Abseiling with a prusik

[@egillies4932]

Superb clear video. No long- winded or complicated explanations. No unnecessary chit chat or eejity-ness that I often encounter in teaching videos. Well done. 👍

[@georgeferguson9779]

Great video! I've watched several of your videos this morning, and they are very good. And this may be weird, but the videos are inspiring too. I was just looking for some info on rigging some sort of recovery kit to carry with me on my off-road adventure rides on my motorcycle so that I could recover it in certain situations. Now, a few hours later, I'm thinking about enrolling in a rock climbing course somewhere near me. Years ago, when I was in the Army, we practiced rappelling off of a 50' platform. We also practiced recovery techniques for heavy armor vehicles. When I worked in the offshore pipeline industry I learned a lot more about rigging. I've thought often about rock climbing over the last 30 years but never found the time. Now that I am probably too old to be getting out and doing these sorts of things, after watching your videos, I'm going to pursue rock climbing. Thanks a bunch for doing this!

[@Javaman92]

I'm finding this fascinating on this damp, late Autumn day. I don't expect ever to need this information, but I always say, better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. I never knew there was so much involved. Not surprising that there are a lot of safety things to consider. Well done video.

[@ressikman]

Thanks for these videos! I'm just learning. If you put the prusik on the belay loop instead of the leg loop, how do you get redundancy if the belay loop breaks? Like I said, I'm just barely trying to learn. Sorry if that's a poor question.

[@MartinRivera-zp7lr]

Great videos!!!

[@GogsDavies]

Great video and a nice refresher on something I've been taught earlier this year. Quick question what ropes are you using for the anchor and the abseil? Thanks

[@XCBrazil]

I’ve recently returned to climbing after a 20-year break and a lot of equipment and some theory has changed in that time. I’m having to learn all over again. It’s probably the subject of other videos but do you prefer to use rope slings, instead of webbing, and if so what diameter rope would you use to make them? I always preferred a rope sling, tied with a double fishermen’s knot, because I trusted the knot more than on a tape sling. I used to make mine with old climbing rope but noticed that yours seem to be a smaller diameter.

[@LeadingEdgeMountain]

Hi Steve. We use sewn slings now, this gives a very high strength rating and no worries about anything slipping. 👍

[@ClemMorton]

Knot in the end… one exception I’ve learned… unless you are going into water… being held underwater by knot in a waterfall sucks…

[@markthomasson5077]

She is the best

[@andyh5950]

Larks footed through your belay loop? Why not go through the main harness attachment points?

[@LeadingEdgeMountain]

Andrew Hedgecock a really good point to raise. It has been debated for a very long time in the outdoor professional world. It would be preferable to utilise the harness the same way we do when we tie in but a larks foot is not a figure of eight. For a larks foot to be safe it shouldn’t move or ‘breath’ once it is tied. When you loop it around both parts of the harness this issue is exasperated, particularly when move as the two parts of the harness shift and can cause the larks foot to slip. This is not good at all. You have a thin piece of nylon sawing on itself under load and in the same place, this friction creates heat which is detrimental for the sling. If you can keep exactly the same load and tension on the cows tails it will limit the movement but as soon as you move a bit the ‘breathing’ can start, not good. You will find some instructors who larks foot around the harness but the bulk of the profession use the belay loop where the synced in larks foot can not breath at all. It is what is shown in the Rock Climbing handbook by Libby Peter, produced by Mountain Training.Page 76 of 2nd edition. If you choose to larks foot around both harness elements you must be super aware of the risks, but people do and manage it. It used to be a 50/50 preference and the source of many professional discussions/arguments but over the years, particularly with people becoming more concerned about the vulnerability of slings, you see a higher percentage of people going off the belay loop. It is where you would clip your belay plate to abseil if you were choosing not to use a cows tails after all. This should always be in a static context, never ever dynamic like lead climbing where we want the rope linking both parts of the harness as the forces involved can be far greater. The key thing with all cows tails made out of slings is that they are kept tight, this really helps to minimise anything weird and scary happening with them. Hope that all makes sense? Sam 😃

[@LeadingEdgeMountain]

