We say rappelling and they say abseiling – it is as simple as that! We say french fries but they say chips, we say chips but they say crisps. For example, we say gas but they say petrol. It’s just another language difference between the US and UK. Things get even more complicated in places like Australia and New Zealand where the two names are used interchangeably all the time. Abseiling is more commonly used in the United Kingdom and Europe. Rappelling is the more commonly used name for this technique in the United States and Canada. Abseiling involves descending by means of a rope while rappelling involves descending by means of another person who holds onto the end of the rope. However, there are differences between them. Rappelling and abseiling are both forms of descending by means of ropes. When it comes to the terms rappelling and abseiling, although they refer to the same technique, the main difference between the two is where you hear each name being said.
The Difference Between Rappelling vs Abseiling The only difference between the two is the name. This can cause a lot of confusion, but when it comes to technique and practice, abseiling and rappelling both use the same steps and require the same equipment. There is no difference between the two – abseiling and rappelling are one and the same. Despite the two different names, both refer to the same technique of descaling a rocky surface.īoth involve passing ropes through the top anchor and belay devices, both require a second person to feed through the rope, and both sometimes require you to push away from the cliff face with your feet or hands. This is because abseiling is the exact same thing as rappelling. So now you are probably thinking – wait a second? What you have just described as rappelling is actually abseiling! When rappelling, make sure you have your instructor near and that you follow their instructions as closely as possible. It is possible to rappel without a harness and just use a piece of rope, but this method can be unsafe so we do not recommend that you try it unless you are experienced climbers. This will make it appear like you are taking long, slow jumps down the cliff face. Sometimes, if the grade of the cliff is not perfectly straight, you will have to use your feet to push away from the face. This will slowly lower you to the ground. It is a very basic technique that involves passing the climbing ropes through the top anchor and through the belay device that is attached to both your and your partner’s harness.Īs you lean back and face the rock while your partner on the ground feeds the rope through their belay deceive, one bit at a time. Spelunkers often use this technique to lower themselves down into caves and even the military use rappelling to descend from high places. Rappelling is not just associated with rock climbing. Plus, you are usually already tired from ascending so you are more likely to lose your grip and fall. It is way easier than having to downclimb as when downclimbing, you can’t see where the holds are beneath you. It is a climbing technique used by lots of climbers to get back down a mountain or cliff instead of having to climb all the way back down. It is often credited to a man named Jean Charlet Straton who got stuck descending a mountain in the French Alps.Ĭharlet-Straton spent years perfecting this technique until it was quickly caught on by other climbers.
Rappelling refers to the act of descending a rocky surface on a rope that is attached to an anchor. So with all that said, let’s take a look at rappel vs abseil.
This way, you can use your rock climbing terms with confidence and feel a little less foolish when out on a climb. Today, we are going to be looking at rappelling and abseiling, what they are and how they are different (if at all). You have probably heard both the terms ‘ rappelling’ and ‘ abseiling’ being thrown around when referring to descaling a climbing wall, but what exactly do these terms mean and what is the difference between them? There is a special technique that helps make this process so much easier and way less risky – rappelling. Rock climbers do not actually climb their way back down.
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