Don’t Die Rappelling Off The Rope Ends: Use This Easy Closed System Instead
We all know the importance of closing the system when you rappel. Each year, fellow climbers die because they rappel off the end of their ropes—in Yosemite alone since 2010, there have been 11 fatalities related to rappelling accidents.
Traditionally, closing the system involves tying a stopper knot in both ends of the rope and tossing them down the cliff (see sidebar at end of article). This is easy enough for the first rappel when you have both ends with you. However, for each consecutive rappel, when you pull the rope down from the anchor above, that end sails past you and ends up 100 feet or more below. Pulling up all that rope, knotting it, and tossing it back down takes time. And what if you forget to undo the knot before you pull the rope? Or what if the knot gets stuck in a crack or hung up on a flake? For these reasons, many climbers (especially the more seasoned) forgo knots and rap without closing the system.
But what if I said that you could rappel in a closed system without heaving up all that rope and without ever tossing down a knot? Using the pre-rigged-rappel method outlined here allows you to knot only one rope end—the end that passes through the anchor—dramatically speeding up your descent. Typically thought of as only a guiding technique, the method is just as useful for experienced recreational parties. I have used it with great success on long routes in Red Rock, the High Sierra, and on El Cap.
Benefits of the pre-rig
- One knot to close the system (see “Here’s how it works, p.84).
- Partners can check that each other’s rappel devices are set up properly before descent.
- It’s fast—both climbers rig for a rappel at the same time, and the second climber can begin descending as soon as the first climber reaches the anchor and pays out slack.
Benefits of clipping the knotted rope end to your harness
- Easy access for rethreading next anchor.
- No knots stuck in cracks!
Benefits of using a quad
- Clean and simple masterpoint that works with various bolt spacings, and avoids clutter and carabiner entrapment at anchors.
- Quick to remove and use on the next anchor without retying.
- Can be made with materials on hand (two alpine draws).
- Big masterpoint is nice for parties of three or more.
Gear List (for party of two)
- Fortunately, much of this is stuff you’d already have along for multi-pitch climbing:
• 2 double-length slings with a locker for each (will be used as rappel extensions/tethers)
• 2 ATCs with a locker for each
• 1 Hollow Block/third hand and a locker
• Rope with clear middle mark (check out the BD or Beal rope marker, or use tape)
• Mini-quad anchor (optional). I like to build a quad anchor out of a 180 cm sling, but you can also just use two alpine draws (60 cm slings and a couple carabiners). With the 180cm sling, double it over and tie an overhand on each end. With the draws, lay the two 60 cm slings atop each other with the bartacks lined up, and then tie an overhand on each end.
Step 1 Gear up
Use a double-length sling to set up your rap extensions; these double as anchor tethers.
Make a mini-quad using a long sling or two alpine draws. Tether into the mini-quad and untie from the rope (step 1, top illustration).
Step 2 Thread the first anchor
Feed one rope end through the anchor, make an overhand-on-a-bight, and clip this knot to a gear loop on your harness (step 2, top). Doing this (vs. tossing the knot) keeps it from getting stuck and provides easy access to the rope end to rethread.
Pull the rope through until you reach the middle mark. As you do this, let the large loop of slack slither down the cliff, or gather the rope in butterfly coils and toss it.
Toss down the other rope half using your preferred method. There’s no need to knot it, as the pre-rig will close the system with only one knot.
Here’s how it works: The top climber’s device and engaged brake hand make it impossible for the rope to move through the anchors—think of the device as a large knot fixing both rappel strands. As the bottom climber heads down, they are essentially on two individually fixed strands. If the ropes are uneven and the knot is on the shorter side, the bottom climber will hit the knot and the ropes won’t pull through the anchor. If the short side has no knot, the bottom climber would rap off that strand but still be on a single fixed strand with a knot, and could reascend to remedy the situation.
Step 3 All climbers rig for the rappel
Both climbers put themselves on rappel (step 1, bottom). The top climber’s device (with an engaged brake hand; step 2, bottom) fixes both strands. His extension prevents him from being jerked around too much as the bottom climber rappels.
The bottom climber rigs an auto-block friction hitch below her device with the Hollow Block or other prusik loop as a “third-hand” back-up (step 3, bottom illustration).
