I wanted to rappel

Most people I have met in the caving community see rappelling as a means to an end.  The reason they learn rappelling is so they are not limited to the types of caves they visit.  Many caves have vertical entrances and vertical drops within them and the only way to see the cave is to learn how to get into it that way.  It's a form of transportation to and from the cave.

When I started caving, vertical is all I wanted to do.  I had no (or little) skill in rappelling and even less knowledge of what it would take to learn it.  I just knew I wanted to know how to do it -- for the sake of the drop.  I wanted to be that little silouette you see in all the pictures of vertical caves.

You know, like this picture.  See those tiny people?  I wanted to be that person.  I wanted to learn the technique and wanted to experience the drop.  I didn't care if it there was a cave below.  It became an obsession of mine. 

So from January until now, I have been on this mission to master the rope.  My ultimate goal is to rappel and climb El Capitan in 2013.  I will record my struggles and successes here.  It will help me focus on how far I've come and how far I need to go.