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dustinj1039
May 11, 2005, 9:00 PM
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Does anyone know how to properly perform an Australian Rappel? I'm curious if any different equipment is needed, or just setting up in a different way. Thanks!
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j_ung
May 11, 2005, 9:15 PM
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I posted this back in September '04. I lied about never posting it again. Forgive me, but whenever somebody mentions Aussie rappelling... i just can't help myself. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen climbing.
In reply to: This is the third time I've posted this. I swear, I'm never going to post it again :wink: In reply to: Once, at Carderock, a local DC crag famous for accessibility and therefore, crowds, I observed a fella rappelling Aussie style. Though slightly crunchy in threadbare shorts that showed his tighty whities and an equally torn T-shirt, he appeared confident, set a bomber anchor and proceded to rappel face first. Not that none of the assembled masses had never seen it before, but still it's somewhat rare, so the majority of us stopped what we were doing and watched. Mid-rappel, the intrepid abseiler's torn shorts became firmly lodged in the figure 8 suspended mere inches above his sky-turned ass and he stopped cold. After several seconds of bouncing to try to free himself - to no avail - he removed both hands from the brake to poke, prod and wiggle the offending device. Bad move. Letting go the brake added just the right amount of weight to his stuck and stretched-to-the-limit shorts, which promptly ripped from his pelvis and slurped through his figure 8 like a chunk of strawberry through a milkshake straw. Thus freed from the bondage of his shorts - yet without a hand on the brake - the would-be hero crashed frontside-first into a thankfully un-talused landing. His shorts, like an Autumn leaf, fluttered to the ground beside him. Though the rappeller, who disappeared quickly afterward, was uninjured, many more of us were later admitted to the hospital with torn abdominal muscles from forceful laughing. True story... except for the torn stomach muscles part. |
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mccarthykm
May 11, 2005, 9:52 PM
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I just use a figure 8, but some others may have there own favorites. Also, let someone help you configure the direction properly because it is very tought to actually see what your doing behind your back.
**Caution**
I'm not telling you specifically what to do because if you fall on your face it's not my fault.
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dustinj1039
May 11, 2005, 10:09 PM
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So in theory, I run a beiner around my harness in the back, and then along my side through my figure 8 in the front on a beiner, and i should be good to go?
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sarcat
May 11, 2005, 10:20 PM
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Best answer from a previous thread sometime back in 2002:
In reply to: Well first off you drink most of a warm case of Bud, get a fresh chaw of tobacker, spit shine your boots, drive yur anchor (pickup) right up to the cliff edge, throw yur hanky ole piece of rope you just pulled Jim Bob's tractor out of the slew with, have some other drunk buckle yur harness on backwards for you, hoop and holler to make sure everyone's watching, then run off the edge and don't try to slow yourself till you are within 3 feet of the ground,,, at least that is the way I've always seen it done in Oklahoma. Ee haaaa |
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overlord
May 12, 2005, 8:38 AM
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In reply to: Does anyone know how to properly perform an Australian Rappel? I'm curious if any different equipment is needed, or just setting up in a different way. Thanks!
thats easy. dont do it. rappeling is dangerous enough as it is, no need to goof around and make it even more dangerous.
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anykineclimb
May 12, 2005, 8:54 AM
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Ask Kachoong, he's an Aussie. right? :wink:
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kachoong
May 12, 2005, 8:56 AM
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:lol: Yer gunna need a bloody long rope to rap down here mate!
Good luck to ya!
We do everything upside down, remember.... we're Down Under....
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mustclimb69
May 12, 2005, 12:41 PM
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OK 2 things to consider
it is common practice in caving ( in Australia) to rapell "aussie style" this is done using only a waist harness and no leg loops. keep in mind this is very uncomfortable on you abs and hard to keep balanced. The thick and tight wet suits keep you cushioned and the device running free. a Figure 8 is common as it is smooth and fairly quick.
you can also put you harness on back wards thus spreading you weight over you hips but you become top heay and you cant form a sitting position backwards.
If you really want to try it use a tree close to hte ground and youll see what I mean. there is a reason they go so fast, it hurts and is uncomfortable.
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alex234
May 14, 2005, 12:46 AM
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seeing most harnesses dont have a belay loop in the back it would probably be best to tie a swiss seat or some type of tied harness out of webbing. I have used a figure 8 when doing it. ATC's arent smooth enough and are harder to take the brake off with. Have only tried it on short distances off of a climbing tower and it hurts your stomach if u hang around for to long. Wouldnt really advise doin it but it is exciting and only did bc i was really bored. I prolly wouldnt advise doing it at a crag.
