Blue Ridge Parkway Abseiling Shenanigans

OVERVIEW

Welcome to the wonderful world of rappelling! We will be heading up to one of my favorite spots on the Parkway (the Mile Post 6.25 crag) to set up a rappel line and zip down a few times. The rappel will be about 50 feet (15m), and we will be hiking back up to the top, so bring shoes that can handle the steep, leafy terrain. I’ll teach you what you need to know to get started, or we can cover more advanced topics if the attendees are already comfy with the basics.

The rough plan is to cover:
– the basics of how to rappel
– setting on natural anchors
– rigging retrievable and non-retrievable rappels including toss and go, double ring, biner block, and knot block setups

If time allows, we’ll also talk about:
– extending the rappel (ex. if you need extra room at your harness)
– adding friction to the system (ex. to control speed if you’re heavy or the rappel is long)
– how to rappel without a device (ex. if you dropped your ATC)
– ascending (ex. if you rappelled too far)
– tandem rappelling (ex. if your belay partner is injured)

To ensure everyone gets the attention needed and maximum time on the rappel line, I am limiting this trip to 4 people.

You will benefit most from this workshop if you are already comfortable with a few basics listed below. However, we can cover these topics briefly if you need a refresher.
– tying a figure 8 knot
– tying an overhand knot
– tying a prusik
– tying a double fisherman’s knot
– natural anchor basics like the tensionless hitch, basket hitch, wrap 3 pull 2, etc.
– setting up an ATC

Gear to Bring:
– clothing appropriate to be outside for several hours
– personal anchor system (optional)
– helmet (optional, but encouraged)
– prusik cord (optional, but strongly encouraged)
– water and snack (optional)

I will bring climbing harnesses and ATCs for everyone (but bring your own if you have them), as well as dynamic and static ropes, webbing, and some other anchor-building materials.