Single Rope Technique - Rigging

Rigging

How the rope is sent down a shaft has great bearing on the type of SRT used. In general, while rope-walking techniques may be very effective for climbing long unobstructed pitches, they prove less versatile in cases of awkward passages and complex rope rigging with re-belays used to avoid hazards such as loose rocks, waterfalls, and rope damage from rub points.

Rigging in the southeastern United States is typically done using a single anchor point, and pitches are rigged as a single long drop, often in excess of 100 meters. The rope is usually a thick abrasion-resistant type, which allows the rope to go over the lip of a shaft in contact with the rock. This is sometimes pejoratively called Indestructible Rope Technique. To descend such large drops on a bobbin-type descender would be difficult owing to the thickness and stiffness of the rope, and the resulting descent would be slow and jerky. The bobbin-descender could also overheat and melt the surface of the rope. Racks are preferred as they have a much larger heat sink capacity and offer a much smoother descent on such pitches. Using the frog system to ascend long pitches is time consuming, so rope-walking systems are preferred.

In Europe, pitches are often more complex, and multi-pitch rigging is used extensively. Long drops are broken into smaller pitches. Re-belays and deviations are used to direct the rope away from areas of sharp rock and from water. Where rope rub cannot be avoided, rope protectors are installed. Traverses are often installed to allow the rigger to reach an area where it is possible to hang the rope with no rub. Since allowing the rope to rub against the walls is prevented, lighter ropes are used, usually 8-9mm thick. This has the advantage of being lighter and therefore more economical to carry on long or deep trips. Bobbin descenders are quicker to change over at re-belays and are also lighter to carry. Rope-walking techniques are less effective in cases of awkward passageways and for changeovers at re-belays.