Different Types of Rappelling

Well, as we are talking about rappelling, it is our responsibility to let you know about the different types of rappelling that we have. Here, is a glimpse of all types of rappelling.

There are 7 different types of rappelling, which are as follows:

• Standard rappels
• Australian rappels
• Hanging rappels
• Military rappels
• Simul-rappel
• Fireman’s belay
• Tandem rappels

There are different types of rappelling, so you need to be aware of what is appropriate for different situations and what equipment you need to carry. Today, our article will consist of everything about different types of rappelling, so let’s get started!

Standard Rappels

Standard Rappel are those rappel are the most common type of rappel. Every beginner starts his/her journey with this type of rappel because it is the easiest way of rappelling, compared to the others. Standard rappel is most common on your way down.

Standard rappels involve lowering yourself with your back always facing the ground and your feet near the wall as you descend and your belay device will always be connected around your pelvis by a harness. You have to use this belay device to create friction on the way down.

As we have already said it earlier standard rappels are better for beginners because you can control the speed of your descent while you are doing standard rappels.

Standard rappels also have it’s weakness and that is if you are carrying any heavy backpack with you, then standard rappels can become quite challenging and the major weakness is that it can be slower than other rappelling methods.

So, despite their simplicity, standard rappels should not be taken lightly because as we have always seen people become ways to overconfident and in this way majority of the accidents takes place. However, learning and practicing them before embarking on ropework-related adventures is a necessary and useful skill to acquire.

Australian Rappels

To all the fun-lovers out there! Australian Rappels are just made for you.

Australian rappel consists of descending with your back turned towards the anchor point, face-first to the ground. Australian rappels actually allows you to gather much more speed than a standard rappel and you can practically run down the wall while you are Australian rappelling.

There are two types of ways by which you can opt for Australian Rappelling:

• In the first case, you simply attach your belay device and rotate your body one hundred and eighty degrees in order to face the wall. As a result, you’ll always be trying to pull yourself back into a belaying position, and you’ll also be at risk of loose clothing or items getting caught in the belay device.
• The second method is to wear your harness backwards and to attach the belay device there. Using this method is more comfortable, but it can also result in the debilitating back injuries I mentioned earlier. Backwards-worn climbing harnesses are ineffective and pose a danger to many of the features of the harness, including the load distribution. The lower back will be stressed if you have to come to a sudden and/or jarring stop.

While we are talking about this another issue comes up and that is most of the climbing harnesses and belay devices are created for standard rappels. Australian rappels require you to use standard equipment in a modified way, which always increases the risk of injury or damage to your gear.

Hanging (Free) Rappels

Hanging rappels (free rappels) require you to descend a rope while attached to your harness and belay device manually with your brake hand controlling the descent. As opposed to a standard rappel, this one requires you to dangle in open space as you descend instead of bracing against a wall.

An individual should know how to do a hanging rappel is quite similar to a standard rappel.

There are two major differences that you should be aware of, however.

• One important difference is that, after your rappel becomes a hanging rap, it will become difficult to control your body positions. Eventually, you will begin spinning in one direction slowly. It’s perfectly normal and should not cause you any stress, but you should be aware of it. In our opinion, the best thing you can do is not fight the spin. Trying to resist can only make it worse, and you may end up getting your rope tangled.
• The second difference is that hanging rappels are a lot more challenging. When using a custom rappel, you almost always have the option of stopping, reattaching to the cliff you were using for support, or rappelling (and jumaring) your way back up. If you’re out on the rope with a hanging rappel, however, there’s really nowhere to go but down. Obviously, you can halt your momentum after stopping, but then you’ll just end up dangling there until you finish the rappel.

The majority of the time, this is fine, but before committing to a hanging rappel, it is imperative that the rope ends are touching the ground.

Military Rappels

These rappels are for all the adventure and thrill seekers out there as well as the name suggests, these are also ideal for the freedom fighters out there.

The military rappel allows you to dangle in open space while lowering yourself towards the ground as quickly as possible. It’s fast, dangerous, and highly exhilarating.

Many people will group military and Australian rappels into the same category as any rappel performed face-first but that is wrong because an Australian rappel is any rappel performed face-first, whereas a military rappel is any rappel where the person pushes themselves or runs down the surface with speed as the intent.

Military rappels are like Australian rappels, but more dangerous — they’re a lot more dangerous! Your belay device has a higher chance of getting caught and ruining your rappel. There is a higher risk of jarring halts and damage to equipment or your back when you have to come to a halt suddenly. The chances of losing control in the process are greater.

