IN THIS MODULE
01 THREE BROAD FAMILIES YOU WILL HEAR
02 1 — TOSS N’ GO: SIMPLE DOES NOT MEAN “NO DECISIONS”
03 2 — ROPE-BLOCKED SYSTEMS: KNOW THE RAPPEL SIDE
04 3 — RELEASABLE / CONTINGENCY RIGGING
26 Intro to Rigging
Rigging is more than attaching a rope to an anchor. It is the deliberate arrangement of rope, hardware, friction, rappel strand, pull strand, and backups so the group can descend—and still has useful options if something goes wrong.
THE THEME: Rigging is not just about making the rope “work.” It is about understanding what options the system gives you if the day stops going according to plan.
THREE BROAD FAMILIES YOU WILL HEAR
RELEASABLE / CONTINGENCY
Usually a single-strand rappel system that a trained operator can use to lower a loaded rappeller, provided sufficient rope remains available and the lowering path is suitable.
ROPE-BLOCKED
A block at the anchor makes one strand the rappel strand and the other the pull/retrieval strand. Strand identification is critical.
TOSS N’ GO
A straightforward doubled-rope rappel through the anchor. Simple and familiar, but it does not inherently provide the same lowering option.
COURTESY RIGGING
A temporary/dynamic arrangement used to make the start easier and help manage the rope path and retrieval before the last-person configuration.
This module is intentionally about recognition and decision-making. The hands-on assembly and conversion of advanced systems should be practiced under supervision before you rely on them in a canyon.
1 — TOSS N’ GO: SIMPLE DOES NOT MEAN “NO DECISIONS”
Toss N’ Go is the straightforward double-strand setup: the rope runs through the rappel point and the person rappels on both strands. It is fast and simple to recognize, but you still have to solve rope length, end management, friction, edge protection, communication, and retrieval.
PHOTO 1 — TOSS N’ GO
Clean, wide shot showing both strands through the rappel point and both rope ends reaching the intended landing area.
STRENGTHS
Easy to recognize, little hardware at the anchor, familiar to many climbers, and straightforward for short uncomplicated rappels.
TRADEOFFS
No built-in lowerable contingency at the anchor. Long or awkward rappels, inexperienced rappellers, water, and rescue concerns may favor a different plan.
BRETT’S SUGGESTION: If you use Toss N’ Go, keep long hair and loose gear controlled, verify rope length/end management, and make sure the group already has a rescue plan—not just a rappel plan.
2 — ROPE-BLOCKED SYSTEMS: KNOW THE RAPPEL SIDE
A rope-blocked system uses a block at the anchor so one side becomes the rappel strand. The opposite side is commonly involved in retrieval. This book uses the Clove Hitch / Triple Clove Hitch as a primary example of a block concept.
PHOTO 2 — ROPE BLOCK
Wide photo with labels added later: ANCHOR, BLOCK, RAPPEL STRAND, PULL / RETRIEVAL STRAND.
• Before anyone weights the rope, every person managing the station should be able to point to the RAPPEL strand.
• The block and the connector/hardware must be compatible with the intended load and unable to pass through the rappel point.
• The pull side should be managed so it cannot be mistaken for the rappel side or accidentally loaded.
• Plan the rope pull before the first rappel. A perfect descent followed by an impossible pull is still poor rigging.
CRITICAL: In a biner block, rappel on the strand that runs through the rapide and is held by the seated block on the other side. Loading the pull strand can pull the system free. Trace the complete load path together; color alone is not a safety check.
3 — RELEASABLE / CONTINGENCY RIGGING
A releasable system is built so a rappeller can descend normally, but the anchor operator has a controlled way to lower that person if a problem develops. Hair or clothing in the device, a stuck rappeller, unexpected friction, or a medical problem are exactly why people value this capability.
PHOTO 3 — RELEASABLE SYSTEM
Show a correctly configured releasable system from far enough away that the anchor, friction mechanism, rappel strand, and safety/tie-off can all be identified.
EXAMPLES IN THIS BOOK
Munter-Mule style contingency rigging, Figure-8 / Totem based systems, and the Joker system covered later in Module 31.
WHAT COMPETENCE MEANS
Not merely tying it. You need to know how it behaves under load, what must be released, where braking friction comes from, how to back it up, and what can accidentally defeat it.
HANDS-ON SKILL: The ACA progression treats lowerable/releasable rigging as a practiced skill and later adds conversion of static rigging to a lower. Do not make your first loaded conversion in a canyon.
