DR’s Crazy Brain Puzzle. Get It Correct or Else.
Good brain-teaser to warm up the ol' thinking machine before hoppin’ on the proj this weekend!
Unlock this article and more benefits with 50% off.
Already have an Outside Account? Sign in
40% Off Outside+.
$4.99/month $2.99/month*
Get the one subscription to fuel all your adventures.
- Map your next adventure with our premium GPS apps: Gaia GPS Premium and Trailforks Pro.
- Read unlimited digital content from 15+ brands, including Outside Magazine, Triathlete, Ski, Trail Runner, and VeloNews.
- Watch 600+ hours of endurance challenges, cycling and skiing action, and travel documentaries.
- Learn from the pros with expert-led online courses.
*Outside memberships are billed annually. Print subscriptions available to U.S. residents only. You may cancel your membership at anytime, but no refunds will be issued for payments already made. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year. More Details
I believe in gentle instruction Rather than tell
people/students/pets what they should do to arrive at answers, I prefer to lead students along, presenting them with real-life
scenarios that are relative to the particular question or situation at hand. It’s a soft sell, but effective.
Rock and Ice holds Photo Camp each year [Not too late to sign up for 2019!]. I’m sure you have heard of the photo camp, so
I won’t explain it again in this column.
Prepping for the photo camp takes days of technical rope work, and as I strung ropes for the photo students one year, a curious question sprang to mind. I will
share that with you now, and pay attention…
The Question
You have an 80-meter rope.
You want to climb as high as possible on that rope, and lower only twice. You will climb to a high anchor, then lower to a second (lower) anchor where
you will clip in and pull the rope through the top anchor, and then have your belayer lower you again. How far off the ground should the highest anchor
be, and how far off the ground should the lower anchor be?
For simplicity, assume that the lead rope runs perfectly straight, and do not account for the bit of rope your tie-in knot would use up. In other words,
do your calculations as if the entire 80-meter length was available.
Note that I said “lower,” not “rappel.” You will be lowered twice by your belayer. You want to climb as high as you can on the 80-meter rope.
Now, crack open the books and get me the proper answer!
Also Check Out
Mental Rock Climbing Problems: Rebus Puzzles (Part 1)
Mental Rock Climbing Problems: Rebus Puzzles (Part 2)
Mental Rock Climbing Problems: Rebus Puzzles (Part 3)
This article was originally published in 2013.