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ROPES
Fixed ropes in adventure racing are most often added to races for enjoyment, but can be intimidating under circumstances such as fatigue, darkness, or wet conditions. The most common fixed ropes sections are Zip lines and Rappels. Ascending and Tyrolean Traverse sections are possible in bigger races. Being proficient in each discipline before a race is important for safety and enjoyment.
Tyrolean Traverse / Zip-Line
A Tyrolean traverse is a horizontal progression on a fixed rope. The harness is attached to the rope with a pulley or carabineer. In its most basic form the racer pulls himself down the rope, but in many cases the progression is all down hill and in this case it is considered a zip line. On longer traverses where the sag of the rope is a factor, the beginning is a downward progression and at the half way point the rope begins to ascend and the racer will pull himself in a hand over hand motion.
On a large traverse where the incline of the rope is to large to progress using only your arms, ascenders will have to be used. This is accomplished by a set of ascenders (one way hand held clutches) that only allow for forward motion on the rope. One ascender is attached to a set of foot loops with a line. The other ascender is attached to your climbing harness. The two ascenders are used in a non-synchronised sitting to standing motion. With the body’s weight being moved up the rope in the standing motion while the harness ascender moves up the rope. Followed by the sitting action were the foot attached ascender is moved up the rope. Below is a generic gear list for ascending keep in bind most races have strict guidelines on what they will accept.
Typical Required Gear for Tyrolean Traverse or Zip Line
- Approved Climbing Harness
- Helmet
- Full Fingered Leather Gloves
- 2-3 Locking Carabineers
- Pulley
- Sling
Additional equipment for Tyrolean with Ascending
- Ascenders
- Foot Loops
- Sling or Daisy Chain (webbed strap with repeating loops)
Rappelling
Rappelling is controlled vertical progression down a rope on a sloping or overhung surface. There are different devices that can be used for rappelling the most common would be the ATC. Typically you will be under complete supervision of an instructor before you start your descent but you still need to be proficient at all aspects prior to the race. One option that sometimes allowed is to be belayed (someone else has control over your descent). This control can be done from the top or the bottom. Most races require a prusik, a special type of knot that grabs on the rope if something happens to your rappel device. Below is a generic gear list for rappelling keep in mind most races have strict guidelines on what they will accept.
Typical Required Gear for Rappelling
- Approved Climbing Harness
- Helmet
- Full Fingered Leather Gloves
- 2-3 Locking Carabineers
- Prusik
- Rappel Device
Ascending
Ascending is a vertical progression up a rope a fixed rope. This is accomplished by a set of ascenders (one way hand held clutches) that only allow for upward motion on the rope. One ascender is attached to a set of foot loops with a line. The other ascender is attached to your climbing harness. The two ascenders are used in a non-synchronised sitting to standing motion. With the body’s weight being picked up in the standing motion while the harness ascender moves up the rope. Followed by the sitting action were the foot attached ascender is moved up the rope. Below is a generic gear list for ascending keep in bind most races have strict guidelines on what they will accept.
Typical Required Gear for Ascending
- Approved Climbing Harness
- Helmet
- Full Fingered Leather Gloves
- 2-3 Locking Caribiners
- Ascenders
- Foot Loops
- Sling or Daisy Chain (webbed strap with repeating loops)
For more information on quality climbing product please visit www.Petzl.com.
For instruction please visit www.planet-rock.com or check our clinic page.
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