Andhra Pradesh rappelling effort makes it to world record

Visakhapatnam: The AP branch of the Youth Hostels Association of India claimed on Sunday that the US-based website Record Setter has recorded the feat of 42 of its members, rappelling down the 450-feet Katika waterfall near the famous Borra caves, as a world record.

YHAIAP chief Ch.  Sreenivasa Prasad has also made it to the record books for being the oldest man, at age 64, to rappel down from that height.

Rappelling is an adventure sport in which participants descend along a flat vertical surface with the help of a rope secured at the top. The record was for ‘Most People to Rappel down a 400-ft Waterfall,’ and the rules stipulate that each participant must rappel the full distance, the waterfall must be at least 400 feet in height and the claimants must provide video evidence.

The YHAI team accomplished the feat on March 30, 2013. Record Setter, formerly known as Universal Record Database, is a social media website that publishes world records created by the public after evaluation by staff and visitors to the site.

The previous record for the same feat also belonged to AP: A 14-member team from the Adventure Club of Andhra Pradesh had rappelled down the waterfall in January 2012.

Speaking about the record, Prasad said that they had not set out to set a record but wanted to promote adventure tourism among youngsters. “I proudly say that I am a 64-year-young man and my thoughts are always young,” said the feisty Prasad.

Kabbadi coach M. Umamaheswara Babu, who was part of the record-setting team, said that rappelling down the waterfall was very difficult as the water was very cold, at about 5ºC. Sometimes he found it difficult to get a foothold on the slippery rocks.

State YHAI secretary N. Nageswara Rao said that the world record had fired their enthusiasm for adventure sports. He stressed that the club always follows all safety rules.