Double-check that the rope is through the anchor properly and that both strands of rope are fed through each climber’s rappel device, with the lockers locked. Another advantage of the pre-rig is being able to buddy-check.
Step 4 Begin the descent
The top climber removes his anchor tether, then the bottom climber removes the quad, leaving her personal anchor system attached to the quad and clipping the quad to her harness, ready for the next anchor (step 4, bottom illo). (Removing your prebuilt anchor may feel odd at first, but it speeds things up, as the top climber is already rigged for the rappel and it means you only need one anchor set-up, which the bottom climber carries down to the next anchor.)
The bottom climber descends, using her third-hand back-up to go hands-free when managing tangled ropes, etc.
When she arrives at the next anchor, the bottom climber clips into it with the quad/tether combo. She then lowers her weight onto the quad, feeding a few feet of slack through her device and leaving her device and third hand (or just the third hand) on the rope to keep the system closed for the top climber.
Once there’s slack in the rope, the top climber can then begin rapping.
The bottom climber can also offer a “firefighter’s belay” if the top climber chooses to rappel without a third hand. The bottom climber holds onto both ropes, and if the top climber loses control, she pulls hard to arrest the top climber’s device.
Step 5 Rethread the next anchor
While the top climber is descending, the bottom climber unclips the bight of rope attached to her gear loop, unties it, rethreads the rope through the anchor, ties another overhand on a bight, and attaches this to her harness, pulling any remaining slack through. (Note: If double-rope rappelling—two ropes tied together—you will need to rethread the unknotted end instead of the knotted end.)
When the top climber arrives, he clips into the quad and lowers his weight onto the anchor. Both climbers remove their rappel devices from the rope.
While the top climber pulls the rope, the bottom climber continues feeding rope through the rings or carabiners (don’t worry about undoing a knot—you didn’t put one in!). The climbers stop when the middle marker is at the anchor, then pull the remaining rope down.
Duck for cover as the rope flies past and cracks like a whip 100-plus feet below you. Smile knowing you didn’t have to pull up that rope end and knot it in order to rappel on a closed system.
Step 6 Rinse and repeat
Start over at Step 3 until you’re back on the ground.
Jake Squier is a member of YOSAR and an AMGA Assistant Rock Guide. He spends half his year living in a tent in Yosemite, and the other half traveling in search of golden limestone and desert splitters.
The Pre-Rigged Rappel and the Grigri
Many climbers prefer to belay with a Grigri, even on multi-pitch climbs. In this scenario—say, one climber with an ATC, the other with a Grigri—the top climber pre-rigs with an ATC and a third-hand back-up, and the bottom raps the knotted strand on the Grigri. The top climber’s belay device and engaged brake hand fix the two strands, allowing the bottom climber to do a single-strand rappel. The climber with the Grigri will always descend first.
To consider:
- The person rappelling on the Grigri must keep track of which end has the knot. This can be tricky, but if you make a habit of always threading the rope left to right, the knotted strand will always be on the right side.
- The person rappelling on the Grigri must keep tabs on the other side of the rope, usually by clipping it through a quickdraw on her harness. This ensures that both ends are long enough to reach the next anchor.
- When you rappel with an ATC, you can leave your device and third hand on the rope at the lower anchor, closing the system. With a Grigri, however, as soon as you reach the lower anchor, you need to add a knot to the unknotted side that you tagged down. I typically tie an overhand-on-a-bight with both strands and clip it to the anchor, leaving some slack for the top climber to come down.
- The pre-rig with a Grigri is less gear, but a few more steps. If bringing a pack, I prefer to just have two ATCs and leave them in the pack on the way up. If going light, using the Grigri is a nice alternative.
Close the system the old-school way
Thread one end through the anchor, tie a barrel knot, and pull rope through until the middle marker is at the anchor. Tie another barrel knot in the other end. Butterfly coil each end in your hand and toss them down, making sure the middle marker stays at the anchor.
Pros:
- Simple, easy to teach.
- Friends won’t be worried you are trying to guide them like when pre-rigging!
Cons:
- Pulling up rope to knot it after it flops down from the previous anchor takes time, and because of this people often neglect to do it.
- Makes it harder to do “partner checks” when rigging for a rap.
Rappelling Is Climbing’s Most Dangerous Activity. Here’s How To Make It Safer.
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