Ever done abseiling?

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Prussiking is bloody hard work (and bloody hard full stop) although these new fangled gri-gri (?) things make life a little easier!

Right.
Prusiking is real last resort stuff in my book.
Two ascenders, one tight over your sternum, one loose, with a foot loop. All you have to do is stand into the foot loop, then get off, and the load gets put onto your chest ascender, and then onto your body harness.


You really dont want to be messing about with prusik loops until you have to. I have only ever used them to hang off for a couple of minutes I think. Even then I was not thrilled to be doing that.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by philipMac

Right.
Prusiking is real last resort stuff in my book.
Two ascenders, one tight over your sternum, one loose, with a foot loop.
You really dont want to be messing about with prusik loops until you have to. I have only ever used them to hang off for a couple of minutes I think. Even then I was not thrilled to be doing that.

Generally agree with that. Those bits of hardware look like they are expensive, but sounds like they do the business. however, prusik loops are what I carry in my rescue kit in the kayak, use them as brakes / locks on haul systems for freeing trapped boats etc. So I use them to climb at a pinch. No room for all that gear - krabs and some swing cheek pulleys is it in terms of hardware.

Must admit I wouldnt rush to do it again myself .... but it was a technic worth learning. As you say it is usually a get out option. Prefer to be on wheels myself these days

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Generally agree with that. Those bits of hardware look like they are expensive, but sounds like they do the business. however, prusik loops are what I carry in my rescue kit in the kayak, use them as brakes / locks on haul systems for freeing trapped boats etc. So I use them to climb at a pinch. No room for all that gear - krabs and some swing cheek pulleys is it in terms of hardware.

right. paddling and things, they do the job. Like, I will normally carry Prusik loops, just in case.
But, if you are going to be in a situation that you know you need to go up a rope, and you're not carrying proper ascenders... lets just say you are a tougher person than myself.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by philipMac

But, if you are going to be in a situation that you know you need to go up a rope, and you're not carrying proper ascenders... lets just say you are a tougher person than myself.

Well the plan is never to need to climb out. In two canyons we could not easily inspect what was below certain drops. We abb'ed down the falls and went round to inspect. There were hazards beyond what we were expecting so used the prusiks to climb back up.(hence at a pinch) I would bow to your superior knowledge on these things and will go check these things out if I were to ever get back into serious creeking.

Originally Posted by BigApe

I've done it out the side of a chinook. I've also parachuted out the back of a Hercules.

You,re obviously ex army Big Ape, in the Air Force we waited for the aircraft to land before disembarking

Sounds like fun to me...

[rictus01]

Originally Posted by BigApe

I've done it out the side of a chinook. I've also parachuted out the back of a Hercules.

yep, done that to .

Even followed a 105mm gun out the back.

Don't let BigApe near Chinooks - that man will wheelie anything given half a chance . . .

Dang That's the 2nd photo of me wheeling. And I thought the AR06 photo was the only one in existence.