Someone cutting your rigging

[davantalus]

Do you ever worry someone would untie or cut your rigging while you're at the bottom of a hole or (god forbid) on rope?

I figure the untying scenario is pretty unlikely, and possibly preventable with a clever, out of reach, knot. But someone malicious with a blade freaks me out.

Personally, I live in an apartment so I practice hanging off a nearby bridge. The bridge goes, literally, nowhere; So there's not a lot of traffic, foot, or otherwise. That being said, it's a pretty populated area and I don't have any practice buddies. I realize there are a bunch of solutions, find a nice tree, hike 10 miles to a better tree, buy a house and setup a climbing gym, maybe I could bribe two friends with pizza to stand at the top with automatic weapons.

Mainly though, I'm curious how (ir)rational my fears are.

[ian mckenzie]

Has been known to happen in Mexico, Jamaica, etc. either through maliciousness or a desire to score some nice rope.

Here we worry about packrats chewing the rope at the anchor.

[Anonymous_Coward]

Isn't the "rat cable" a Canadian invention?

[Scott McCrea]

There are some sections of rural Appalachia that this is a concern. Occasionally, we have stationed an armed guard by the ropes. We also, routinely, anchor the ropes (with slack) at the bottom of the pits. At least it will limit how much they can steal.

[Stridergdm]

I do know of a case where members of my grotto/Outing Club (RPI) back in the 70s were evidently caving in Mexico when the Federales showed up, couldn't figure out what they were doing and arrested those on the surface and pulled up the rope. A day or two later a translator was finally able to convince them to lower another rope down and let the rest of them out of the cave.

Other than that, I've never given it much thought. Until now. Great. Now I'll be paranoid all the time.

No, seriously I've heard rumors of events like what you mentioning happening, but other than the one above, never actual details.

I'd guess in most places, most caves are far enough away, anyone coming along is probably smart enough to realize why the rope is there and respect it and leave it alone.

[Amazingracer]

On my first trip to Ellisons, when we had derigged Fantastic and were arriving at the warm up drop we discovered that some one had pulled up our entire rope and thrown it back down the pit in a ginat ball that tangled up and had the rope hanging about 8 feet off the floor, by moving some raocks and reaching for it we were able to pull down the mess and get it untangled and get out.
After that incident I always tie my ropes down, but unfortunately that doesnt do anything about knives. When we were in Mexico we kept some one at the the top of the pits at all times to keep the rope from disappearing.

[creektrails]

This is my first post but I have always wondered about someone messing w/ my rope. Taking it or tossing it into the pit is one thing. I know im paranoid but someone knicking it witha knife is what I worry about.

[cavedoc]

It happened to a group I was caving with in China. The locals pulled the rope while a group was in the cave. Someone did a substantial free solo up to set up another rope and all was well. We tied them all down afterward and put tin-can alarms on them.

[Grandpa Caver]

Back in the early 80's we rappeled a short drop into a popular southern Indiana cave. When we returned to exit we discovered someone had stolen our rope. We were in no danger because it wasn't our only way out but the thief(s) didn't know that!

[Cody JW]

They say when at Natural Well to leave someone on top because the pit sits along a state park hiking trail,we did when we were there.I also read in the Hautala book about a struggle between one caver left on top and some drunk locals who ended up cutting a rope with a machette when someone was one rope, in this case the woman on rope fell only a few feet to a ledge and was easily rescued.Scary stuff, makes you think.

[Stridergdm]

They say when at Natural Well to leave someone on top because the pit sits along a state park hiking trail,we did when we were there.I also read in the Hautala book about a struggle between one caver left on top and some drunk locals who ended up cutting a rope with a machette when someone was one rope, in this case the woman on rope fell only a few feet to a ledge and was easily rescued.Scary stuff, makes you think.

Really wants to make sure you can do a fast change-over and rappel pretty quickly.

[NZcaver]

Fear of someone cutting the rigging was the reason they built this behemoth gate over a cave entrance in Montana.

[Kevenater]

I've thought about it many times! Scary stuff for sure!

[Squirrel Girl]

Yeah, Mexico has had some bad examples. Seems to me when I started caving in Iowa, that some helpful boy scouts dispatched a rope (or ropes) at Maquoketa Caves State Park.

All in all, these seem to be quite rare instances. But it seems to be standard practice to put a second anchor just out of reach below the lip of pits in Mexico.

[David Grimes]

I have often been concerned with this especially when caving on public land during hunting season. I know awhile back before the WNS closures I had done a trip to Birthday Plunge here in Indiana in the forestry during hunting season, we all joked about a hunter who was angry that we spooked his deer, taking or cutting our rope. We were all laughing about it but I guarantee the thought was in the back of everyone's mind.