I'm a volunteer firefighter in my rural area, and as such I have taken some fairly extensive training in rough terrain and mountain rescue techniques. Gravity kills. And there is no way to remain current and safe in using rope rescue skills except to practice them regularly.
On cold winter days, I can get a bit of exercise and practice my skills by throwing a rope over a beam in the cabin and using various techniques to ascend the rope, rappel down it, and just "hang out" as comfortably as possible.
