Abseiling is sliding down a rope in a controlled manner. It is commonly used in conjunction with climbing where there is an access problem. So if the bottom of a climb is washed by the sea you would abseil down the route from the top then climb back up. Likewise if you got to the top of a climb and could not walk off, you would abseil back down then pull your rope down after you. It is a very useful skill to learn – oh, and it’s great fun too!
Can I fall if I let go? – A very common question.
No you can’t, not the way we do it. When you are learning you will have 2 ropes attached to your harness so if you did let go (not a natural thing to do) the instructor who controls 1 of the ropes would stop your fall before it went anywhere. However you are in control all the time you are holding a rope. It is possible to abseil without this safety rope but then we use a clever device called a prussik loop which grabs the rope if you let go – like a car seatbelt grabs hold if pulled hard.
Almost anyone can abseil, but if you are pregnant, have back problems or can’t fit in a harness then it’s not a good idea. We have abseiled off cliffs, towers, buildings, cranes, bridges and with all sorts of people – in fancy dress, wheelchairs, blind people, on skis and on mountain bikes to name a few. Abseiling is also used for fundraising events and we can provide this also.

Itinerary

Depending on your level of experience (or fright level!) you can opt to start on a smaller slope, about 8m high, before going on to a bigger 20m slope. We are very encouraging but won't force you to do it if you really don't want to. Very small children can sometimes be abseiled in tandem with the instructor, but this does take a bit of faff and if there is a lot of people in the group it's not always practical.