![]() ![]() When we came up to the first rappel, I discovered that the 11mm rope was too thick to fit through my ATC! Fortunately, I had an extra 8 ring in my pack that I’d planned on using as an 8 block for the shorter rappels and I was able to use it instead. A friend of mine brought an 11mm rope I’d never used before (my canyoneering rope of choice is 8mm). ![]() I ran into another issue a couple weeks ago while going through a canyon in Zion National Park in Southern Utah. If the carabiner doesn’t lock, you could come unclipped from the rope mid-rappel and take a nasty fall. With auto lock carabiners, always ensure that the carabiner doesn’t close on the rope, harness, or wire keeper loop instead of on itself. Get in the habit of always screwing carabiners closed, and of checking them to make sure they are closed. This may turn out okay with a screwgate carabiner, but if an auto lock carabiner doesn’t lock, it also doesn’t close. Double check to make sure the carabiner goes through the loop created by the rope AND the wire keeper loop on the ATC.Īnother common error is when the carabiner fails to lock. This is especially prone to happen when rappelling on both strands of the rope, because you can’t see the wire loop as easily. Sometimes, in the rush of getting over the edge of the cliff, the rappeller only clips the carabiner through either the rope or the wire keeper loop- not both. ![]() Additionally, the rappel will flow much smoother if the ATC is angled horizontal or downwards because it applies the friction of the ATC as intended. You will probably be fine rappelling with a twist in the system, but there is always a higher risk of failure when different stresses are added. If the rope points upwards when coming out of the ATC, it will twist the belay loop, which weakens the strength of the harness. The slots in the ATC should be parallel to the ground, or angled with the right side slightly towards the ground. The rope should come through the slot of the ATC from the top (left), follow the wire keeper loop around the carabiner, and come out the right side of the slot. With multiple hardware pieces and various types of rope and webbing, this periodically happens to everyone. The most common error when rappelling with a tuber is for there to be a twist in the setup. You won’t regret it! There are a handful of really common errors that are easily caught and corrected with a double check of the system. Spend one extra minute before stepping over the ledge to confirm that everything is set up correctly. Rappelling with an ATC is not complicated however, the repetitive and simple nature of rappelling sometimes leads people to make careless mistakes. Pull your brake hand (downhill/right hand) behind your back to stop, or swing it out away from your body to reduce the friction and go faster.Ģ0 Best 3 Point Slinger for Camera in 2023 Common Errors When Rappelling with an ATC- and How to Avoid Them Lean back into the rope and simply let it slide through your hands to move.The rope should come from the anchor on the left (top) side, through the slot in the ATC, follow the wire keeper loop around the carabiner, and come back out the other side of the ATC slot going to the right (downhill). If there are any twists in the system- the belay loop or the rope and atc, unclip the carabiner and redo it. Double check that the carabiner goes through the rope AND the wire keeper loop on the ATC and that it is locked.Clip the carabiner into the belay loop on your harness, and make sure it locks.Clip a locking carabiner through both the wire keeper loop and the rope, maintaining the downhill end of the rope on the right side.If rappelling using both strands of the rope, thread both strands through. Pinch the rope and thread it through one of the slots of the ATC until the rope aligns with the wire keeper loop on the ATC.Angle the ATC so the downhill side is to the right.Step over the rope so it runs by your right side (reverse if left-handed).Check and double check that your harness and anchor are secure and correct.Because most climbers use the ATC as a belay device and almost everyone has one, it frequently ends up being used as a rappel device when rappelling off of a climb or when canyoneering. While there have been a few tweaks and improvements over the past 30 years since its development, the basic idea has remained unchanged. The ATC, also known as a ‘tuber’ is probably the most common belay device that people use for climbing. ![]()
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