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Even if you’ve never heard the word “abseiling,” you’re probably familiar with its synonym, “rappelling.” Greig Ferguson recently participated in a high-profile charity stunt in which he, Prince Andrew, and 39 other individuals’ abseiled off of the Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe. Thanks to the efforts of Greig Ferguson and the rest of the group, the charities involved in the occasion were able to raise millions of pounds to support wounded Royal Marines. For those who have never heard of abseiling, Greig Ferguson has compiled a short explanation. When abseiling is not being used as a charity stunt, climbers use the technique in order to descend treacherous terrain that is too steep to traverse on foot. By attaching an anchored rope to their harness, climbers are able to slide down quickly to the other side of the terrain. Protecting Yourself While Abseiling Although Greig Ferguson enjoys participating in abseiling, he warns amateurs to be very careful when abseiling. Abseiling is actually highly dangerous due to the lack of control during a climber’s descent. In addition, abseiling is risky because the rope must continually bear the full weight of the climber and there is no immediate backup plan – if something goes wrong, you are likely to fall. Consequently, many amateurs enjoy the rush of the controlled fall created by abseiling, but many veteran climbers dislike the idea of abseiling. In order to protect yourself from injury while abseiling, Greig Ferguson recommends wearing protective gear such as a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and gloves. In addition, Greig Ferguson suggests acquiring high quality abseiling equipment in order to avoid any malfunctions while in mid-air. A series of excellent equipment allows you to control your descent and create friction if you need to slow down. Various Uses of Abseiling There are several different sports which incorporate abseiling. Although Greig Ferguson abseiled off of a building, many rock climbers abseil when they need to return to their base or to reach a new climbing path. Canyoneers abseil in order to reach the base of a cliff or waterfall when there is no path to the bottom. Cavers resort to abseiling to reach new caverns that are otherwise inaccessible. If you are interested in getting into abseiling, Greig Ferguson recommends finding an experienced instructor to help you get started. With the assistance of your instructor, you can practice short drops in a safe environment. Greig Ferguson’s best advice is to take all of the necessary precautions so that you can relax and have fun once you start abseiling! Sources: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-abseiling.htm
http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=167
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