| The extreme sport of climbing uses different | | | | from a window. |
| methods to complete great acts of ascend and | | | | Abseiling is also used in industrial and |
| descend. One system for descending in precarious | | | | commercial jobs such reaching external parts of a |
| conditions, abseiling, is a way to manage or control | | | | building that need cleaning, construction or repair. |
| the descent using special equipment and | | | | 5. Hexes- from the word Hexcentrics, is an abseil |
| protection. The intensity and adrenaline pumping | | | | term for a type of nut that looks like a hollow |
| thrill that abseiling makes available to its | | | | eccentric hexagonal prism with tapered ends. A |
| participants has put the sport in an aggressive | | | | swagged cable or a cord is threaded through a |
| position in the extreme sports world. After each | | | | hexes for the purpose of protecting climbers |
| exhilarating descent, now is the stretch where | | | | from injury during a fall. Entirely a world apart |
| you find out the where, what and who in relation | | | | from witchcraft! |
| to the sport that is rapidly becoming one of the | | | | 6. Highest Abseil in the world- Maletsunyane Falls |
| favourite activities of extreme sports enthusiasts. | | | | located near Semonkong Lesotho in Africa |
| 1. Origin of Abseiling- Attributed to Jean Esteril | | | | measuring a remarkable drop of 204m (669ft). |
| Charlet, a mountaineering guide who initially | | | | 7. Oldest Person to Abseil- 94 year old Doris Long |
| developed the method of roped descent after a | | | | with the record of a 70 ft descent off the top of |
| failed attempt to climb Petit Dru alone in 1879. He | | | | the Civic Offices in Portsmouth, her 13th abseil |
| managed to reach the summit along with a pair of | | | | feat breaking her own oldest abseiled record. |
| Chamonix guides he hired to go with him. It was | | | | 8. Youngest Abseil- 107 meters off Howick Falls, |
| during this ascent that he perfected the technique | | | | the 2nd highest waterfall in South Africa, a 2 |
| of abseiling. | | | | year-old strapped to his dad is the youngest abseil |
| 2. "Abseilen" - A German word from where the | | | | recorded to date. |
| term abseil is derived. It means "to rope down". | | | | 9. Most Expensive abseil structure- The Blade |
| 3. Other names for abseiling are: seiling (Australia), | | | | Building in Reading, London is 128 meters high, has |
| abbing (Britain), rap jumping (America), snappling | | | | a massive 14 storeys, the equivalent to 32 double |
| (Israel) and rappling (Hindi). | | | | decker buses. Considered as the most expensive |
| 4. One Method, Multi-purpose- Abseiling is used by | | | | structure for abseiling in the world. It was used by |
| a lot of people for its diversity in purpose. | | | | Royal Berkshire's Hospital for a charity abseiling |
| Canyon hikers travel down mountainous | | | | event to raise funds for a high-tech surgical robot. |
| water systems where waterfalls may need to be | | | | Robbie the Robot would benefit patients from less |
| descended and climbing or jumping may just be a | | | | intrusive operations resulting in a quicker recovery |
| tad too dangerous. | | | | period. |
| Abseiling techniques are similarly used by rock | | | | 10. Fastest Abseil- Steve Truglia set the fastest |
| climbers to return to the foundation of their climb, | | | | abseil in the Guinness World Records. Setting a |
| or to descend to another point to try a new | | | | record breaking 8:99 seconds down 100 feet. The |
| route. | | | | record breaking act gathered a lot of violent |
| Rescue workers use abseiling to access | | | | reactions from abseil professionals as he |
| injured people by rappelling from a hovering | | | | attempted the death defying act with a single |
| helicopter. | | | | carabiner (metal loop connecting safety |
| Military Special Forces and SWAT teams also | | | | components), which was a definite no no in |
| uses the same method to penetrate tall buildings | | | | abseiling. |