Doug Robinson shows us How NOT 2 rappel 

I can answer the question about the friction hitch backup under the extended rappell device: If you have it abouve the device it has to hold the whole force of you hanging in the system or in the worst case: falling. 2 disadvantages: You are hold entirely by static 5-6mm cord and it is super hard to loosen if you are vertical. If you have it below your device it just acts as a backup 3rd hand, that only has to hold the force after the device in braking position, which is much lower. That leads to a higher chance that you are able to loosen it up in vertical terrain without having to change the system entirely. Worst case is you have to tie a friction hitch abouve the device with a foot loop to deload the device and backup to loosen it, while with the backup abouve the device it could be to far up to reach it properly. I think extended rappel with backup under the device is the safest and most convenient method to use.

We also read in a book all about 'arm' rappelling back in the 1970s from an old dusty book from the public library. Didn't read far enough to where it talks about this should only be used for low angle rappels. We learned to rappel out of a tree from about 20 feet up. Climbed a ladder and rappelled. Sent my friend up to try an arm rappel after reviewing the diagrams in the book. He started screaming and tried to get back on the ladder, but ended up kicking the ladder away. He then promptly fell to the ground while getting massive rope burns on and under his arms. Glad he went first (and last).

Smashed the like button, but only because Doug asked me to. If you'd like more smashing of buttons, have more Doug, it's that simple.

This episode felt so relaxed and the tone was funny yet serious when it needed to be, quality content, keep 'er lit

Probably the best episode I've watched on this channel. I've had these "safety" conversations many times and found this episode very relatable and funny. Keep it up!

Please, keep Doug in the How Not 2 team! He brings great value as the grand father of the AMGA! I hope to meet you all the next time im in CA. Cheers

Doug needs to be regular talent on the channel. I’ve done countless raps but there’s always always room to learn. Wisdom can not be taught but must be earned through experience. Wisdom of previous generations needs preserved now more than ever imo. Thanks for the share guys. Good to see Bobby back at it.

Crazy story but when I was doing my Emt- p training 30 years ago we were out in the field doing repelling down to a patient dummy which we had to take to the bottom of a cliff. I got to the bottom and watched the student above bounce bounce down and the next bounce she went off the end of the rope as there was no knot. We actually used rope bags but nobody had tied the rope to the bag 😳. Needless to say it was the aloe tree vegetation that saved her life and broke her distance as she smashed them coming down a straight cliff 20m tumbling like a doll until she landed on a ledge about 5 m above me. It was silent and after a few seconds which felt like forever she burst into tears. I scrambled up she was alive but sever fractures to her legs and we ended up with a real evac and had to put her in the basket stretcher and with a real case

This is one of your greatest videos. Doug is legendary.

Love the constant snark. The clip where you "took us to the shop" and showed the knot lasting up until 21 kn, that was priceless.

Love bobby! All the bad shit that's happened to him lately and he's still smiling, laughing and joking about! 😊

Only 1 out of 4 people actually knows if there is a knot at the end of the rope. Doug 2 seconds later: "look how coordinated we are" One of the funniest safety videos I have watched in a long time. Stay safe everyone!

Lessons from the master! I sincerely hope Doug continues to make videos with these guys!

This is a gem! I just got interested in lead climbing after having done bouldering for a couple of years and this is exactly the things i wanted to know! The part with Doug forgetting end knots is a solid reminder that habit is the best way to make mistakes. The sarcasm and overall feel of the video was amazing! Thank you!

I'm 46 now, after a couple yosemite bigwallsaround the age of 15 while hiding amoung boulders in the valley for free camping I met an old schooler, it may very well have been pass the pitons pete zabrock. i wouldnt be surprised after having had met many infamous climbers in the valley! Amazing full stoke! this dude in the talus started talking about redundancy and rope dynamics. clueless at the time, now I know! Thank you Ryan very much for helping us all with gear fear. Cheers and pass the pitons!

Doug seems like the coolest guy ever! One of my favorite videos by far

These two videos with this guy are my favorite videos I’ve seen on this channel! So funny and informative with great stories and history.

Thank you so much for this. Love the chilled + funny + serious demonstration and knowledge you put out there (and beautifully edited, too). Warm regards to Bobby, hope things are getting better

I'd really like to see a video on how not to bail. Bailing on alpine routes without bolts, aka bailing on gear @HowNOT2

This was by far the best, and most entertaining, climbing video I have ever seen. Just… great. Thank you. It also had everything in it that I was taught, which makes me feel “super good enough” when it comes to my rappelling.

From my experience, the arm rappel is called "the French Arm rappel." Australian rappelling is face down with your friction device on your backside. IMHO, there are occasional uses of the French Arm rappel. It can be used effectively on low angle slopes. Perhaps some of you know the bypass to the 5th Tea Cup on Dry Meadow Creek. It's low angle and if you need to get a few people to the next tea cup without the jump, it's a great technique to know. However like any technique, a climber has to know its limitations. Likewise in the video it was alluded to that tying a stopper knot isn't the right technique 100% of the time.

the videos with Doug are fantastic! Such a wealth of stories and knowledge, and just seems like a charismatic storyteller.

Check out our new store! hownot2.store/

Absolutely LOVE the sarcasm and style!! Great stuff. We've watched probably too many of your videos and love them all. We'll need to send you some of our V3 soft shackles someday for testing against the standard lanyard knot ones. Keep it up!

I looooove those Doug videos, what a great way to start hownot2! 🙌

This video might be my favourite on the channel so far. Doug is a gem.

I read about climbing accidents about a year ago. Falling off the end of the rope when rappelling was a surprisingly common type of accident that resulted in fatality. (I think it was about 30% of all fatal trad/sport climbing accidents if I recall correctly). The recommendation by the agency that did the investigation was to always tie in stopper knots at the end of your rappel line.

Really appreciate this kind of stuff. Learning how to do all this myself. Seeing videos of experienced people breaking it down AND reaffirming what I’ve pieced together is very helpful

really loving this new channel already!

Great to see Doug out and about. shows you how many of the old school methods work just fine.

Loving these episodes with Doug. More of Doug and his stories please!

I agree that it's really useful to say out loud what you're doing, so both you and your partner don't make a dumb mistake.

What a legend Doug! Awsome content as always guys!!

I love this channel and you two in particular. Glad to see Bobby getting back into the swing of things after the accident. You guys had me cracking up in this video 😂

Another amazing episode from amazing people having fun.. felt like i was there . Keep up the fantastic work the how not 2 team

While it was not explicitly stated, I'm glad they are following the number one rule of climbing with other people. SPEAK UP. Watching Doug get called out was cheeky sure, but it was also super important. It doesn't matter what their status or reputation is is. Everyone needs to be double checked

You guys are so funny, and Doug is the best. What a blast this day must have been.

You guys would be a blast to climb with. Doug is such a character. Great guys! Thanks for another video.

Really liked the format of this video. loved the tutorial mixed with teleportation's. really awesome

Great video guys! Adding the hilarity is clutch in keeping in fresh. Keep it up!

Doug Said it the best - I too thought a rappel video was boring but it was pretty good. Lol

Great video guys. I’m Swiss, live in the Alps and love mountaineering. My great great grand father (my profile picture) who was a famous mountain guide in the Zermatt area would be proud of you guys for being so fun while very informative. Thank you

You can tell how much they Respect and love Doug

Doug is such a cool person to be around

What a great caracter Doug is. Thanks a bundle!

I like the editing to add the break tests in these videos! Good addition

Love Bobbys white golf gloves 💜💜☺️

Yo I love the videos and I can see the effort you put in. Great video!

Just such a great video - fun, funny, informative, educational, well shot, well edited and linked to your other videos and a great real-world, in-practice camaraderie between all you guys. The first time I have been moved to comment since following the channel so that must say something in itself. Keep doing what you're doing, finding your channel during the pandemic and various subsequent "lockdowns" has been a godsend and even though i consider myself a very knowledgeable climber with 20+ yrs experience i have still learnt a LOT. Much love from sunny Scotland.

This is the first time I smashed that like button. Doug rocks!

Doug is a treasure. I am closer in age to Doug and am new to climbing, 60 yo in December. Running into some physical challenges, but am well aware of not exceeding my competency or abilities. Having fun though.

Top tip when putting the 3rd hand below the belay device - put this on first, and it takes the weight of the rope, leaving a loop of rope above to make it easier to put your belay device on

So like keep bringin Doug back, great episode

this was such a great video !! love the editing 😁

The ONLY "sponsor" promotion i've ever enjoyed!👍

Dude don't know what you did this time but it WORKED. This has been first of my front page recomended for like... 9 hours or something? Great stuff

this was wonderful, thanks chaps.

