes? The best way is to use something like an empty rucksack to pad the edge. A piece of karrimat would work just as well or purchase one of the many commercially made rope protectors (see photo) Attach to the rope that you are going to pull when retrieving the ropes with a prussic. This avoids it working over the edge. The second person can adjust its position whilst the first is abseiling. Rope Protector Gear Express, May 2007

I'm nearly out of control! How do I slow things down?

In order to increase the friction all that How to clip a krab to increase friction is required is a second karabiner, Bob Wightman, Jan 2006 preferably a screw-gate. With the rope(s) threaded through the device and the main karabiner take this second krab and clip it into both the bight of rope and the harness attachment point, thereby doubling up the main krab. This has the effect of forcing the rope through tighter curves as it passes through the system which increases the friction. Note that the gate of the second karabiner is facing the opposite way to the main krab even though they are both screwgates.

I can hardly move! How can I decrease the friction in the system? To decrease friction, again take a second karabiner but this time clip it into only the bight of rope passing through the device. It must be positioned so that it lies between the back of the device and the main krab. This has the effect of allowing the rope to pass through less severe curves as it passes through the system.

How to clip a krab to decrease friction Bob Wightman, Jan 2006

How can I prevent dropping the figure of eight when attaching the rope? There is a simple way to do this. Keep the Figure of Eight device clipped via the large hole. When you come to use it, pull a bight of rope through the large hole as you normally would and pass it round the back of the smaller hole, again as normal. The device is now trapped by the weight of the rope so you can unclip from the larger hole and into the small hole ready for use. To remove, simply reverse the above procedure.

Have the figure of 8 clipped via the large hole. Bob Wightman, Jan 2006

Take a bight of rope and without unclipping the Figure of Eight pull it through the large hole. Bob Wightman, Jan 2006

Now pass it round the stem of the device. Bob Wightman, Jan 2006

Take the device out of the krab and turn it round so that you can clip into the small hole. Bob Wightman, Jan 2006

How do I stop from sliding off the end of the rope? Tie a knot in the end of each rope to prevent you from sliding off the end. You need one on each rope as just doing it on one rope could cause the system to pull through the belay. This also helps find the end of the rope in those instances when they get caught after being thrown down, either because of wind or because the rock is heavily featured. In order to help remember which rope needs to be pulled at the next stance (or ground) - clip a krab into the end knot of that rope. How do I remember which rope to pull? Clip a quickdraw between your harness and onto the rope in question. This also has the benefit of keeping the ropes separated when you come to pull them. What about an emergency backup? Given that in most situations you are totally reliant on the anchor and the ropes and that there is little you can do to back these up, the only other weakness in the system is yourself. If there is a chance of debris falling on you then it is beneficial to use a French Prussik or Klemheist knot around both ropes. Whether this knot is above or below the abseil device is down to personal preference - I have seen valid arguments for both - my personal preference is to have the knot above the device. How do I make a full length abseil on a single rope? There are rare occasions when you need to abseil a full rope length but only have one good rope available. For example: The other rope has been damaged in some way and you do not want to trust it. Another scenario is if you are climbing lightweight on a single 9mm rope and have brought along something like a length of 6mm cord for emergencies. So how do you make a full 50m abseil?

Start by passing the good rope through the belay then joining the ropes with either a double fisherman's knot or a reef knot backed up by a double fisherman's. Tie a figure of eight on the bight or an alpine butterfly knot into the good rope next to the double fishermans, and clip a screwgate krab into it. Clip the krab back onto the good rope. Now abseil on the good rope, the krab effectively ties the rope to the belay when tensioned from this side. At the end of the abseil, pull on the unused rope. The ropes will pull as normal.

SAFETY MEASURES
Here are some things to consider in Abseiling: 1) Ensure that the necessary equipment and devices are securely in place. 2) Have another anchor for back-up (second anchor point). 3) Avoid positioning the ropes to loose rocks and sharp edges. 4) Knowledge on how to tie a prussik knot is important. This is a form of backup system in Abseiling. 5)If you have long hair, do not let it get entangled with your abseil device.

Enough preparation, proper knowledge of the aspects of the climbing technique, having the necessary equipment and gear, physical and mental readiness, and understanding of the possible risks are essential in Abseiling/Rappelling, or for any technique. Because of the dangers involved, Abseiling should only be done by people with enough climbing experience and under the supervision of trained climbers.