[jwi]

New product from Beal to rap the full length of a rope, then retrive the rope:
https://www.facebook.com/beal.official/videos/1754083811298297/

Comes with complimentary extra pair of underpants.

[Paul B]

"keep under tension during the rappel"

"to release, pull and release the rope at least 8 times"

1. Oh my rope has caught on that juniper bush...
2. Oh my rope is on that ledge...
3. Damn juniper bushes!
.
.
.
8.

[dave]

I was thinking it'll really sort out those people who like to bounce out on abseils.

[SA Chris]

Yeah, fuck that

[duncan]

Johnny Brown has a bulk order of them

The old fifi+elastic trick seems positively secure in comparison

[Johnny Brown]

I won't be going near them until they manage to produce a demo video that doesn't involve a stopper knot magically disappearing. Fella in the film clearly has zero trust in it.

[ghisino]

I won't be going near them until they manage to produce a demo video that doesn't involve a stopper knot magically disappearing. Fella in the film clearly has zero trust in it.

If he doesn't trust it he wouldn't ab on it without stopper knot (he eventually does).

It seems standard practice on any similar system to back it up for the first descender(s) and only remove the backup for the last of the group.

[tim palmer]

Am I being daft here but this presumably is a "only for emergencies" bit of kit? 

[ghisino]

Am I being daft here but this presumably is a "only for emergencies" bit of kit?

Asked on fb to a mountain guide who is testing the product. The answer was in between yes and no- given the right conditions he has already used it as #1 option, but they are limited cases.

It could be a spicy ans cheap alternative to dyneema rap lines when you want to multipitch on a single but don't bother hauling the pack. Same scenario: Clean steep ab lines with low probability of rope jamming.
In case things do get stuck  you can at least self belay up the rope in any case- whereas if you jam the dyneema/main line junction knot at the wrong moment you are left with a useless shoelace in your hands...

   

[Johnny Brown]

I won't be going near them until they manage to produce a demo video that doesn't involve a stopper knot magically disappearing. Fella in the film clearly has zero trust in it.

If he doesn't trust it he wouldn't ab on it without stopper knot (he eventually does).

When does he do that? Different film maybe?

[jwi]

I'd like to see someone rapping into Verdon's Grand Eycharme using Beal Escape...

[Falling Down]

I don't like abseiling at all and this would terrify me... counting each little bounce on the way down 

[T_B]

This is genius.

Invent a low cost device that will hardly make you any money (it's basically a bit of dyneema, so it's not going to sell for many $$).

Cannibalise sales from your core (geddit) product offering (ropes) as people now only need one.

Sit back and wait for the inevitable litigation when someone uses the device slightly incorrectly and falls to their death.

[ghisino]

I won't be going near them until they manage to produce a demo video that doesn't involve a stopper knot magically disappearing. Fella in the film clearly has zero trust in it.

If he doesn't trust it he wouldn't ab on it without stopper knot (he eventually does).

When does he do that? Different film maybe?

Seemed to me that the knot disappeared once hebis weighting the device. But having looked a second time, looks like i'm wrong!

[thirtytwosrule]

Both videos are terrifying!

8 bounces on an ab that would be long,  otherwise no need for the device to begin with doesn't seem that many.

[Johnny Brown]

Having measured the loads at anchors during 'bouncy' abseils I very much doubt the load would be sufficiently reduced to cause the thing to release.

I'd be much more concerned about the thing failing to release due to friction and the weight of the rope. Then what do you do? Anyone fancy prusiking back up a rope that might be held by the last twist of dyneema and a bit of luck?

The great advantage of double rope abseils is that you always have enough excess to lead back up to the other end.

[SA Chris]

always

Always?

[ghisino]

always

Always?

As long as there is climbable ground between you and the other end of the rope, ans you didn't get to the lower belay on rope stretch.

Btw the problem of what to do if the rope is stuck is even worse with a non-leadable rap line+single rope than with this new toy.
When you use a skinny tag line the best practice is blocking the main line with a big knot that can't pass through the maillon, and only use the tag line to pull the knot down. Which means you have no safe option to climb up if things get stuck after you let the main line go. Yet people do this, when the risk of jamming the rope is low and the consequences are limited to a n uncomfy wait for rescuing friends. I did it on the Duc in verdon: I had previous knowledge of the abseils and several friends that could come up serie limitée in case of a problem.

With this escaper thing you are always sure you can fix the main line on the belay you're at and self-belay on it to relase the jam.