27 April 2012 Abseiling at Bungonia

Having a go

Map: Caoura 1:25000

Getting There

This walk was organised by Chris R as a private event:

Friday 27 April - Abseiling at Bungonia. Introduction to Abseiling run by Z Access at Bungonia.

Phillip S kindly drove us from Canberra via Bungendore, Tarago and Bungonia to the Bungonia State Conservation Area.

Photographs

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Walk

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Abseiling area

We arrived at the David Reid car park around 12.30pm. Z Access were running a morning session for a big group. After a quick bite of lunch we finally got going. A walk of 150m to the top of a 15m cliff.

We went down the abseil multiple times. I certainly had more than enough. Interestingly, as someone else in the party said, no adrenalin - maybe I'm overcoming my phobia, or the drop was too short. Anyway, that was not the point for me. Our two young instructors were laid back and, although checking us all the time, allowed more freedom than my last abseiling on 16 Apr 10. Our first abseils were with a top belay safety rope, then we did some differently. Four of us had a go going down head first - very uncomfortable with the harness on your gut.

The drill was:

  1. Hook on to safety line
  2. Stand beside abseil rope with it on your right (for a right hander)
  3. Instructor hooks you on to safety rope
  4. Take a bight in the abseil rope and feed the top of it through the descender. Feed the loop onto the carabiner. Ensure the 'handle' of the descender is also on the carabiner. Screw up the carabiner then back it off a quarter turn.
  5. Undo the safety line (not the safety rope!)
  6. Do safety check - A = anchor of ropes; B = buckle and belt; C = carabiner and k-nots; D = descender; E = 'elmet and everything else; F = friend (eg. top or bottom belay)
  7. Right hand with rope in close behind back - use to break. Left hand anywhere, or through carabiner and grab abseil rope as another break (if using safety rope, grab that carabiner too, so don't get hand caught)
  8. Enjoy the ride. At least 45°, more better, to the cliff face
  9. Unclip from safety rope and abseil rope. Call out "off rope".

The next for me would be their 50m abseil, then maybe their 300m drop. And Karen might organise a 'rope work for bushwalkers' day.

Thanks very much for organising this, Chris R. And Phillip S for driving. And Cynthia B and Ian T and 3 boys for company. And to Pat and the two lads from Z Access.

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This page last updated 30Aug22