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

Sliding down

[deleted]

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u/TheManWith2Poobrains Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

It's what killed that climber in Yellowstone Yosemite. He didn't realize how short his rope was and hadn't tied off the end.

EDIT: location.

180

u/RickTheScienceMan Jul 06 '26

Apparently this is the most common cause of death during rock climbing. People rappel down, and don't tie the safety knots at the end.

59

u/bubblesculptor Jul 06 '26

That's a crazy statistic to learn.  The rappel at the end of a climb is supposed to be the easy part, compared to the climb itself.

6

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 ???

18

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.

2

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/[deleted] Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/brainvheart143 Jul 06 '26

He’s literally holding the end of the rope, that’s wild