Vertical caving terminology and methods > Rigging methods and equipment
A hole drilled through rock or ice, allowing a rope to be threaded through the hole, to act as a natural, instead of using an anchor. The most common version is just a hole drilled through a rock flake, while an alternative for flat surfaces uses two holes drilled diagonally into the rock or ice so that they meet each other in a V shape, normally needing an Abalakov thread tool to help feed the rope through the hole. Originally, the name Abalakov thread referred only to the V-shaped holes, but it is now common for the name to be used for the more simple version too. The edges can be very sharp, and can quickly rub through the rope, and although the external parts of the hole can be rounded off with a drill to some extent, with V-shaped holes, the corner of the V shape is buried in the rock where it cannot be reached to round it off easily. As a result, they are most often used with an amarrage souple or sling made from Dyneema, which copes with the damage a bit better than nylon slings or rope, and can be replaced when it eventually breaks. The damaged part cannot be easily inspected, since it is the part that is hidden inside the rock, so it may be done with two separate sling or amarrage souple loops, so that when one snaps, there is still a second one to take over, and they can then be replaced as the second is likely to be damaged as well. The Abalakov thread was originally developed for use with ice climbing, where it is significantly safer, as the sharp edges of the ice will melt from the pressure, and turn into a rounded curve. With caving, it is more common to see a drilled hole through a flake, but with ice climbing or caving in ice caves and glacier caves, the V-shapped Abalakov thread arrangement is more common. A standard Abalakov thread in ice can hold around 1-1.5 tonnes, if constructed correctly using ice screws.
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