Pre-Rigging the Rappel

We have a well-established culture of checking and double-checking before we leave the ground to climb. Why is it that it is less accepted to double-check each other before the descent, especially since that is where so many accidents occur? Pre-rigging the rappel isn't just for guides, and can (in my opinion) be placed into practice more frequently among all climbing parties.

Key points:

The first person to descend must do three things:
1. Close the system by tieing a knot on a bight and clipping it directly to the next belay station masterpoint with a locker.
2.  Descend with a third-hand friction hitch backup.
3. Give an attentive firefighter's belay for the next people to descend if they haven't pre-rigged their own friction hitch backup.

One of the benefits of the pre-rig is that the device and hand of the second person to descend essentially fixes the rope so that only one rope end requires a stopper knot on it. The second person to descend must have their hand on the rope below their rappel device if you have chosen to only have a knot on one end of the rope.

Once rigged and double-checked, you can choose to remove the personal tether for all members since the weight of the first climber is securing each of the other climbers by braking their rope. If the rappel requires a traverse or if you're not exactly sure where it is, you may choose to keep climber's tethered in directly to the anchor.