COURTESY RIGGING: SOLVE THE START AND PROTECT THE PULL
Courtesy rigging is a temporary arrangement that helps earlier rappellers start from a more favorable position while keeping the final rope configuration and retrieval in mind. The ACA specifically includes Dynamic Courtesy Rigging to facilitate a hands-free rappel start, improve retrieval, and help avoid rope grooves in soft rock.
PHOTO 4 — COURTESY RIGGING
Show the “courtesy” start position and the final rappel line in the same frame if possible. Later labels can show how the rope path changes.
PHOTO 5 — ROPE PULL PATH
After the rappel, photograph the expected retrieval line. Show edges/corners where a moving rope could cut a groove or jam.
WHY USE IT?
A difficult lip, awkward anchor location, heavy abrasion point, or ugly pull can sometimes be managed by deliberately changing the rope path for earlier rappellers.
WHY IT IS ADVANCED
The last person often has a different setup than the rest of the group. That means sequencing, conversion, communication, and rope-retrieval judgment all matter.
RIGGING IS A DECISION
Instead of asking “What rigging method do I always use?” ask “What problems does THIS rappel create?” Then choose the simplest system your team can competently operate that addresses those problems.
1
ANCHOR — What are we rigging from, and have we examined the entire load path?
2
RAPPEL — How long, how exposed, how awkward is the start, and what friction changes might occur?
3
RAPPELLER — Beginner or experienced? Heavy pack? Long hair? Injury, fear, fatigue, or special assistance needs?
4
ENVIRONMENT — Dry canyon, flowing water, loose rock, soft sandstone, cold, wind, or poor communication?
5
CONTINGENCY — If the person stops halfway down, can the team lower, assist, ascend, or solve it with the system in play?
6
RETRIEVAL — Which strand gets pulled, from what direction, across what rock, and what could snag?
7
LAST PERSON — What changes for the final rappeller, and is that person actually competent with the last-person configuration?
THE BIG IDEA: A sophisticated rig that nobody in the group can troubleshoot is not safer than a simple system the team fully understands. Complexity needs a reason.
THE RIGGING BUDDY CHECK
Before the first person leaves the safe zone, one person rigs and another qualified person verifies. Spoken checks are useful because they force the team to identify the actual system instead of merely glancing at it.
ANCHOR + CONNECTION
Anchor inspected. Webbing/hardware inspected. Rappel point closed/secure. System loaded in the intended direction.
ROPE LENGTH + ENDS
Rope reaches the intended landing or the system deliberately manages the length. Ends are managed for the terrain and water conditions.
SYSTEM Check
Say it: Toss N’ Go, rope block, releasable, courtesy, etc. Identify rappel strand, pull strand, block, brake path, and any safety/tie-off.
EDGE + RETRIEVAL
Visualize the edge transition and the pull. Protect soft rock, avoid pinch points, and make sure the pull line will not lift or jam the anchor.
RAPPELLER CHECK
Harness, connector, device orientation, friction setting, helmet, loose clothing/hair, pack, and communication plan.
CONTINGENCY
Who is operating the anchor? What happens if the rappeller stops? Is a lower actually available? Where is the rescue/ascending gear?
DO NOT RUSH THIS SECTION: The point of Module 26 is recognition plus judgment. Building, converting, and troubleshooting these systems correctly comes from deliberate practice and competent mentorship.
*CASE STUDY: THE RETRIEVAL STRAND IS NOT THE RAPPEL STRAND — PINE CREEK, 2008
ICAD records a July 30, 2008 accident in Pine Creek in which a canyoneer fell about 100 feet while using a blocked single-rope system. She survived with serious injuries. Her own account says the exact mechanism was uncertain; investigators suspected that she had attached to the retrieval side.
Lesson Learned: Trace the rope from the descender to the anchor and identify exactly what prevents that strand from moving. A correct knot somewhere in the system does not prove that you are on the correct strand. Separate and manage the retrieval side, perform a knowledgeable partner check, and test the system while independently protected before committing.
Think it through: Can both partners explain which strand is loaded and why it holds?
*CASE STUDY: THE BLOCK PASSED THROUGH — HEAPS CANYON, 2007
On June 4, 2007, a canyoneer died on Heaps Canyon's final rappel. ICAD reports that his blocking carabiner had been positioned against another large carabiner. The block initially held, then shifted and passed through, releasing the rope.
Lesson Learned: A carabiner block must be compatible with the exact ring or quicklink it bears against, in every possible orientation.Blocking against another carabiner can create a fatal mismatch. This reported failure was about block geometry, a different hazard from choosing the retrieval strand or a clove hitch coming untied.
Think it through: Could the block pass through if the hardware rotates?
ADDITIONAL READING
International Canyon Accident Database — Heaps 2007-06-04; report submitted by Dave Nally.