Rappelling Advantages

The act of abseiling -- otherwise known as rappelling -- consists of the controlled descent of a rope, typically to traverse a dangerous vertical or sloped obstacle. This action is typically performed on cliff sides, walls and when entering caves. Rappelling is a skill used by rock climbers, explorers, geographers and military personnel.

  1. Safety

    • It is true that the act of rappelling is dangerous in itself, especially to the novice. However, when traversing steep obstacles in the wild, rappelling is often a safer option. The only other option you have to descend a cliff face or a steep vertical slope is to free climb. In the case of climbing down a cliff or slope, this is often referred to as a blind descent, because you cannot see your foothold. Without a harness or a rope as used with rappelling, one slip can cause an injuring or a fatal fall. Rappelling offers explorers the advantage of safely traversing an otherwise dangerous obstacle.

    Confidence

    • Learning rappelling skills will give you confidence and sense of accomplishment. Rappelling is taught in basic training to military troops such as in the Marine Corps and the Army. Not only is rappelling required to traverse obstacles in military training, it also acts as a confidence booster for new troops. People who are afraid of heights and have a fear of falling learn to overcome or work though their fears through repetitive rappelling exercises.

    Exercise

    • If you're rappelling, you're probably working out in the wilderness or enjoying outdoor recreation. Rappelling is often incorporated to many nature tours in rocky or canyon terrain. Rappelling might also be required in some areas to complete a hiking trail, or when descending a summit. Regardless, rappelling offers the advantage of enjoying a variety of outdoor activities while incorporating exercise. Rappelling is also ideal for strength building and hones your sense of awareness as well as hand-eye coordination.

    New Experiences

    • An ideal advantage of rappelling is that it gets you into those paces that few others have traveled. Once you learn the art of rappelling, you can take this skill and use it almost anywhere. Rappelling allows you to explore hard to reach areas of the planet, otherwise rarely seen by human eyes such as inside deep caves or inside a canyon labyrinth. Without rappelling as a skill, these exotic places are often left untouched and unexplored by most people.