How to Climb(tm) How to Rappel!

I found the book very informative for a neophyte rappeler. I get the feeling that there is a pretty tight fraternity of climbers/rappelers that this book would appeal to. I found the descriptions and drawings to be very helpful while some of the photos didn't relay as clear a message. All-in-all, a good read and supplemental knowledge. The book is geared more for the rigger's perspective and doesn't talk as much about the actual process of rappelling. A great aspect of the book is the coverage of safety issues and how you should always build redundant safety into every rappel. As the author states; seek advise and get training from a professional climbing guide and don't use this book as your sole instruction.

I would not feel comfortable rappeling after just this book, but then again trusting a rope, some knots, harness, etc., while dangling hundreds of stories off the ground requires a bit more training than a thin book can teach. It does give some good information and is a decent introduction.

I bought this book after my first canyoneering one day course. I wanted to have a book handy to review what I had learnt, and this was the only one I could find of the sort. Overall, it is a very good book that goes through all the steps of rappelling, with many good pictures throughout. There is a high emphasis on safety, and it was interesting to read about some things that had not been mentioned in the course (such as why the "American Triangle" is such a bad setup) Still, I would not use it alone to learn how to rappel. Besides the obvious value of having an instructor, the book was also very short, and left some things out, such as how to use a Piranha device (popular with canyoneers) and modern mechanical descender backups, like the Petzl Shunt. As tools are always evolving, this book will not give you the complete picture both in terms of technology, and also what techniques might be considered better form today.