How would you label coming down using DbRT? Would you call it a descent or a rappell? Surely you would call it a rappell on SRT, what with using hardware etc. This is one of my little battles while writing my book.

Jeff Jepson in The Tree Climber's Companion was notably disciplined in using the words descending/descent and completely avoided the word rappel. I viewed that as a wise choice. The word rappel conjures up the image of big rapid drops - for me. It would be decent to decide on descent when descending.

Be sure to check yoru spelling of rappel:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rappel

To me, rap is done with hardware, descent is done with software or DdRT

For me, rappell, rapel, or rapell mean I used a rack, fig 8, belay tube, or another similar metal device.

Descend just means you came down.

I had a boss once that referred to the style of non-spike climbing as repelling (no, NOT rApelling. He said, REpelling). I hated when he said it!

love
nick

I have not even used the word rappel yet in the book. Like Jeff, it brings up images of folks doing things from trees that would give our so far unblemished activity a bad reputation.

Software. That is a new twist on DbRT.


Thanks for the comments, both of you. Anyone else?

Rappel. Rappelling. Geeze, I get the spelling confused at times. Thanks.

I have invented many terms to define certain things. There really is not a lot of specific language for things I have targeted as material needing specific definition.

Take the two hands needed to safely descend. The top hand I have defined as the "hitch hand." The bottom hand is defined as the "control hand."

I keep running into undefined language not yet spoken or specified. I cruise through my library of rock climbing books, caver books, and scanty tree work books (there really is little written). I often end up having fun by inventing the term because nothing exists as far as language is concerned. I'll probably catch hell from the community.

I'll probably catch hell from the community.


Magellan is part of the company that you keep.

“Rappelling” (here in the US, spelled with two “p”s and two “l”s) is defined by Merriam-Webster as “to descend (as from a cliff) by sliding down a rope passed under one thigh, across the body, and over the opposite shoulder or through a special friction device;” see
Merriam-Webster definition
Proper (US) spellings are shown there as
rappel; rappelled; rappelling.

The Wikipedia has much detailed information; see
Wikipedia details

Someone who saw me running might say that I was running. Another might say that I’m jogging; or fleeing, or chasing, or loping, or racing, or playing, or . . . .

I propose that what I really was doing depends on the intent rather than the physical movement itself.

Arguably, in common usage, rappelling is more than just descending: It’s descending as a “sport” unto itself (yes, yes, I did say “arguably”). Sports climbers may rappel because that’s what they set out to do; their goal was to rappel. On the other hand, we may say that a fireman rappelled from a building, yet he probably was planning to walk out.

My opinion is that we descend from trees (others say that we are descended from apes--sorry, I just couldn't resist). Let’s leave rappelling to cavers and the like. Speaking of “rappelling” invokes thoughts of adrenaline; don’t we claim that we are more about serenity?

“The recreational tree climber slowly and gracefully descended and alighted gently on the ground.” (Okay; I know I’ve gone too far.)

This thread was fun....give us another word Treeman....

I have changed my mind about "control hand" and gone to the rapeller's term "braking hand." It more clearly discribes function. "Hitch hand" stands.

What do you think?

I have a large glossary. Every time I introduce a word, I pop it into the glossary file before I forget. It's like an Ever Ready bunny. It seems to keep going and going and going.

Thanks Tom for your encouraging words. I sometimes feel insecure.

I'll give you an new word when someone makes a comment about my hand labels.

More clearly defines it AND it's better to use terms that others might already be familiar with.

love
nick

I am classing cambium savers/rope savers/friction savers under the category of sleeves. There is the Dan House sleeve, the leather rig, and Elliot's new sleeve. They all are tubes the rope runs through that rest on top of the branch or crotch.

False crotches fall into another category.

What do you think?

Considering Nick’s excellent advice (if there’s an established name for something, we probably should use it), may I suggest that the first place to check for terminology questions would be established references such as Don Blair’s Arborist Equipment; Smith and Padgett’s On Rope; and maybe Cox and Fulsaas’s Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Then present the proposed term here for comments/vote.

I don’t own Don Blair’s book and don’t remember how he names the various “friction saver” devices. I like your suggested term “sleeves” because there is no confusing that category with the “big-ring/little-ring” devices. “Cambium saver,” “friction saver,” “bark protector,” etc. all describe what they do, but give no definitive differentiation among the types.

So I do like “sleeve,” but am wondering if there might be something other than “false crotch.” I remember seeing someone talk about them as RING/ring devices. I liked that because once you’ve seen one, that name is descriptive and shouldn’t be confused with some other device.

Sleeve - that sounds like a good, solid category.
False Crotch - that seems to be well established.
Elliot's new sleeve - I'd like to know more about it. Was there a posting.

Treeman, I think a book written by you will be of a great service to the community. Just as Jepson is referenced, I would hope your book becomes the reference for the future books. I see this as the best time to be writing books for this activity. Like all activities, people need to seriously consider building a library that includes Jepson, Flowers and those that follow. I would hate to see Flowers' work forgotten, because it established itself first in RTC. Besides, I hear Dick Flowers is a phenominal climber, deserving of a place in this young history of RTC.

Jim W- I have all of the books you mentioned- even the newer editions.

Dick Floweres did what I should have done a long time ago; built a booklet. I understand he IS an exceptional climber.

Thanks for your encouragement everybody. I will open a new thread for tree climbing language and terms. I'll put it in the Discussions Forum. The input is quite useful to the preparation of the book.

I am not sure Elliot has posted his sleeve yet here. Coudl you u2u him?