Down Rope

Down Rope

Down Rope refers to a place on Pitcairn Island.  It is a small sandy beach accessible by boat on a calm day or down the cliff face from high above the beach.  Engraved on wall at the base of the cliff are ancient petroglyphs carved into the rock wall. Tourists who come to Pitcairn often inquire about going down there.  The track is narrow and nearly vertical in places and there is no rope.  Maybe in the past there has been a rope hence the name.  You need nerves of steel and a good head for heights to negotiate the route. 

                                               Looking towards the beach from the sea

                                         Standing looking at the petroglyphs on rock wall                                        

After my successful climb up to Christian’s Cave I decided that I would be prepared to give Down Rope a try.  My reasoning was that if it was too difficult for me then I would turn around and retreat up the cliff face.  Brenda Christian (pre-school teacher) is also on school holiday this week so she agreed to be the guide for Juergen Schuman and myself.  We successfully got to the bottom of the cliff and enjoyed a few hours on the sand and explored around the rocks before climbing back up.

                                                       I'm standing at the base of the cliff

Climbing back up.  Brenda behind me.