Why don't you just fall when abseiling?

Question

I'm considering doing a charity abseil but I've always wondered how it is that you don't just fall straight to the gound when abseiling? I know to a certain extent you control the speed at which you go down but is the speed of descent primarily managed by someone at the top?

Answer 1

It's great fun.

The rope wrapped around you and the carrabena have enough friction to stop you accelerating too quickly when you go down. to go down the rope is wrapped around your arm and the movement of your arm allows the rope to slide or stop depending on what you want to do.
Once you get used to the control you will absolutely love it.

Answer 2

Abseiling is real easy. You control your own speed. You wear a harness with a carribena, a rope goes through the carribena in a figure 8 form. One rope from top to bottom. At the top the rpoe is attached to an anchor , at the bottom to a safety gaurd, when you go down make sure that you are always 60-90 degrees with the wall. The rope going through your carribena wil be in your one hand close to you buttocs. When you go to fast push your hand towards your bottocs, it will tighten the rope and break your speed, if you loose control the safety gaurd at the bottom will pull the rope thight and make you stop. Any which why you will be safe. If it's for charity do it. There are lots of people less fortunate than us that need all the help and funds they can get. Please let us know how it went.

Answer 3

Your speed is primarily controlled by you, though supervised by a competent person either at the top (normally) or bottom of the ab.
That's the short answer, if you want more info, read on...

You will be as safe as possible. You will wear a harness of some kind, with a device attached to it for the rope to wrap around and take your weight (the rope can hold about 2.3 tonnes). You hold the rope below this device (as far down the rope as is comfortable), and let the rope slide slowly through your hand. If this is too much effort, put your controlling hand under your bum - so the rope runs over your bum and thigh as well - to add more friction, and take some strain off your hand/hands.
You will most likely have a second rope attached to you, and this is what the "hulking bloke" will be controlling to make sure you are having a controlled descent. This rope will also be rigged in a way that makes it real easy for him to hold all your weight with very little effort (seriously) should he feel the need. (It is also possible to control your descent from the bottom, but this is rare.) The "hulking bloke" will no way be attached to you, but will have made sure he is attached separately to the solid anchor points at the top.
If you feel you need re-assurance, ask the bloke "Have you got your S.P.A.?" Somebody in charge will have, if he personally hasn't, and they should be happy this person is competent in their role. (Assuming the ab is in the UK. S.P.A. = Single Pitch Award; the qualification from the UK Governing body for things such as rock climbing.)

Answer 4

You control your own speed of descent by increasing or reducing the friction between the rope and the equipment. But in a charity abseil - if its your first time - the supervisor or instructor can help control your speed from the bottom. There will be another helper at the top with a safety rope.

Answer 5

Don't worry - I have a terrible fear of heights and I have done a charity abseil. It's really safe.

Firstly, you have two ropes - one wraps around the carribena and controls how fast you go. It is wrapped in a special way that means that even if you drop the rope you won't fall - it automatically 'sticks' when the rope hangs downwards. The second one is usually wrapped around a big hulking bloke at the top who lets it out as you descend as an extra safety precaution. Unless you're the size of a bus, you won't be able to pull him over!

Secondly, you'll get safety equipment (such as a helmet) and some training before-hand. The one I did was run by the army and was really efficient.

Thirdly, the place I jumped off was a hospital so if you are the world's most unlucky person (mostly I am!) and all of the fail-safes fail to fail-safe, at least there isn't far to go for casualty!

Seriously, despite my fear I loved it - it was fab.

Answer 6

friction on the rope. you control how tight a bend the rope takes over a little metal doo-dah-thingy. A tight bend means you go nowhere. A gentle bend means you drop fast. It's a piece of cake.

On your first go, the top man will be doing exactly the same at the top with a separate bit of rope - but he'll keep slack on that one so as not to cramp your style. You will be in charge. If you go crazy, he will take over.

My grandpa did charity abseils until he was 92.

Answer 7

you wear a funny type of straps which look like pants the rope gets put through parts of theses pants and the rest is left to hang as you abseil down the friction on the rope stops it from slipping too quickly also your movements(hops) or steps also control part of the speed of which you drop, also above you a line is fed from another person which again only moves slowly so you never fall down

Answer 8

The rope slows you and the skill/art is in controlling the rate of descent with the rope and the friction it generates.

Answer 9

i think the rope thats attached to the figure of 8 is pulled to the side thats why you can control the speed....do it it is fantastic buzz just go for it mate.

Answer 10

NO ITS MANAGED BY YOU AS YOU FALL YOU RAISE THE HAND WITH THE BOTTOM ROPE UPWARDS AND IT SLOWS YOUR DECENT