Besides that, all of the hazards that come with a standard hanging rappel are also present. In fact, it’s harder to keep your body in place when facing forward, so gravity and momentum exert even more of an influence. In addition to watching the rope, you’ll want to make sure it’s long enough, otherwise, you could end up in an uncomfortable situation.

It can be fun to perform military rappels, especially if you know what you’re doing and are confident in your ability to do so safely.

Simul-Rappel

Simul-rapelling is an incredibly precarious activity that involves holding onto opposite ends of a rope with your climbing partner and then wrapping it around some central point, such as the top of a narrow spire that you are trying to descend.

Your partner and you will lower down either side of the rope using whatever anchor you choose to serve as the fulcrum point. By doing so, you both will be able to descend simultaneously. In some climbing areas, such as the Needles in South Dakota, it is popular, although it requires advanced strength.

We would recommend you to   learn from a certified guide and practice in a safe environment before going for a simul rapelling. Make certain that you and your partner are trusting each other before you tie in a simul-rappel. You and your partner must both be familiar with what they’re doing, and you should have some experience simul-rappelling in a controlled environment before attempting one in a stressful environment.

Communication is another important part of simul-rappelling, especially for weighting and unweighting ropes. You need this to avoid plummeting to the ground at a very high speed.

Fireman’s Belay

Using a Fireman’s belay, an individual with less experience can be guided down a rappel. In this technique, someone stands at the bottom of whatever you’re rappelling and controls the ropes. They can control the system the same way as the rappeler; if they pull down on the rope, it creates friction, bringing the rappeler to a halt. A fireman’s belay can be performed for a standard rappel, a hanging rappel, or an Australian/military rappel.

There are a couple of scenarios in which this type of setup could be really useful. First of all, if your partner is incapacitated and physically incapable of getting down the rope by themselves. By using a fireman’s belay, you can reduce the risk of them falling or getting stuck halfway down the rappel by taking control of them and lowering them safely.

You can also use Fireman belays when training a novice to rappel. By using the Fireman’s technique, you can hold them up on their way down, so that they are taking control of their own descent, but you are still able to stop them if they move too quickly.  It’s a great way to learn rappelling or teach a new technique without having to worry about getting seriously injured.

Before you begin a fireman’s belay, however, it is advisable to take a few precautions. One of the first things to keep in mind is that your rappeler won’t always stop following an instantaneous tightening of the rope. It is possible for the person performing the rappel to take up to five seconds to come to a full stop if they are working with a longer rope or a rope that isn’t perfectly static. Taking this into consideration is something you should do if you suspect you will have to arrest a fall.

Furthermore, the person controlling ropes down below will have to be aware of rocks and debris falling from above. If the bottom person loses control of the rope, a fireman’s belay can go very wrong, very quickly; take extra safety precautions to avoid a head injury.

If you want to know more about Fireman’s belay then check out this article, written by us.

Tandem Rappels

The tandem rappel is a skill that everyone should acquire before heading out into the mountains, as it is a staple for performing rescues or moving heavy objects down rope lengths. The rappel involves clipping in two people (or a person and an object, such as a haul bag), so both can be lowered simultaneously down the rope.

Such a rappel can be used for several purposes. If your partner is injured and unable to perform the rappel, this is an alternative to the fireman’s rappel. It will take less time than a fireman’s belay because tandem rappel will give you greater control over the elements of descent.

You and your partner can also use tandem rappels when you need to get down quickly together.

Tandem rappels don’t need to be performed with another person, either because if you are rappelling with a heavy object that you feel is too bulky or inconvenient to attach to your own harness, you can set it up tandem style and hang the object below you so that it doesn’t get in the way and this approach can be useful if you are rappelling with large bags or backpacks that are too cumbersome to secure to your harness.

A tandem rappel is not without its difficulties, as all methods are. When performing a tandem rappel, you double the weight you place on the belay device (or at least increase it by a significant amount). As a result, the person controlling the rope will be dealing with much more weight, making it difficult to brake or lower at a safe speed. Gri-Gris, or even a more complex rappel-specific device like the SQWUREL, can help mitigate this issue.

Another concern is that it may place additional stress on your equipment. When creating an anchor, you need to ensure that your gear, webbing, and slings can all support twice as much weight as they normally would. In addition to making it harder to find a place to tandem rappel, this can also shorten the lifespan of your gear.

Last but not least, tandem rappels are difficult to navigate. When you’re strapped to another person, it’s a lot harder to perform side-to-side motions. This isn’t really a safety concern, but it can make life tough if you’re rappelling a multi-pitch route and the next anchor point isn’t immediately below you.

Ultimately, tandem rappels are a useful skill to have and can be lifesaving if you ever need to rescue someone. However, we wouldn’t recommend doing them just for fun.

Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs):