Online Technical Canyoneering Resource for Utah Slots,
the Colorado Plateau and Beyond
Cedar Mesa, Capitol Reef, Escalante, Dirty Devil, Glen
Canyon, Moab, North Wash, San Rafael, & Zion
Purpose: For rigging releaseable single
strand rappel anchors.
Application: Useful when descending
in waterfalls or for beginners who may require
lowering should a mishap occur, or for setting
rope length when descending into water hazards.
Fig. 1 - Set-up: Thread the rappell
strand through the rapide as shown. Clip an
HMS carabiner to the rapide and rig the munter
hitch.
Fig. 2 - Locking
off the Munter: The half-hitches lock
off the munter hitch so that the line is fixed
for single strand rappels.
Gather slack from the rope bag between the
rapide and the munter hitch. Grasp a bight
of rope from this slack and tie the first
half hitch as shown.
Fig. 3 - Secure the
knot: Tie and dress the second half-hitch
by cinching it snugly against the munter hitch
(knot shown loose & undressed at right
for clarity). Clip the safety bight (shown
red) to the anchor with a locking carabiner
or canyon quickdraw.
The descent strand is now ready for rappel.
IMPORTANT: Always
tie two half-hitches. A single half-hitch
is not considered secure.
Fig. 4- Releasing
the fixed line: In the event of an
emergency or at the request of the descender,
the munter can be easily engaged by unclipping
the safety and untying the half-hitches while
maintaining a firm grip on the belay strand
(i.e. from where the rope leaves the munter
to where it passes through the rapide).
DO NOT UNTIE THE HALF-HITCHES
WITHOUT HAVING A FIRM GRASP ON THE BELAY STRAND.
The weight of the descender will load
this strand quickly and you'll need to be
prepared for it.