Doug was great. I loved the energy he brought in.

Presic knot is awesome! What a useful versatile knot. Cleaver, safe, and devilishly simple. I love knots. I can't wait to start rock climbing NV

Shirt suggestion: be mindful! Complete with a catchy and memorable graphic. Seems like most all climbing related injuries, accidents, and issues with area access could be avoided entirely with that simple but sometimes elusive idea. Be MINDFUL

Cant help but notice Dougs smile wrinkles. Thats a guy who has spent a lot of time smiling. Sign of a life well lived.

If you clip your personal anchor to the rope you need to pull, it will remind you till your next belay station ;)

competent and fun have captured my atention... muchas gracias, chicos!

Doug's backup prusik positioned above rapell device is the way I was thought to rapel twenty years ago in Poland. We were taught the "high device" method as well, with a rapel device on a long tape and prusik below it - clipped directly to harness loop. Prusik above might be better in case if you have to unload the rapel device - if you can think of any scenarios when that could prove useful. Maybe for going around knots (caves) or gear placements when descending diagonally? Prusik above would also hold You, if Your rapell device disintegrated and would not introduce strain to the system. And finally, it's easy to change from descending to ascending with prusik above, just clip a foot extender, stand in it, and pull slack with your descender, hang in the descender, lift the prusik, stand in it, repeat. That's probably how I got to like it more. Think of using a Shunt instead of a prusik and it makes even more sense.

Doug gets my like.

Ok, i'm taking the bait: I was taught that the idea of an extended rappel is that, if the prusik blocks, it will force your ATC to block too. This is probably also the reason why people put the prusik on their leg loop: You are still relying on the ATC to do the actual blocking. But that still seems a little bit sketchy to me.

"im not gonna tell you to smash the like button" well you've convinced me, Im pressing like.

I like this video that invite more friends to hand out, lot of laughing here and also come with knowledage as usual, nice one.

Love to see how much fun they had making this

Not a climber. Not thinking about it anytime soon. Just subscribed. Great people, great content! I am happy I found you

I have no idea how I ended up here, but I smashed that like button

This video, as all your others is excellent and covers a great range of the necessary skills. As an international mounting guide (IFMGA) of similar experience to Doug your guest, I would adda couple more points that I always teach: 1. Before beginning an abseil I get everybody to check that their harnesses are safely buckled (a friend of mine lost a client who fell out of his harness on an abseil). 2. To ensure I have the middle of the rope at the abseil anchor I match the ends of the rope before tying the ends together. I then throw the both ropes as one. They then both go the same direction. 3. In windy or difficult conditions the first to abseil carries the ropes down in a bag as cavers do. Coiling the ropes around the body an suffice. 4. Before the last abseil the folks at the bottom of the pitch do a short test pull of the correct strand of rope. If it doesn't run the person above can adjust it so that it does pull OK before leaving the top anchor. 5. As a backup knot the French Prussic (the French call it an Autoblock) which is far superior to the Prussic Knot in it's management and ability to engage when required. I hope this helps. Keep up the good work. It is very valuable to many people.

We call the European Death Knot by it acronym, EDK. Its the only knot we use for tying two rappel ropes together. It slides over the rock the best.

No doubt. I've definitely done some "walk offs" that were far more terrifying that the actual climb. The fact that y'all had one of the OG's of guiding as a guest was freak'n awesome.

Great video as always

When I was a kid my dad brought home a harness from work. It didn’t pass inspection so he brung it home. I would climb up a tree and repel down the tree not knowing how to tie knots or how to repel. The first time I did this my over hand knot didn’t hold and I dropped like a rock to the ground hitting every branch while falling. Broke 4 ribs and my left arm. No RU-vid back in the 90’s. My mom bought me a book and that’s how I learned.

This video was wholesome AF

New climber, really enjoying your videos!

25:58 Use the ATC upside down to have less friction. 26:37 Put the carabiner from the PAS on the rope you have to pull.

Worth a mention that two very different sized ropes will run through a belay device at different rates, thus moving the center mark from where you had it (like if you're using a tag line.) Also a mention of the firemans belay would be nice. Even if only for trolling friends.

Awesome video! Smart and funny isn't a bad way to get things done.

I’m an Australian and you summed us up perfectly.

