Rappelling or lowering off?

[Yasmeen]

When im at work i have to type in caps the computer is broken, actually it is a register. But when im home ill type normal just for you yas!!

Gotcha. Thanks for that little bit of informatin, Gaar. It makes it that much easier to stalk you.

[ynot]

I don't do steep and usually belay my second up and he or she cleans so we both have to rap. I can understand lowering on something too steep to clean ,but it does wear the anchors and the more sand in the rope the worse it wears. With your body wieght on the rope its like using 80 grit sandpaper on the anchor. On the flip side,Rapping isn't without it's drawbacks,When the bolts aren't close to each other and you get in close to weight them you're putting American triangle forces on the anchor. Quiklinks tend to threadlock even without Locktite on them
I can't get most I have seem loose to replace without heavy handtools and I dont climb with those.

[Toad]

So,

Half of you rap off. Half of you lower off. Now the anchors wear half as quickly.

[Caspian]

In my opinion..rapping is not as safe and that should be the bottom line. Now before everyone freaks out, let me explain.

actually the lurkist explains why in the other thread, I'll quote him

"....Adding in the steps while hanging at the anchor of clipping in, untying, threading the rope and then hooking up the rappel device and rapping down invites error. As we all know, there is not room for error here.
Strictly from a probability stand point adding in all of these steps and done over and over many times, eventually someone will make an error. Probably someone less experience. Tired, having difficulty with the knot, probably not clipping in right or hooking up the rappel device wrong. Anyway, the mistake will occur, someone decks and is really hurt if not dead.
It is the old adage of a chain is as strong....
Remove as many steps from the process to avoid one an error being made at one of those steps...."

I disagree with this logic. There are no extra major steps when rapping as opposed to lowering.

Both Lowering and Rapping one has to:

- Get to the top
- Clip yourself in
- Untie
- Thread the rope through the anchor
- Tie in or load the ATC
- Ask you partner to put you on belay or verify you rope ends reach the ground
- Unclip
- Lower back down or rappel

[gulliver]

Andy , guides solo stuff all the time to set up top ropes for gumbies. I know you knew that though 8) . Just think about the old days when "The climber must not fall" thing got started. Some guide has a manila rope around his waist trailing down to some Chamonix vacationer who is inspecting his manicure.
I've read too many accounts of falls regarding rapping or lowering. Bad communication. Jeff Lowe's thing in Ouray , wasn't that what happened? I would think lowering is ok if that is what you and your partners normally do. It still needs to be communicated and understood. Maybe you sacrifice a biner. maybe the next guy should take yours and leave one of his own. The only sure way to protect your own life is to take it into your own hands and safely rap. Mark your middle. Just don't leave the anchors unless it's understood you're lowering.

[bushwhacker]

*- Ask you partner to put you on belay or verify you rope ends reach the ground *

Nope, my partner never takes me off belay, so we eliminate the chance of miscommunication. I thread the anchor and lower without either of us saying anything. No obnoxious screaming "ARE BOTH ENDS DOWN?" like friggin' gumby rappellers.

[bushwhacker]

*The only sure way to protect your own life is to take it into your own hands and safely rap.*

Nope. It's way easier to buy it rapping than lowering off. Are you safer rapping or lowering if you get hit by rockfall? You rap with or without a back-up and you get hit and knocked out, you're fucked. If your partner is lowering you with a grigri and he/she gets hit, only one person is hurt, not two, because the grigri locks up by itself if the belayer lets go. The "How To Sport Climb" books tell you to thread and lower for this exact reason, among others. It's safer. Unless you're partner's a gumby, in which case they shouldn't be belaying you in the first place. It's also pretty easy to back yourself up when you're being lowered simply by keeping a hand the other side of the rope. Note that this applies to sub half-rope length sport climbing, like at the Red, not to multi-pitch sport/trad, where it's usually better to rap.

[marathonmedic]

I'm going to start base jumping instead of either rapping or lowering.

[ynot]

Hell Yes! now theres an idea.Think outside the box

[Guest]

I'm going to start base jumping instead of either rapping or lowering.

I considered taking up golf instead, but didn't want to deal with the whole "walk or drive a cart" issue. Do you risk getting an electrical shock from starting up the golf cart, or a muscle pull from walking? The horror!