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The belay from the top isn't even a little bit complicated if you have any rope work skills. The set up with pre rigging them is OK, but if the rap station is cramped, or weird, I can be hard to set up. Fixing the rope in the middle, and belaying them will they rap a single line is bomber, plus if something goes way wrong (like they get hair caught in the rap device, etc) you are still above, and then have options on how to reach them.

There is no one best way. The situation (number of "clients", one or multiple raps to the ground, large ledge, or tiny stance) determines the best approach. Sometimes it's best to belay from above, sometimes from below.

I agree with all Wes is saying, as wells as Larry's last post about the conditions determining the best set up. That being said, the disadvantage of having a hard knot in the middle of the rope (like Wes' last post suggests) is that should something go wrong then you, as the belayer, may need to lower yourself down to the 'victim'. A problem with this is that then there are two people on rappel and no one at the anchor. This is where the releasable know (munter-mule combo) is so advantageous: the belayer can switch the victim onto his rope without ever leaving the anchor. Of course, either way (and others) will work fine though.

I think Wes' method would work best with Tiff. If she is use to being lowered off sport routes show her how its the same except shes rappeling at the same time.
I think single pitch might be ideal till she gets comfy with it all.
I got the pics back from the day at Haystack. want me to email a couple or just snail mail a disc?

ynot wrote:I see where you are going with this but something tells me Tiff will never rap off anything ...

you guys are smart and those robots don't have a chance, but i can't help but think the effort (to address the problem that really lies at the root) should go into making this individual comfortable rapping. doing so on a single rope rap seems questionable.

my lovely thick and washed and (heavy and 'rigid') rope needs to be fed through a traditional ATC on a two sided rap length by length. learn off a low boulder/wall tree limb this way... babysitting and climbing don't mix..(?).

Ditto on the releasable munter-mule setup - it's the method taught by AMGA because it's quick, easy and allows you to very easily deal with many of the problem situations by being able to release the rappel line and take over with a lower from the belay line. The method Wes describes is close, but instead of a figure 8 use the munter mule for the fixed line and then belay with a munter off a separate carabiner on the belay line side. Really handy if your rappeller gets hung up for some reason, and you can help your rappeller control the speed of descent by how much friction you hold on the belay line.

I'd start a brand new, sorta nervous student off with this method. Then when they get the hang of things a bit, you can move over to the 'pre-rig them into the rope using an extension between belay loop and rap device", descend yourself first and fireman's belay them from below - which is definitely more efficient and about the only acceptable method for multi-pitch, but a bit scary for the first time rappeller who would rather have you up there beside them for that first 5 feet of the rappel (which is always the spooky part).

Yep, never saw the muter-mule setup, but that would be better for sure, as long as you know how to tie it.

While these previously posed options are all good ideas, they are all very terrain depend. There are many more options available as well.

As for the "pre-rig" being the only suitable method for multi-pitch descending; this isn't true. There are many ways here that are also very situational.

I know this doesn't help much but you could write entire books on each individual method.

Very true - there are many other options that are terrain dependent. OP sounded like they're taking a nervous first-time rappeller out, so I'd assume you'd go someplace with a nice comfy ledge and the ability to rig the anchor up high to make the start of the rap easier, etc, etc., in which case that's the method I'd use. But you're right - it's terrain dependent.

Ditto on the multi-pitch. I shouldn't have described it as the only suitable method. I just find it to be the easiest and simplest method in the vast majority of cases....and didn't want to write a novel. But that decision is again terrain and climber dependent.

Ah, nothing's simple in this sport is it?