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Back Up Hitches

Back-Up Hitches for Rappeling

To back up your rappel, a variety of hitches can be hitched to the “brake ropes”. A back-up has the purpose to stop your rope from feeding through the rappel device in the event of letting go the brake ropes (voluntary or involuntary). Back-ups are not only beneficial for your personal safety, they also allow you to work “hands free” (no hand on brake ropes) while cleaning a route or locating anchors for the next rappel. Most common back up hitches are: “Prusik-hitch”, “Klemheist” or “Auto-block”

Classic prusik hitch. The best gripping hitch by far. Advantage: very safe, good grip on the rope Disadvantage: tends to grip very strong – requires muscle strength to release.

Easy to apply friction hitch that combines that grips the rope nicely. Make sure to apply enough wraps as grip can be compromised with less wraps (at least 3 wraps recommended)

Rappel on a single rope with friction hitch back-up clipped to leg loop. A more comfortable version is to extend your rappel device with a sling and then clip a friction hitch back-up to your belay loop

How to tie an auto-block friction hitch. Use at least 5mm thick climbing rope that is tied into a loop. A nice and neatly tied overhand knot is sufficient to keep the loop together (no double-fisherman’s required)

Happy customers

Highly recommend Fabi! He is super organized, friendly and safe. He was on time, prepared with everything we needed, fully explained everything we needed to know and made sure we felt safe during every step. He’s super encouraging and really knows what he is doing!
Anna T.
What an amazing experience! We took the beginners class, and so happy we did, Fabi was very knowledgeable, breaking instructions down step by step making it easier and fun to learn! After learning all the important safety steps we got to climbing right away, with fabi right there giving us pointers on the best route to take. I left class feeling more confident in my abilities to climb. Fabi has such a chill, friendly, and encouraging way of teaching, it felt like we were learning with a friend. I highly reccomend. Thank you for sharing your knowledge Fabi!
Kailyn F.
Had such an incredible time doing my first trad rock climbing multi pitch! Coach Jakob was extremely professional and taught my friend and I so much. We went up over 2,000 feet and got to the top of a stunning mountain in Idyllwild. He was informative and we felt completely safe the entire time. It was a fun and beautiful adventure. We would highly recommend Jakob and Chillino Rock Climbing Group for your upcoming adventures!
Valerie H.
My partner and I just finished an intro climbing class with Chillino and it was fantastic! Our guide was Fabi and he was knowledgeable, friendly, encouraging and always put safety first. A great introduction to outdoor climbing with an emphasis on learning basics the right way and having fun, whatever your skill level. We started with an overview of equipment, a short hike in Mission Hills and a thorough training on using the equipment. We had the chance to do several lines at our own pace. All were a good challenge! Overall, a great class and highly recommend 🙂
Grace M.
Absolutely incredible experience! I hardly have any experience as a climber and Fabian did a great job at showing me the basics and making sure I knew how to safely and adequately climb. There was plenty of time for me to get my hands dirty and the location was beautiful! The team that came along was very positive and encouraging! Would definitely recommend Fabian's climbing options!
Tiffany C.