UKC

Hi All,

Just got back from italy and on a glacier climbing day while rope up somehow managed to step on the rope with my crampons - shall I retire a rope ? ( it was brand new, dry treated, 9.5 petzl rope ) or can it take it ?

Wasn't a strong step just somehow slightly stepped on with one of the crampon spikes.


Thanks,
V

In reply to vberg:

If i had to retire a rope every time I kicked it with a crampon I'd be retiring a couple of ropes a pitch during a Scottish winter season!

In reply to vberg:

I assume you've looked at the damage?

If you're happy to keep using it, keep using it.

If you feel that you can't trust it any more, replace it.

In reply to vberg:

If there is no visible damage it should be fine. Hard to see how the core can be damaged if sheath is intact. Did a crampon spike actually press into the rope?

In reply to oldie:

I remember the spike pressing the rope but just went through the whole 30 meters and can't seem to find any damage on the sheath so I guess it should be fine.

In reply to vberg:
I'm sure somebody has done the test but I can't find it.This mentions a DAV test.
http://levikepsel.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/ropes-and-crampons-do-mix.html

Ropes do get damaged by chemicals and abrasion on rock edges but no mention of crampons or unknown causes that might be crampons.
http://theuiaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Recommendations_Standard_101_...

In reply to elsewhere:

It was on a glacier so after reading the article above and being unable to find any damage on the sheath I think the rope is fine and stays!

In reply to elsewhere:



This test seems pretty simplistic. I'd say a lot of rope damage from crampons is partly from shearing forces but these tests don't factor that in. I assume they tested a midrange diameter single rope, which would also be a lot more resilient than skinny half ropes.

In reply to vberg:

I have damaged 2 ropes through crampon strikes. On both occasions, the point went right through the rope and stuck out the other side, needing a good waggle to get it out!
The first was with a pair of chisel style Stubais, back in 1990. The second and more recent with a vertical point, but in both instances, although the sheath showed little damage, the rope had a floppy bend at the point of impact. I just cut off at the damage, usually no more than 1.5 m.
Why retire a perfectly good 58.5m rope?

In reply to elsewhere:
There was definitely a test where they repeatedly did this and found no damage when testing the strength of the rope ( although if that test included that section being loaded over a biner or if it was just a pull test I'm not sure now). if no more than minor visible damage or obvious floppy sections it's good to go imo.

In reply to vberg:

Was it made with the new 'Unicore' construction? Videos show how much stronger they are as the sheath and core are bonded together. As you've checked it for damage I'd think it OK. No cut strands etc.

In reply to brianjcooper:

Not sure about the 'unicore' part - it's a petzl rope, supposed to be a single-twin-double rope all in one - I have finally found the part, it's a minor visible damage on the a sheath but at that point I can completely bend the rope while at other sections it does have a little curve instead completely bending so I might just get a new rope and use this for practicing or any other purposes.