The Australian rappel is actually handy but not used a lot. Since a lot of places in Aus are very loose but not very tall it saves the hassle of having to put on a harness for something not worth abseiling down (mostly when canyoning). I have never used it on big cliffs or anything vertical usually only when you would use a hand line and want to be lazy about it.

What a great video. You guys are awesome.

“I can assure you I’m not enjoying it that much” 😂😂

Bobby is such a wholesome human

Hi I.A.G.A. certified guide trainer here. (IAGA - International Adventure Guide Association, was a European training agency, sadly gone now.) Trained cave, canyoning, and climbing guides. For a how to rappel video that was not so hot. The first one with the ATC, we were always taught control hand behind your butt because that gives a bit more friction over the hip and avoids getting the glove (or a finger) jammed in the descender, and non control hand Al Bundy style, i.e. thumb tucked into the waist strap. That stops people grabbing he rope above the descender if they slip. Also feet shoulder width apart and weight well back, legs ninety degrees to the slope and keep the rope outside your legs on the control side so you don't trip on it. Stopper knots are OK, but never use them when abseiling, sorry, rappelling into water. At a guides only training day we set up a free hanging abseil with the rope deliberately too short and a prussik back up on a second rope. For safety we had the guide on a third top belay rope. The idea was for the guides to each abseil down blindfolded and when they abseiled off the end of the rope to let go the prussik and save themselves. First time everyone reflexively held on tighter to the prussik sliding it down and were stopped on the belay rope. After practice we were able to let the prussik go and it usually melted and fused into the rope! Most reliable back up on a double rope was a Petzl Shunt on a sling above your descender, holding a 3mm cord between two knuckles, or thumb and finger, of your free hand to drag it down.

thanks for this.. watched 3 times last wknd. i am just starting and learned alot from this. i did my first rappel yesterday!

Thank you for a really good educational video thats super entertaining. Best rock climbing content if you are new to the sport, which I am.

Doug doesn't have to follow the rules, because the rules follow Doug! 🤣 These episodes with Doug have been awesome, hopefully you can trick him into doing more in the future 🙏 👍

Hahaha I love the IMMEDIATE shade thrown at that mammut rope for not having a middle marker

I love this video. Doug has a great personality and I like witnessing the lessons learned the hard way on camera. Somehow it makes me feel better to know even experienced rope handlers like yourselves can make mistakes every now and then, or discover ways to improve on techniques.Trick is to avoid all errors that cause injury or lead to decreased lifespan(s), for yourself or others. Always double check everything and when working at elevations greater than chest height (They used to claim anything over a 6 foot fall can end ones future in a hurry), use redundant tethers/anchor points. One tether = no second chance, two = might another chance. Unless of course a rock strikes your gear and destroys it or you. Then i guess the Man In Charge has called you to come home, and there is not much one can do about that.😊

The first time I liked a video because someone asked me to. I don't rappelle (sp.?), amd heights terrofy me, yes, even this novice hill! But I might at some point, now, because it looks super fun! Loved seeing passionate people talk about what they're into!

dug is 100% the reason i smashed the like button, but good video!

"Double check eachother" best piece of advice. even experienced climbers get distracted or exhausted sometimes. Best gear in the world won't save you if you forget to tie in.

Ryan, next time you use an extended rappel, maybe you should consider using a different type of friction hitches. There are a couple of options to use to make the descent as smooth as a grigri. Using a hollow block is also helpful because they're safe but allow for slightly easier sliding of the hitch down the rope

O melhor vídeo de rappel que já vi na vida, além de todo um background e know how muito rico e inteligente!

Immediately when I saw the thumbnail I thought that everyone would make fun of the Australia Rappel. But it is a legit technique used in caving for short descents on slippery slopes. You save time by not having to tie in the descender and time is critical on big caving trips in the alps.

Slick way to unweighten jammed stuff on overhangs - you tie a clove hitch (or any sort of loop) on your rope (below you), put your foot in it, stand up, loose your knot. Can be done in few seconds, no additional gear needed.

I have used the "Aussie" technique, or shoulder belay for rappelling/descending some 4th class ice/snow. There is a tricky section on the ascent and descent of Mt. Washington, via the Lion's Head winter route. Ascent is pretty straight forward with Crampons, but descent is sketchy. A doubled over rope, and shoulder belay make it a quick and easy descent with minimal gear and setup. With softshell or technical shell, it's also pretty smooth.