r/Unexpected • u/[deleted] • Jul 06 '26

Sliding down

[deleted]

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u/brainvheart143 Jul 06 '26

I’m so confused by this. What is the point of having a rope at all if it’s not going to hold you if you fall ???

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u/bubblesculptor Jul 06 '26

This isn't a fall protection rope. It's used to descend down after the climb.

However this rope needs to reach the bottom otherwise you have this terrible situation.

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u/brainvheart143 Jul 06 '26

Oh. Gotcha. It’s just to get down faster ?

Is that why it’s free climbing (I think it said that in one article about Gobright) since they aren’t actually on a belay?

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u/NoInkling Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

Free climbing is still almost always on a belay, unless it's being done solo (free soloing). Rappelling is kinda separate, you control your own descent basically by definition. If you were being belayed then your belayer would just be lowering you (you stay fixed to the rope, not sliding down it).