Glad they are ok. I can't picture how a rope gets stuck during a rappel so that cutting the rope and then tying a knot in it is a solution. Can someone explain?

Is this the place to share an optimal knot-passing strategy?

Start off by pulling up the rappel ropes and installing the atc just below the knot. Clip the atc to the harness belay loop and tie it off as for self-rescue.

Set up a rappel using a Munter hitch on a locker extended to head level from the harness. Rappel on this. As the knot approaches the munter biner, the atc will be weighted and the rappeller will be hanging on the tied-off atc. Unclip the extender sling (minor struggle possible here) and pop the loaded munter carabiner off the rope. Release the tied-off atc and continue down.

Fast to set up, secure and pretty goof-proof, no prussik knots or foot slings involved.

Start off by pulling up the rappel ropes...Set up a rappel using a Munter hitch

in this particular case though i would have just set up a single line rap if im reading the facts in the article right ...

TG, the method works for single or double rope raps.

I think the munter pop method is both faster and safer than the standard approach posted by Majid. It doesn't require ...a backup knot to protect you during the period when your only attachment to the rope is a single prussik.

I've never heard of a situation in which one has to pass a knot in a double rope rappel. I suppose if one tied together 2 ropes one much shorter than the other, but never heard of that happening...

...I've never had to pass a knot in the field. Just out of curiosity has anyone out there been forced to do that? It' d be interesting to hear your stories.

I think I like your method, with a few slight modifications of course. First off, in the essence of saving time, why not just avoid the whole munter part, and just huck off the cliff to get caught where the atc is placed? Should be enough rope out to be a soft landing. All I see is benefit to this method. Tests the anchor for the guy coming next, quick and efficient, no fiddling with gear mid rappel, and fun! Why pass a knot when you can avoid the whole process entirely? I mean, come on guys.

Josh, check the date of that "outrageous" post...

I've never had to pass a knot in the field. Just out of curiosity has anyone out there been forced to do that? It' d be interesting to hear your stories.

Cheers,
Rob.calm

Doh!

I've been trolled (edited to add: In my defense, I thought you weren't allowed to troll in this forum).

Btw, I like your solution to pass the knot. Like others, I have never had to in the field and up until now was assuming I'd use prussiks if the situation came up.

Josh

Interestingly enough, the only time I've had to pass a knot "in the field" is when rappelling on two strands. (Not a two-rope rap). Our single rope got a core shot which we "quarantined" with a butterfly knot, which had to be passed on rappel. Unfortunately, I didn't know the munter pop method at the time and had to use the much less pleasant prussik transfer approach.

As for backing up the munter pop method, why not---it can't hurt. But you are rappelling onto a tied-off ATC. If you aren't positive you can tie off an ATC (as for belay escape) then a backup knot is surely essential. On the other hand, if you know how to tie off an ATC, the system is really safe and doesn't have any weak points at which things could head south.

Maybe I'm not understanding you correctly, but... Why would you rig a Munter at head level? The strands of that hitch (loaded and brake strands) need to be held parallel, so you'd need to hold your brake arm over your head, wouldn't you?

I know the munter has enough friction that you generally don't need to *actually* line the strands up - even a strong grip will often do - but it seems like some serious built-in awkwardness compared to the relatively simple prusik-detach-reattach-unprussik knot-passing.

It seems pretty complicated to me, and possibly harder to control. Then again, I guess we all have our own little idiosyncrasies.