that is terrifying..no wonder I don’t put my life on the line rappeling.
Correction on the use of the term crampon (which i think is a better name for what i was talking about and constantly interchange them). Not crampon, but a “Bolt” and the commonly used “stoppers” (high tech, hardened wedges which have support cables of high-weight bearing capacity, measured in Newtons of force permanently looped/affixed through the meta/carbon fiber wedge). The “bolts” have to have a top climber with a portable drill (!) who drills holes and places permanent expansion bolts in the holes and metallic superglue/resin to fix in and around the expansion bolt that fills the space around the bolt. This all done while the top climber is linked on their harness to another “bolt” suspended.
The “stoppers” or “toppers” are used to place in natural cracks in rock face— the wedge shape facing not able to be pulled out by the weight of the carabiner attached to the cable attached to a climber (that is— if the crack is not uh...soft or suspect fragile degraded rock— yikes!).
Also share your terror in this. While getting older, moved away from such needless recreational life risk, as opposed to the military warfare applications of this knowledge- to fight and win combat. For example on D-Day the climbers of Point du Hoc 100 foot cliffs had only hand thrown grappel hooks with wet ropes, and ropes held by free climbers who had established “good” footing and held ropes for others!- All the while germans were cutting some of the ropes from up top, throwing down grenades— incredible bravery of 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions 1st Army. 225 went to climb the cliffs, and 90 were able to continue fighting once they were up (an entire landing craft was sunk and they all drowned from the weight of their gear. Bless their Memory.