And a direct rebuttal from 1993...
REBELAYS: WHO NEEDS THEM
Both Americans and Europeans are guilty of talking about "American" and "European" rigging. What they usually mean is that Europeans use rebelays and intermediate anchors a lot. Americans do not. This situation is due to the fact that rebelays are needed for many European pits, but for very few in the U.S. So a European would probably rig Hellhole the same way that we do. Similarly, skilled cavers in the US recognize that in a few places, rebelays are absolutely essential.
Lechuguilla Cave has an interesting spot, the Aragonitemare, where reluctance to rebelay nearly led to an occupied rope being severed. The rigging has since been corrected. Some TAG caves provide a provocative choice as well: use a rebelay or be beaten by whitewater until you drown.
At one convention I overheard a person of some caving fame telling a large audience that American rope is so strong that rebelays are never needed. The image that immediately came to my mind was Jim Smith in Mexico, having forgotten his knife, cutting 7/16th caving rope with two blows from a Huautla rock. Maybe Jim should perform this feat at conventions, for those who think American rope is indestructible.
Of course, since rebelays are uncommon in the U.S., most cavers never really need to learn this technique, right? Well there are a couple of reasons to reconsider this attitude. Ropework, if you really think about it, is needed for only a very small part of vertical caving. Canadian Hole, McFails and Cass Cave are all primarily horizontal, yet cavers have died doing ropework there. The inherent dangers of vertical spots are so much greater than those of the flat parts that the horizontal/vertical passage ratio is totally meaningless. It's the interesting spots that will get you.
In other words, if you're ever in a spot where rebelay technique is needed, very little else will do.
Along similar lines, vertical cavers should realize that the skills necessary for rebelays are identical to those needed for handling problems that might occur in any vertical cave-- things like getting short-roped, needing to pass a knot, or aborting an ascent. So take a little of the time normally spent practicing for the ropewalking speed championship and broaden your skills base. Your loved ones may be thankful some day.
Note: For a completely different opinion on the above subject, see Steve Knutson's analysis of the death of Chris Yeager in the most recent American Caving Accidents. Steve and I disagree rather strongly.
From here: http://ferforge.tripod.com/Srt001.htm