[at-l] Okay, How about Descents?

[icw39@ncfreedom.net (Clark)]

One has not truly lived until one has done a "free swiss rappell" [yes,
it is spelled "rappell," - not "repel" - but sometimes it can be a bit
repelling! :)]  Anyhow, a free swiss rappell is when you stand at the
edge of a cliff, back facing the drop-off, straddle over two strands of
hard as heck goldline rope, grab the rope behind you, pull both strands
together up behind your back, across one shoulder, and down to your
opposite side [hopefully gloved] brake hand, pull the rope tight as you
carefully back up right to the edge, and then - well - drop on down! :)

I still have a neck burn scar from one episode of that training when I
was about 14 years old . . . we learned this technique not to have fun,
but as a last ditch safety/rescue tool should you be in a situation
where you do not have the luxury of padded belay seats, brake bars,
figure eights, or even carabiners . . . Our instructor also was famous
for his other test - you could not leave camp for any multi-pitch climb
until you could tie a bowline around your waist, blindfolded, with only
one hand . . . while standing under a 45 degree F mountain stream
waterfall!  35 years later, I've never forgotten how to do both of these
things . . . and the Marines think they are tough today - we were 12-14
years old and didn't know enough to be scared . . . lest anyone think
our instructor was some wanna-be screaming army guy - not even close; he
was an incredibly gentle, wonderful person, with true love for nature
and all things outdoors . . . he had a way of taking us through these
tests and even making it fun, and we then would go out and climb major
routes, such as the nose route on Looking Glass Mountain, Bumble Butress
down on the NC Wall in Linville Gorge, and the Mummy down in Linville
also . . . I'll never forget those years at Camp Sequoyah, near
Weaverville/Asheville, NC] with Steve Longernecker and my fellow camp
buddies! :)

Thru-Thinker [who also still occasionally thru-climbs! :)]

DTimm65344@aol.com wrote:

> --
> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> In a message dated 11/04/02 3:54:29 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> quoleldil@yahoo.com writes:
>
>
>
>>I have done the repellant thing once or twice and care not for doing it
>>again.
>>However, I am willing, as an ingoramous on the subject, to offer this
>>advice: if you cannot see
>>where to put your next step, keep it where it is and don't take that next
>>step! --OR-- have an
>>expert balayer or billeter (or however you spell it -- rhymes with "fillet"
>>as in "fish") tie you
>>up first to a good anchor and THEN proceed
>>
>>
>
> Repelling was the best part of ROTC in college, although we never wore packs
> doing it.  The term for the person controlling the rope below and holding
> your life in their hands is "belay."  When ready, one says "On repel" and
> then waits for the reply below, "On belay", before proceeding down.  If you
> don't wait for the response, the Master Sergeant's forehead veins pop out and
> he yells at you a lot when you get to the bottom (and that was 28 years ago
> and is still a vivid memory).
>
> Black&blue
>
>
>
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