Releasable anchors

Mark,

What you describe is not untried. A little research can yield interesting tales of using a shunt as a releasable anchor. You clip the rappel line into the front of the cam, run the anchor rope through the anchor and put both strands through the shunt. Your parachute cord goes first to the cam release anchor on the back, then ties to one strand of the anchor rope.

After the rappel is complete, pulling on the parachute cord with offset the weight of the rope on the cam, and in theory it pulls right off the end of the anchor rope. Then you pull down the anchor rope and the shunt together.

It has also been described to retrieve the rope on a long rappel, replacing a knot, so you can join two ropes on the rappel side. Saves a step in passing the knot too because you just lock off, then move the shunt above your rappel device, then switch strands, and continue rappelling. In theory safe and efficient. Still gives me the willies….no offence Mr. Bees.

Me personally? Never tried it. I’ve set it up to look at it and fiddle. I wouldn’t use it without a whole lot of practice. But the technique is out there. So is the bowline variation and the releasable sheepshank….but you won’t find me using either of those either.

Sherpa