This is an informal practice session, not a course. I'd like to get together and practice some "plan B" rappel techniques. Ranging from "essential skill" to "controversial/sketchy," some possible skills to practice:

• switching from descending to climbing back up with prusiks (useful when you go too far down),
• stacking the rope in a sling or backpack and feeding it out as you descend (for windy conditions or low angle/shrubby terrain),
• passing a knot (for when you have to tie off a damaged section of rope), 
• adding friction to a rappel (thin rope/heavy pack/rappelling with an injured partner), 
• tandem rappelling (bringing a hurt climber down with you), 
• counterbalance rappelling (rapping down to an injured second and continuing with them), 
• setting up a blocked rappel for single-strand rappelling (if you're descending with a GriGri or doing full-length rappels with a tag line), and
• precautions to take with simul rappelling to make it less dangerous

Requirements: You should be confident with standard, safe rappelling technique, using a prusik backup. You should also know how to build safe anchors on bolts.

Equipment to bring: Everyone needs a helmet, harness, and rappelling device. Besides that, bring:

• 1 or 2 cordelettes (5-6 metres long, 7 mm cord)
• 2 prusiks (1.5 metres or so, I recommend 7 mm cord)
• at least 2 locking carabiners and some non-lockers
• whatever slings you have

No climbing shoes needed. Bring a rope if you have one. We'll probably need three for the group.

Review before the session: prusik knot, munter hitch, clove hitch, mule knot (a.k.a. stopper knot), alpine butterfly. I've started to collect a few links for reference. Read here.

Meetup info: we'll meet at 6 p.m. at the Smoke Bluffs parking lot.

Cancellation: If you're keen but you can't make this date, let me know when is better. I'll check the weather forecast and decide whether to go or not by 8 p.m. the evening before. Wet rock is OK for this trip, but if it's raining too much, I'll cancel.