2014 Luminary Series – John Cole
John Cole was active with a group of enthusiasts, including John Patten, Bill Cuddington, and others, whose focus was on the development of improved methods for descending and ascending deep pits. While considering the descending problem, Cole had a brainstorm. Why not, he reasoned, employ commercial brake bars arranged just so on a U-shaped frame? One end of this bent frame could be rolled into a loop for carabiner attachment, while the other end could accommodate a machine nut in order to prevent these brake bars from unexpectedly depopulating the frame. ColeÂ’s rappel rack quickly gained fame throughout the U.S. as the favored way to “get down.” John was a member of the team that did the very first descents of Sotano de las Golondrinas in April 1967, tandem prusik climbing out of this 1,094-foot drop on a Samson rope just above his friend Bill Cuddington. This expedition was the first time that a 1,000-foot pit had ever been explored with rappel and prusik methods.