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robdotcalm
May 14, 2005, 4:28 PM
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J_ung:" posted this back in September '04. I lied about never posting it again. Forgive me, but whenever somebody mentions Aussie rappelling... i just can't help myself. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen climbing. "
Thanks from those of us who hadn't seen it before. A giggler!
Cheers,
Rob.calm
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israeli_climber
May 22, 2006, 10:46 PM
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Aussie rappelling is very simple and as some on here have said, it can be figured out without "professional" advise... although, if it is advised that you have someone else show you how the first couple of times.
You will have to turn you harness backwards (thats not optional!) unless you use a very tight loop of webbing to go around your waist. Either way it shouldn't be very comfortable but the harness will be better no matter what.
Make sure that you have a well anchored rope either single or dual, hanging over an edge with both ends touching the ground.
Next you need a locking biner and a figure 8 (ATC, BRD, reverso, pyramid, and even GriGri work O.K.), the "figure 8" is the only assailant I will use for rap jumping.
With the rope fixed so that you can rappel on it, link into the rope with the figure 8 and locking biner in such a way that allows you to control the down rope with your free hand.
http://x5b.xanga.com/...665931/b37308688.jpg
In this picture you can see that the rope comes from above and goes through the figure 8 and down my left side. (notice my harness is backwards) I am right handed but I prefer handling on the left side so I can have a gun in my right hand... its the way that the IDF teaches.
I hope that helps... but remember to try it from a low tree first... I have a friend in the marines that has seen some sad stuff happen to guys that don't get the technique down before they jump off a cliff.
*************************************************************
"Speaking truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
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rockguide
May 22, 2006, 11:13 PM
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In reply to: So in theory, I run a beiner around my harness in the back, and then along my side through my figure 8 in the front on a beiner, and i should be good to go?
Why do I think this is not going to stop at a theory?
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gravitychaser
May 28, 2006, 4:07 AM
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It always cracks me up that you guys call it "Australian style", 'cause we (in Australia) don't!
Also, it is still very rare to see it done here, but what is all this stuff about putting a harness on backwards? I've only ever done it (and seen it done) by putting your harness on in the usual way, then clipping a big screw carabiner into the waistband of your harness centrally behind your back, attaching the figure eight device, and off you go.
But yes, it is uncomfortable, and hurts. (Gotta ensure your "package" is adjusted before you step of the edge......)
Jason.
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deltav
May 28, 2006, 5:00 AM
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In reply to: seeing most harnesses dont have a belay loop in the back it would probably be best to tie a swiss seat or some type of tied harness out of webbing. I have used a figure 8 when doing it. ATC's arent smooth enough and are harder to take the brake off with. Have only tried it on short distances off of a climbing tower and it hurts your stomach if u hang around for to long. Wouldnt really advise doin it but it is exciting and only did bc i was really bored. I prolly wouldnt advise doing it at a crag.
Tying the swiss seat is a really bad idea. Unless you can get someone to show you, don't try it on your own. Even then, it's tricky and unsafe. Quite a few people have died from screwed up Aussie rappels.
Also, putting your harness on backward is an equally bad idea. Who the hell does that? Military sure doesn't.
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thehardnailer
May 28, 2006, 5:24 AM
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:lol: I have to throw my two cent's at this one, the only "reason " to "aussie " ( sorry Austrailia) is if you'r planning on shooting a weapon on the way down! :wink: Otherwise, for the sake of you'r local SAR team, don't do it youth, Thank's.
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tradmanclimbs
May 28, 2006, 11:04 AM
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Its a military manuver designed to allow you to fire your wepon downward while rapping. they work in teams so your buddy hitches you up. Like many military practices it is dangerous. Civilian climbing has a diferent agenda than military.They have training accidents all the time. If you are not in a situation where you have to engage hostile targets while rapping you would be foolish to do this.
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aussi138
Jul 30, 2006, 5:58 PM
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I think it's funny how most of the people on here have never even Aussie rappelled, but they're set on it being stupid or a bad idea.
It's easy to Aussie. Just wear your harness like you normally would. I prefer the rescue eight, because I like to go faster than most. Hook your biner onto your main strap in the back. Make sure your lock is to the bottom and the fat end is toward you. Stand on the opposite side of the rope than you normally would and run it through the eight (through the bog hole and around the little one. Make sure when you hook up that your rope feeds smoothly and does have a weird twist. If you hook the eight to your biner upside down, you'll see what I mean. You break (with your hand) at your side and not in front of you. Again, I go faster than most so, I don't let the rope drag across my harness.
