Cavechat.org

Posted: **Nov 8, 2012 5:34 pm**

Do you break out in a cold sweat when vertical caving? Or are you fearless and nothing bothers you? I will admit that being a little large my fear is getting up over a lip that has a severe undercut....it's difficult for me. WHAT IS YOUR FEAR?

Posted: **Nov 8, 2012 5:58 pm**

If we're talking gut fear (not necessarily rational fear), I would go with rope or equipment breakage. Most of the other options just seem like an inconvenience.

(PS, I moved your topic into the On Rope forum.)

Posted: **Nov 8, 2012 8:09 pm**

I am most scared of user error. Equipment failure is so rare it's not worth worrying about.

Posted: **Nov 8, 2012 9:13 pm**

Scott McCrea wrote:I am most scared of user error. Equipment failure is so rare it's not worth worrying about.

Posted: **Nov 8, 2012 9:29 pm**

no real fear, but my mind wanders.

Posted: **Nov 8, 2012 10:33 pm**

I'm afraid I'll make a stupid mistake. I rigged into my micro-rack a while back when practicing changeovers, but didn't attatch it to my harness. Maybe that'll be the dumbest thing I ever do on rope.

Posted: **Nov 8, 2012 10:58 pm**

Scott McCrea wrote:I am most scared of user error. Equipment failure is so rare it's not worth worrying about.

Yup, that.

Some of those options make me wonder... If someone is scared that they might have to do a changeover, then should they even be on rope in the first place?

Posted: **Nov 9, 2012 12:59 am**

I am always scared I did something wrong on while putting on my equipment.

Posted: **Nov 9, 2012 4:37 am**

I used the 3 m long only rest of rope instead of full length for descending. No end knot made on it (not my mistake). But I had a new descender so I descended very slow and recognized the end of rope. With my old descender... :bat sticker:

Posted: **Nov 9, 2012 9:02 am**

I worry a bit about someone pulling up my rope. I recall a friend of mine telling me about being at a cave that we all know with a short 40' entrance drop. They went in, explored the cave and when they were getting ready to climb back out they noticed the rope going up the hole. One of them grabbed the rope and held on tight, and pulled it back down. He held on to it until someone could get their gear on and start climbing. When they got up top, no one was there.

Another friend of mine will not use carabiners on his rig, asides from obvious redirects etc... He says that shiny things attract the locals and he doesn't want them messing with his rope.

Posted: **Nov 9, 2012 9:49 am**

graveleye wrote:I worry a bit about someone pulling up my rope. I recall a friend of mine telling me about being at a cave that we all know with a short 40' entrance drop. They went in, explored the cave and when they were getting ready to climb back out they noticed the rope going up the hole. One of them grabbed the rope and held on tight, and pulled it back down. He held on to it until someone could get their gear on and start climbing. When they got up top, no one was there.

Another friend of mine will not use carabiners on his rig, asides from obvious redirects etc... He says that shiny things attract the locals and he doesn't want them messing with his rope.

Sounds like an experience I had once. I was solo caving (yea, I know that's not a good practice either), and was at the bottom of a 67' virgin pit sketching in my survey book. All of a sudden, the rope started going up! I was still attached to it with my ascender, and I immediately hollered "Hey, there is someone down here!" Whoever it was stopped pulling, and when I exited there was no one there. All of my gear at the top was untouched. I can only assume it was some hunters who walked by, and saw the rope and got curious.

As far as fears, my biggest worry is sharp edges that are not properly padded. My wife had a very close call once in Flowing Stone pit in GA once. The rope was almost sawed in two on the ledge about 15' down, and fortunately we had enough to re-rig it and pad the lip so she could exit.

Trogman :helmet:

Posted: **Nov 9, 2012 11:20 am**

NZcaver wrote:...Most of the other options just seem like an inconvenience...

Tied for first is "A rock, bag or tool falling from above". Having been hit by rocks while on rope, I can assure you that it's a lot more than an inconvenience. This is why I think that climbing up re-belayed rigging with someone above you is a bad idea. I'm surprised that this is not part of the debate about French vs American rigging.

Posted: **Nov 9, 2012 12:43 pm**

graveleye wrote:I worry a bit about someone pulling up my rope. I recall a friend of mine telling me about being at a cave that we all know with a short 40' entrance drop. They went in, explored the cave and when they were getting ready to climb back out they noticed the rope going up the hole. One of them grabbed the rope and held on tight, and pulled it back down. He held on to it until someone could get their gear on and start climbing. When they got up top, no one was there.

Another friend of mine will not use carabiners on his rig, asides from obvious redirects etc... He says that shiny things attract the locals and he doesn't want them messing with his rope.

Kevin and Stephen:
Should it become standard practice then to rig the rope at the bottom to a fixed point so no one can pull the rope out? That is when you are in a pit all alone or if everyone in your group is down in the pit at the same time.
Brian

Posted: **Nov 9, 2012 12:52 pm**

That is always a good idea unless there is nothing to tie the rope to (sometimes there isn't). :waving:

BrianFrank wrote:Kevin and Stephen:
Should it become standard practice then to rig the rope at the bottom to a fixed point so no one can pull the rope out? That is when you are in a pit all alone or if everyone in your group is down in the pit at the same time.
Brian

Posted: **Nov 9, 2012 1:53 pm**

If I am feeling uneasy, I'll at least tie a big rock to the rope.

Cavechat.org

POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?

Re: POLL - Biggest fears while vertical caving?