page_title: Single-rope technique
section_title: Descent
hierarchical_section_title: Single-rope technique / Historical developments / Descent
caption_attribution_description: Caver passing a deviation during SRT
context_page_description: Single-rope technique is a set of methods used to descend and ascend on the same single rope. Single-rope technique is used in caving, potholing, rock climbing, canyoning, roped access for building maintenance and by arborists for tree climbing, although to avoid confusion in the tree climbing community, many have taken to calling it "stationary" rope technique.
context_section_description: Modern single-rope technique uses specialized devices for both descent and ascent, and low-stretch kernmantel rope of 8-11 mm diameter. Descent (abseiling or rappeling) uses various forms of friction brake to control speed. The most commonly used are the Petzl Stop (self-locking) and Bobbin, and rappel racks. For safe single-rope technique, especially on drops with complex rigging with intermediate belays, it is essential that the abseiling device can be removed from the rope without being unclipped from the harness. This is a problem with the simplest device, the single piece figure eight. These also twist the rope, which is a problem if there is a rebelay below so the rope cannot untwist itself. Figure eights and racks do have the advantage of being able to be used on a doubled rope.  Other essential items of a personal single-rope technique set are a sit harness and one or more safety cords ("cow's tails") terminated in carabiners, for temporary attachment to safety ropes at the heads of drops and used in maneuvers at intermediate rope belays. To pass intermediate belays on a descent, the ascending devices may also be required.
caption: caver passing a deviation
exif: {"Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon PowerShot S30", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "180", "Image YResolution": "180", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2003:01:03 11:12:11", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "196", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "180", "Thumbnail YResolution": "180", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "2036", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "4477", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/60", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2003:01:03 11:12:11", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2003:01:03 11:12:11", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "3", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "189/32", "EXIF ApertureValue": "95/32", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "97349/32768", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash fired, auto mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "227/32", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "2048", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1536", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "Interoperability RelatedImageWidth": "2048", "Interoperability RelatedImageLength": "1536", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "1416", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "1024000/139", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "1536000/209", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}