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Down: The Complete Descent Manual for Climbers, Alpinists and Mountaineers
"This book will save your life" Pete Whittaker (Wide Boyz)
Down is a ground breaking encyclopedic study of the art of descent. Its purpose is to create a single source for all descent techniques, both the well established and ideal for the novice climber, as well as the cutting edge, high value techniques for experienced and pro climbers.
The book was written and illustrated over three years by award winning climber and writer Andy Kirkpatrick (Psychovertical, Cold Wars, 1001 Climbing Tips, Higher Education), and is based on four decades of epics, retreats and F**k-ups.
At 80,000 words (400 pages) and 300 illustrations, this is both a labour of love and an important and timely book for a community that loses far too many climbers to rappelling accidents.
Book StructureForeword by Joe SimpsonIntroductionChapter 1: Safety; How to stay alive.Chapter 2: Feet; General notes on non technical descent in both winter and summer.Chapter 3: Tools; The tools of the trade and how to use those tools. This chapter covers all types of descenders, as well as notes on all associated software and hardware (abseil cord, hard-links, prusik cords etc).Chapter 4: Anchors; Everything from slinging trees to retrievable ice screws, bounce testing to non-anchor anchors.Chapter 5: Rappel; Here we start putting it all together, covering the core theory of descent, including back-ups, knots, and optimum set-ups.Chapter 6: Lowering; This covers both standard lowering off sports routes and backing off climbs, to more advanced self-rescue lowering, passing knots etc.Chapter 7: Advanced; This long chapter deals with pro techniques, many that will be new to many climbers, including blocking, ghosting and single rope rappels.Chapter 8: Problems; Sooner or later you’re going to have to deal with problems in descent, such as stuck or damaged ropes, having ropes that don’t reach anchors, or having to return back up your ropes. This chapter aims to come up with practical solutions for worst case scenarios.Chapter 9: Comms: Many of the problems that arise in descent revolve around a failure in communication. This chapter offers some ideas and solutions surrounding this.
Down is a ground breaking encyclopedic study of the art of descent. Its purpose is to create a single source for all descent techniques, both the well established and ideal for the novice climber, as well as the cutting edge, high value techniques for experienced and pro climbers.
The book was written and illustrated over three years by award winning climber and writer Andy Kirkpatrick (Psychovertical, Cold Wars, 1001 Climbing Tips, Higher Education), and is based on four decades of epics, retreats and F**k-ups.
At 80,000 words (400 pages) and 300 illustrations, this is both a labour of love and an important and timely book for a community that loses far too many climbers to rappelling accidents.
Book StructureForeword by Joe SimpsonIntroductionChapter 1: Safety; How to stay alive.Chapter 2: Feet; General notes on non technical descent in both winter and summer.Chapter 3: Tools; The tools of the trade and how to use those tools. This chapter covers all types of descenders, as well as notes on all associated software and hardware (abseil cord, hard-links, prusik cords etc).Chapter 4: Anchors; Everything from slinging trees to retrievable ice screws, bounce testing to non-anchor anchors.Chapter 5: Rappel; Here we start putting it all together, covering the core theory of descent, including back-ups, knots, and optimum set-ups.Chapter 6: Lowering; This covers both standard lowering off sports routes and backing off climbs, to more advanced self-rescue lowering, passing knots etc.Chapter 7: Advanced; This long chapter deals with pro techniques, many that will be new to many climbers, including blocking, ghosting and single rope rappels.Chapter 8: Problems; Sooner or later you’re going to have to deal with problems in descent, such as stuck or damaged ropes, having ropes that don’t reach anchors, or having to return back up your ropes. This chapter aims to come up with practical solutions for worst case scenarios.Chapter 9: Comms: Many of the problems that arise in descent revolve around a failure in communication. This chapter offers some ideas and solutions surrounding this.
533 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 16, 2020
96 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Andy Kirkpatrick
32 books35 followers
Andrew Kirkpatrick
is a British mountaineer, author, motivational speaker and monologist. He is best known as a big wall climber, having scaled Yosemite's El Capitan 30+ times, including five solo ascents, and two one day ascents, as well as climbing in Patagonia, Alaska, Antarctica and the Alps. He has also crossed Greenland by ski. In 2014 he guided Alex Jones up Moonlight Buttress, Zion National Park, raising £1.9 million for Sport Relief.
Kirkpatrick has worked in film and TV as a safety advisor and stunt rigger, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as in programs for CBBC, ITN, BBC and BBC Scotland.
Kirkpatrick has worked in film and TV as a safety advisor and stunt rigger, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as in programs for CBBC, ITN, BBC and BBC Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 3, 2022
Overwhelming. More good info than I'll ever be able to use, or even fully understand. Ah, but one can dream.
August 14, 2024
Extremely solid round-up of climbing skills for getting yourself down things, most of which I hope to never need but I’m glad to know all the same. The diagrams are well-done and extremely helpful. Not exactly light reading, this can feel like a textbook at times, but it essentially is so that’s forgivable.
August 1, 2024
A must read for all climbers. Funny dry UK humor and tons of info to practice. Definitely a Scared Straight book
April 16, 2021
A staggering amount of knowledge. And some great stories along the way to show you why you need that knowledge.
February 15, 2021
Down is miles better than any other book in the category. It's comprehensive and well edited. There is no other book on the market with this type of information.
Down isn't your garden variety climbing reference that teaches you how to handle common situations in the safest manner possible. Down goes into great detail about how best to survive the worst case scenarios. Kirkpatrick teaches you in detail how to establish your own rappel line when you're stormed off, how to deal with stuck and damaged ropes, how to improvise anchors, how to deal with injuries, and how to strike the best compromises between security and speed when exposure to the elements is a major concern.
I have already applied the knowledge I learned from DOWN to deal with two stuck ropes, a frantic escape from a winter storm, and to fix two insufficient rappel anchors.
If you partake in multi pitch climbing, this is a must read. This book may save your life.
Down isn't your garden variety climbing reference that teaches you how to handle common situations in the safest manner possible. Down goes into great detail about how best to survive the worst case scenarios. Kirkpatrick teaches you in detail how to establish your own rappel line when you're stormed off, how to deal with stuck and damaged ropes, how to improvise anchors, how to deal with injuries, and how to strike the best compromises between security and speed when exposure to the elements is a major concern.
I have already applied the knowledge I learned from DOWN to deal with two stuck ropes, a frantic escape from a winter storm, and to fix two insufficient rappel anchors.
If you partake in multi pitch climbing, this is a must read. This book may save your life.
November 19, 2021
This was an important addition to my climbing bookshelf. I did not think there was so much to say about rappelling and descent and frankly was not expecting a lot from this book. I could not have been more wrong.
The style of presentation makes it an easy read, but there is a vast trove of useful information in this book. Illustrations are clear and explanations easy to follow, and coverage of descent techniques is pretty thorough. I will be referring back to this book repeatedly and practicing my skills.
This is my first book by Andy Kirkpatrick. There will be more.
The style of presentation makes it an easy read, but there is a vast trove of useful information in this book. Illustrations are clear and explanations easy to follow, and coverage of descent techniques is pretty thorough. I will be referring back to this book repeatedly and practicing my skills.
This is my first book by Andy Kirkpatrick. There will be more.
August 1, 2021
I have not learned so much in one book since I read my first climbing book. I enjoyed it a lot!
Note: This book is for highly experienced climbers, and starts where all the other books stop in the realm of getting down a mountain.
Thank you, Andy, for sharing all this knowledge!
Note: This book is for highly experienced climbers, and starts where all the other books stop in the realm of getting down a mountain.
Thank you, Andy, for sharing all this knowledge!
June 1, 2021
Excellent reference book for anyone spending time getting down with a rope.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews