I've been thinking about getting into ropes on my squad, and this was my first ever full vertical rappel. Three stories off of the city Fire Department's tower. My apologies for the rather crappy picture quality (screen shots of a phone video).
Back during my short lived, post-military, college career I was removed from the roof and given a zero for rappel day in my military science class for laughing at a girl who possumed and smacked her kevlar helmet against the bricks of the building. That sound always cracked me up. That gal never did talk to me after that. :/
Very cool!!!! Were you nervous or afraid of heights? Are those windows you had to avoid?! I feel like id be breaking glass all the way down and then the body part the rhymes with glass when i hit the ground.
I don't have a fear of heights, but the big part for me was committing my weight to the rope. Before I went over the edge, I could see the ropes, and I knew they were going to support me, but you can't feel it taking any weight before you fully commit. As for the windows, they're boarded specifically for rappel training.
looking good man! you'll be addicted soon enough. I rapped the Squamish Chief on 11mm static line and my SMC stainless steel rappel rack. You are right, the hardest part is committing to going over and getting your weight on that rope. Once your on it though, its easy. now using hand and foot ascenders to go back up on a static SRT setup, is fun too...but slow and tiring.
I'm a professional in climbing treecare and rescue-climber/paramedic so I should have enough fun at work. But sometimes I get a bit silly. Than I pay 5 packs of beer just to get pulled up by a 500 tonnes mobile crane. 90 meters (295 feet) of pure fun and good for some nice photos of my hometown. I hope the link works https://m.facebook.com/100010195953...ta_types.1&cached_data=false&ftid=u_y_e&mdf=1