This past weekend I dropped into a mineshaft. The shaft was reported to be just over 100' so I rigged and dropped my 200' rope. I figure that I had 40 to 50 feet tied up in the rigging so lets say I dropped 150' of actual rope. When I got to the bottom the end of the rope was still about 3' off the bottom. As with our standard protocol, I had tied a safety knot at the end of the rope.

The point being that if the mine had been 10' deeper and I had not tied a safety knot, I could have taken a nasty fall into a rubble pile filled with snakes. Notice the knot hanging mid-air in the photo.



So remember the basics! Double check your rigging and your tie-in. Have a knowledgeable partner watch as a second set of eyes. Dont' get in such a hurry that you fail to engage your brain. Autopilot is only worthwhile if you practice proper technique every time.

Oh yeah, be sure to wear your ascending rig when making a drop of unknown length. You may find yourself at the bottom of the rope and have to changeover and climb back out. If your climbing gear is in your backpack it might test your skills to rig up while dangling on the end of your rope.

Abby Normal

It's impossible to be reminded of the importance of the basics too often! Thank you! Keep safe!