by gindling » Apr 21, 2014 3:39 pm
I have only ever frogged and frogwalked. But this sounds like a perfect reason to learn how to use a ropewalker if you had access to one, though I probably wouldn't buy a whole outfit just for it. From what I have read about long rappels in the past the main significant thing about above ground versus below ground is wind and the possibility of it blowing the rope around and possibly snagging on something, creating a headache and possibly dangerous situation for the next climber if it is not noticed. I remember the original Mt Thor team built a steel platen with two anchored krabs in parallel to guide the rope and bolted it into the wall of the mountain with four bolts. But I guess with what amount of freefall or distance from the wall you are dealing with that may be unfeasible.
We had the wind whipping the rope below us violently around on a climb of the Elephants Perch in Idaho and that was only @1000ft. If it wasn't such smooth granite I could really see it wrapping itself around a projection.