"I first encountered James Gregory and
his Grappeller in July, 2001. By March of 2002, my husband,
Ron (55),
my friend, Ben (54), and I each had Grappellers of our own. I've
lost count of the number of times we've gone grappelling, both
in Sedona, and our home, North Little Rock, AR. My daughter,
Susy (24) and I go out to our local rock faces every weekend
that she isn't working. The Grappeller has performed beautifully
in every situation. We prefer the Grappeller to traditional rappelling
gear because of its simplicity and light weight. When my daughter
first observed me using the Grappeller, she asked my husband
why he thought I wasn't afraid to do those 'scary rappels.' He
replied, 'Because she trusts her Grappeller.' That
pretty well sums it up! And it IS 'the most fun you can
have on a rope!'"
--- Elaine Gimblet (age 55), North Little Rock,
Arkansas
"I felt extremely safe and comfortable
using the Grappeller™. It added a dimension to our
hiking and climbing experience that made it an absolute adventure.
As
an occupational physician and flight surgeon, I am always
concerned with safety in any situation, and prevention is
always the
best approach to accidents and their consequences. I consider
the Grappeller™ an essential safety item for hikes
involving any degree of vertical descending. It is also
a lot of fun!"
--- Christopher
Cole, MD (age 42) Windsor, Ontario, Canada
"I enjoy
working with the Grappeller™ for two reasons: it's
very portable, and very comfortable.
A Grappeller™, carabiner, and webbing easily fit
into a small backpack, and
together they weigh very little. The Grappeller™ serves
as an excellent recreational or emergency decent device,
and I've
seen
people of all ages and skill levels use it successfully.
The Grappeller™ provides excellent support during
descents, and comfortably distributes weight across the
body. I
highly recommend the Grappeller™, and frequently use it
myself."
--- Dan Cavicchio (age 31), Greenwich, Connecticut,
USA
"I found the Grappeller™ easy to
put on and comfortable to use. I can't believe it's so simple!
I felt safe;
in fact,
I
was more at ease going down a rock face on a Grappeller™ than
climbing up without one! For me, feeling safe is the most
important thing."
--- Jean Olson (age 61), Sedona, Arizona, USA
"I've
been rappelling a few times with conventional equipment,
and love the 'Peter Pan' feeling of the sport. When
I tried the Grappeller™ I was surprised that I felt
as comfortable with it as I had felt 'sitting' in the
traditional harness. One of my first times out, descending
a steep rockface with a lot of outcroppings, I found myself
heading into an overhang, which I am not too fond of. While
I crabbed to left and right, checking out alternative ways
down, I realized that I had perfect confidence in the Grappeller™,
and that I felt as safe and secure while executing my maneuvers
as I would have in the traditional -- and much heavier
-- rappelling equipment. It's a great invention!"
--- Jan O'Kelley (let's just say "over 40"), Sedona,
Arizona, USA
"I love
the Grappeller™! I prefer it to traditional rappelling gear
because it just seems to hold me
more securely
and more comfortably. I feel much more confident and relaxed
grappelling than I have ever felt rappelling. It's lots of
fun and gives me a real sense of freedom and safety."
--- Mary Anne
Buchowski (age 58), Sedona, Arizona, USA
"I grew up hiking the red rocks of Sedona
with my family and friends, including James Gregory, the creator
of
the Grappeller™. Hiking was always fun, but when James invented
the Grappeller™, our hiking days came to an end. Now, instead
of hiking, we go 'grappelling'. We
scramble
up
and down cliffs and end up in all kinds of places we could
never reach if all we did was 'hike'. Grappelling may not change
the world, but it could if it encouraged more people to get
outside, breathe fresh air, and appreciate the natural beauties
that surround us."
--- Jeremia Sunfellow (age 20) Flagstaff, Arizona,
USA
"James inspires confidence in the incipient
or intermediate explorer with his calm, responsive, and enthusiastic
method of instruction. I highly recommend his
workshops to anyone looking for a safe and secure, yet
thrilling adventure in the great outdoors."
--- Steve Hehn, Sharon, Massachusetts, USA