RRC Archives

Face up and Mr Bungle used to have those Fixe anchors. When they were replaced, they were worn about 70% through. If only people were not so lazy, we could put those on a bunch of routes...

Wes

wtf is a matter with some of you people? lowering through anchors is terrible. I've got pictures and have old, worn shuts if you want proof. lowering exerts the same forces and wear as TRing through anchors. it's the same - duh. rap and don't be lazy.

ps/edit - I used to do it, too sometimes before I knew better. now you know, too.

I rap because I think it's so much fun, but how does threading/lowering do more damage than rapping? UBG says it's the same force so I'm confused. I just want to be informed ... so I can tell Spragwa to stop being a wuss and just lower herself after a clean.

the grit in your rope acts as a saw on the metal. Lowering and top roping do the same type of damage as the rope runs over the links/shuts/whatever. I've seen anchors worn down to practically nothing and it's quite frightening.

Some people will argue that anchors are consumables, but I disagree. Unless you are going to be replacing anchors yourself, you should top rope and lower off your own gear, and rap from anchors.

What she said. Unless you're willing to put new anchors on all the climbs you climb, rap down. It takes a whopping 30 seconds more. And IMHO it's safer because you are setting up your own system as compared to relying on your belayer still being awake, hearing you correctly, etc.

Does any climb overhanging routes? I mean this is the Red after all. Do you know how much of a pain-in-the-ass it is the clean a very overhanging route from rappel?

I am all about TR'ing with your own gear but rap-cleaning isn't always very practical.

Easy solution, replace the cheap quick link or biner when they wear out.

If you ever want to learn about the effect of rope grit/grit on metal just talk to a caver. I admittedly have many times lowered but have reformed my ways to rapping. Lowering vs. rapping sounds like an ethical issue to be debated and then acted upon by the RRGCC, CAC Safety & Ethics Committee? It is my opinion that the time, money, & effort expended to maintain anchors, TR-ing through the anchors is downright blasphemy and lowering off them is very disrespectful.

Okay, I understand the issue about rapping as opposed to lowering and can visualize the potential damage. On TR, are you talking about doing this when the rope runs through the anchor or when the rope runs through the qds clipped to the anchors?

Lowering is the way to go on steep routes when you have to clean on the way down. Otherwise, it isn't a big deal to me, sometimes I rap, sometimes I lower. Lowering isn't as bad as TR'ing through the anchors though.

I find it kinda funny that people would rather rap then be lowered for "saftey" reasons. If you can't trust your parnter to lower you, how can you trust them to belay you at all, much less catch lead falls?

Wes

Wes wrote:Lowering is the way to go on steep routes when you have to clean on the way down. Otherwise, it isn't a big deal to me, sometimes I rap, sometimes I lower. Lowering isn't as bad as TR'ing through the anchors though.

I find it kinda funny that people would rather rap then be lowered for "saftey" reasons. If you can't trust your parnter to lower you, how can you trust them to belay you at all, much less catch lead falls?

Wes

It seems that lowering is the worst part of top-roping - running the full length of the route worth of rope fully weighted across the anchors. I am a bit suprised that so many people who climb at the most overhanging area in the country (world?) talk about always rapping - you simply can not clean a ton of routes on rap. Logical arguments aside, I FEEL much safer lowering than rigging and rapping. I really do need to order a bunch more Maillon Rapide quicklinks to donate to various anchors, though.