Sunday Skill Builders: Advanced Rappel Tricks

Activity Notes

• Sunday Skills Clinic: Advanced Rappel Tricks
• Class date: Sunday, Aug 27
• Registration opens: July 27
• 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• Mazamas Mountaineering Center (SE 43rd and Stark, Portland)
• Mazamas members $25, non-members $35
• Recommended experience level: previous rappelling experience, knowledge of basic climbing knots

New for 2023, the Sunday Skill Builders happen on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, usually from 6 to 9 PM. The second Sunday is more for beginner/intermediate topics, and the fourth Sunday is more for intermediate/advanced techniques.  Registration opens one month before the class. Topics will rotate and repeat, so if you miss one and want to take it, keep an eye out for it again.

Students are generally accepted first-come first-served. Please apply ASAP after the opening of registration to have the best chance of getting in the class.

So you know the basics of rappelling. Great, let's learn some more advanced skills!

Gear needed: Harness, 3-4 locking carabiners, 3-4 non locking carabiners, 120 cm sewn sling, autoblock friction hitch, and rappel device. This will be taught all on the ground, so no rock shoes or helmet needed. If you don't have all this gear, no worries, we can share.

We'll cover some of the following topics. Please have a look through some of the links below on my website (alpinesavvy.com) before class. This will make our class time more productive, hint hint.

• How to cast, not throw, your rope
• How to rig your rope to (hopefully) avoid snags
• Rappelling on a single strand, Grigri and Super Munter
• Using the "trekking pole flip" to unstick your rope
• How to descend with a damaged rope
• Closing your rappel system with a J loop
• Demo of the Beal Escaper
• The better carabiner brake rappel
• How to do a pre-rigged rappel (and how this can make it safer to simul-rap)
• Double rope rap, how to move the knot past the lip
• How to quickly descend 2+ rope lengths of terrain that at least one person on your team can safely downclimb
• How to anchor your team on the way down
• Ways to speed up a group rappel
• ​How to rappel past a team that's going up

Look forward to seeing you, hope you can make it!

John Godino and Andy Nuttbrock, Sunday Skills Clinic coordinators