Face-down Abseiling?

golok

golok

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I have seen it done in one or two movies where stuntmen aseil a huge dam. The only unusual thing is they are doing it a fast face-down descent.

I know it is a stunt for the movies and to impress cinema audiences but in reality does such thing take place?

Anyway, a face-down abseil would require nerves of steel on the part of the participants.

Do they actually teach this kind of abseiling in outward bound schools?
 
Face forward abseiling is quite common and not that hard to learn. I've seen plenty of people go face first on their first day of learning to abseil.

Mostly it's done for fun. You know, step off, see the ground rush towards you, slow yourself at the last moment type of thing. The rope passes through a friction device (figure 8 is the most common) so that the pressure you need to apply on the rope to slow yourself is less that 2-3kg.

Most people who use abseiling as a means to an end, like climbers and rescue workers, see face forward abseiling as unnecessary showboating.

I've heard that face forward has a military application if you are abseiling into an area that you want to cover with a weapon ponting down in your direction of travel. Interestingly I know a couple of 'regiment types' here (the guy who trained me in lead climbing is still in the SAS). They reckon it's rarely used.

Photographing rock climbers was one of my hobbies for a while (I'd post you some cool shots if I knew how) so I occasionaly went face first so I could get a good shot of them from above. I found it put a fair bit of strain on my lower back if I stayed in the harness too long like that.

It doesn't realy take nerves of steel to abseil. Not after your first few times anyway. Lead climbing right on the edge of your ability - now that takes nerves of steel.

Interestingly it was while I was swinging around on rocks that I first leaned the benefits of one handed opening folders and got my first spydie. A girlfriend forgot to tie up her hair when abseiling and got it caight up in the figure eight halfway down a 50m cliff face. Had to use the spydie to give her a haircut so she could get down.
 
We used to do it in college, only we called it "Australian", don't know why. It's easier than regular rapelling, don't have to time your swings, just run!
 
I once read an account of a fellow in the US armed forces doing this in a live fire exercise. Apparently, he shot the rope and fell to his death....

Maybe that's why the military doesn't do it much?!?!:eek:
 
I'm not sure of the stats but it seems that many more people are killed and injured abseiling than climbing. Despite the fact that climbing is the more dangerous activity.
 
It's still pretty common in us armed forces it's called "australian" or "commando" used by ranger and sof forces.
 
Did it 2 years ago with cadets...

operation Purple Pelican, they had all 3 areas(air, army, sea) doing things from the other areas. Being an Air Cadet(then with 107), I went sailing and Abseiling.

35ft wall, 1/2" rope, locking 'beiner and climbing rig, 90degree wall.

We had the option of facedown if we wanted it. They offered to help you with facedown(by pulling back on the safety line till you got horizontal). After about a 30-45minute lesson with the gear and figure-8 loop for decenct, we were ready to go.

Tell yah, the ground 35' down and coming up to meet yah... thats one hell of a trip. get to about 2-3' from the ground, and kick out, releasing the rope from your rig at about 100degrees from wall.
 
A good example of this (and probably the one that the original poster saw) is an early scene in Universal Soldier where they rappel face-first down the face of a dam.

Decent action movie... :)

Mark
 
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