Another thing, I started doing, aside from the rescue eight and biner was to place another biner at my side and run the rope through it. This is because, once while rappelling down the backside of battleship rock in Jemez, New Mexico, I actually warped my figure eight from the heat created by the friction of the rope. Of course that's when I started using a rescue eight and biner, for obvious reasons. But I also throw one at my side so that if the eight were to break, I might only break my fingers and not my head.
I've done well over 200 Aussie descents and I've never been injured, nor has any of my party. I know what climbers say about it. But I think they say it out of fear.
Disclaimer: This is just the way I do things. I do not recommend that anyone who is afraid of death, not right with god, or has small children at home should attempt trying this. There are no guarantees in life. Suchlike, there are none in my method.
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yak
Aug 13, 2006, 5:45 AM
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Question regarding turning harness around, isn't the point of having leg loops to support your legs in a sitting kind of position, being that the leg loops and waist is connected via belay loop, if you put weight on belay loop it automaticlly pulls leg loops up toward a sitting position. If you had harness on backwards and weight the belay loop (say in a fall, or even a slip) could harness going into that sitting position pull legs backwards, maybe hip or lower back injury....just asking, have no experience in this.
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NinjutsuManiac
Mar 21, 2008, 11:18 PM
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Thats how I have done it, but I researched using your loop in the back, and apparently its not meant to rappel from. I still use it, but I put a sewn runner inside my rap biner and girth hitch in in my hard points in my harness just in case shit goes down.
Also, I've used a prussic around were I hold so if the back loop does break and the rope gets ripped out of my hand, It'll catch it. The trick with using a prussic like that and book it down the face is to not to load the hitch, just keep it loose. Use chord if you want to back it up because its the most heat resistant.
Its always good to back up your systems.
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eddietheteddie
Mar 22, 2008, 12:14 AM
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In the military, we took the same length of rope that we tied our hip- rappel (swiss) seats from, and doubled it up (thus making it half the length) We then looped this around our waist and tied square not in the front. Overhand knots were used to backup the square knot on either side. We used a steel biner clipped into the back of this "harness" gate side up, and had the rappelmaster clip the double rope through twice (i.e. carrabiner wrap rappel) and off we went. Im sure if you look in a military mountaineering field manual its in there, be very careful, as the carrabiner wrap rappel gives very little friction. And make sure you use a steel biner, bad things happen otherwise.
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overlord
Mar 22, 2008, 12:16 PM
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NinjutsuManiac wrote: Thats how I have done it, but I researched using your loop in the back, and apparently its not meant to rappel from. I still use it, but I put a sewn runner inside my rap biner and girth hitch in in my hard points in my harness just in case shit goes down. Also, I've used a prussic around were I hold so if the back loop does break and the rope gets ripped out of my hand, It'll catch it. The trick with using a prussic like that and book it down the face is to not to load the hitch, just keep it loose. Use chord if you want to back it up because its the most heat resistant. Its always good to back up your systems.
its also good to use the equipment the way it was designed to be used
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binrat
Mar 22, 2008, 7:44 PM
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eddietheteddie wrote: In the military, we took the same length of rope that we tied our hip- rappel (swiss) seats from, and doubled it up (thus making it half the length) We then looped this around our waist and tied square not in the front. Overhand knots were used to backup the square knot on either side. We used a steel biner clipped into the back of this "harness" gate side up, and had the rappelmaster clip the double rope through twice (i.e. carrabiner wrap rappel) and off we went. Im sure if you look in a military mountaineering field manual its in there, be very careful, as the carrabiner wrap rappel gives very little friction. And make sure you use a steel biner, bad things happen otherwise.
Hey eddie, have you tried it from a helicopter?? I have, almost pissed myself the first time  but went back for more.
Binrat
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NinjutsuManiac
Mar 22, 2008, 8:47 PM
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Cheers to that, no more of the gear loop in the back, I was doing it way wrong. 
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eddietheteddie
Mar 22, 2008, 9:55 PM
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never got to do it from a chopper, but did do it off helicopter skids mounted to a wall. Fun, but not the same. That had to be a riot off a hovering bird. Did you rappel off a Huey or Blackhawk? (Assuming you were U.S. military) You ever jump from a blackhawk? Thats good stuff too.
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