Andrew Hedgecock a really good point to raise. It has been debated for a very long time in the outdoor professional world. It would be preferable to utilise the harness the same way we do when we tie in but a larks foot is not a figure of eight. For a larks foot to be safe it shouldn’t move or ‘breath’ once it is tied. When you loop it around both parts of the harness this issue is exasperated, particularly when move as the two parts of the harness shift and can cause the larks foot to slip. This is not good at all. You have a thin piece of nylon sawing on itself under load and in the same place, this friction creates heat which is detrimental for the sling. If you can keep exactly the same load and tension on the cows tails it will limit the movement but as soon as you move a bit the ‘breathing’ can start, not good. You will find some instructors who larks foot around the harness but the bulk of the profession use the belay loop where the synced in larks foot can not breath at all. It is what is shown in the Rock Climbing handbook by Libby Peter, produced by Mountain Training.Page 76 of 2nd edition. If you choose to larks foot around both harness elements you must be super aware of the risks, but people do and manage it. It used to be a 50/50 preference and the source of many professional discussions/arguments but over the years, particularly with people becoming more concerned about the vulnerability of slings, you see a higher percentage of people going off the belay loop. It is where you would clip your belay plate to abseil if you were choosing not to use a cows tails after all. This should always be in a static context, never ever dynamic like lead climbing where we want the rope linking both parts of the harness as the forces involved can be far greater. The key thing with all cows tails made out of slings is that they are kept tight, this really helps to minimise anything weird and scary happening with them. Hope that all makes sense? Sam 😃

[@XCBrazil]

@@LeadingEdgeMountain Is the Rock Climbing Handbook that you referred to available in electronic form? If so, where can I get it please?

[@LeadingEdgeMountain]

@@XCBrazil I don’t think so Steve, you can buy them here though and they are available second hand but nice to get the latest addition mt.tahdah.me/shop/category/1

[@markthomasson5077]

No experience of this…but would a double larks foot stay cinched better?

[@mymobile5014]

wow. Massively complicated. I'll have to watch this a few times I think for it all to sink in. You seem to use a ton of gear for this.

[@aleksanderparkitny228]

Why a figure 8 knot at end of the rope and such a long section of rope there? and not a Double fisherman's knot or any other. it would still stop You from abseiling through it.

[@LeadingEdgeMountain]

Good question Aleksander and it doesn’t actually really matter what you tie as long as it doesn’t slide off the end of the rope. We tend to use the figure 8 as it is simple and easy to tie and is a knot people are very familiar with. It also has a small profile so less likely to jam in crack and things when you throw it down the crag. A figure os eight is less likely to ‘somersault’ itself down the rope if the plate bangs up against it. (Something a over hand can do if not properly dressed). Finally the tail is long because of the above hazard and it’s good practice as when you start doing retrievable abs it gives a bit of tolerance if the thrown ends of the ropes are slightly different lengths. Hope that make sense and helps? Feel free to ask for more info. Sam 😃

[@LeadingEdgeMountain]

Aleksander Parkitny Good question Aleksander and it doesn’t actually really matter what you tie as long as it doesn’t slide off the end of the rope. We tend to use the figure 8 as it is simple and easy to tie and is a knot people are very familiar with. It also has a small profile so less likely to jam in crack and things when you throw it down the crag. A figure os eight is less likely to ‘somersault’ itself down the rope if the plate bangs up against it. (Something a over hand can do if not properly dressed). Finally the tail is long because of the above hazard and it’s good practice as when you start doing retrievable abs it gives a bit of tolerance if the thrown ends of the ropes are slightly different lengths. Hope that make sense and helps? Feel free to ask for more info. Sam 😃

[@zorkan111]

​@@LeadingEdgeMountain I've found that the figure 8 easily loosens significantly in certain situations, for example if you shake the rope or if the rope moves inside the bag for whatever reason (cavers rig the wall by having a coil of rope inside the bag which pulls out as the caver descends). Granted, I've never seen it come undone, but I don't feel good with it. I prefer tying a double overhand knot myself. It's easy to tighten it by hand and rope friction within the knot keeps it together unlike the figure 8 which basically open like a pretzel and there isn't any contact between loops of rope within the knot.