UKC

I have a 100 meter rope i bought for abbing in to climb skeleton ridge. I couldnt help but muse today, coiling the rope after a 15 meter absiel at pembroke, that 100 meters is unnecessary. 

Is there any advantage to a 100 meter abseil rope in tbe UK? Should i chop it down to 50 or 60? ...70!? 

Keep it, you might want to go to Fair Head sometime. Buy a shorter one as well.

Lundy too. 

But most of the time, a shorter rope or two are more useful. 

Maybe chop it into a 60 and a 40, then buy a new 100 when you go somewhere you know needs it?

Useful in a few places in Cornwall. Keep it!

Fairhead and Carn Gowla (Mercury Direct), Pabbay, Mingulay also a number of Lundy crags.  In the meantime tie a fig 8 loop in the middle, keep it in a rope bag and you will in effect have 2 ropes to even out the wear and tear

Funny as I have the same 100 meter “problem” purchased for the same reason.  I wouldn’t chop it though – I figure I can probably use it for rigging tyroleans on some sea stacks (would've been ideal on the Candlestick tyrolean in Tassie for example) not to mention fixing pitches on big walls.  I think it’s worth keeping.

Learn to pass knots then split it 70/30?

Jk

Had the same 'problem' (weight was the driver for me) ended up cutting it down to 75m and found it a bit short on a couple of occasions. I think the best bet is to keep it and buy a shorter one but if you feel you have to chop it then 70m would cover nearly everything (although I think the direct ab into Red Wall is 80m)

This.

E

To me I’d far rather put up with the extra weight and bulk of carrying a 100m rope than passing a knot on a free hanging abseil, expecially as knots in static rope are more bulky and awkward than those in dynamic climbing ropes. Most people these days use belay devices like an ATC which would have to be detached to pass the knot, unlike the big fat fig 8 descenders of old which could allow you to pass a knot (if not too bulky) through if unweighted with a prussuc. Fig 8s also kink a static rope terribly.

I only ever used a 100m rap rope on Lundy many years ago. I reckon if you tied the 30m length to the anchor you'd still be on the grass when you needed to pass the knot.

I've no idea where a 100m free hanging rap would be necessary in the UK.

I just thought it would be best of both worlds. the 30m and 70m would probably get used 95% of the time in the UK. I'd probably need the 100m for about 7 days every 10 years.

E

Agree 70+30 does seem a good solution. Just practice passing a knot (I abbed from a tree branch) until its second nature, remembering backup knot and prusik loops/suitable alternative handy.

Incidentally Skeleton Ridge, Isle of Wight, has 90m ab.

News to me. Extensively knotted static with frequent knot and re-belay passes are common in technical caving, it's safe and easy by comparison with other aspects of the games we play.

jk

Malham is over 90 in space. It's hardly necessary though.

jk

Buy my spare one?50m

Oh yes I know where the big cliffs are in the UK - just wondering where a 100m free hanging rap would be necessary. Even a 70 m free hanging one?

E

Carn Gowla (Mercury Direct classic E2). 

There's a 70+ approach ab on the Isle of Man but it can by bypassed by scrambling when the tide's right and with a bit of work you can swing in to a re-belay half way down.

jk

Bird Hide Block at Fair Head, 90+ metres free hanging. Probably The Terraces and Am Beallach Runda too, though I've not done them.

I've done 90m+ free abseils on Pabbay, Mingulay, Fair Head, and some very steep ones on Lundy where not having to pass a rope made life much easier. As stated above, Carn Gowla is another cliff where it's useful.

I've also abseiled into Seven Sisters and very much regretted not having a 100m static rope. But we're getting into esoterica there.

This is a minor point, but remember that static ropes shrink permanently when they get wet by about 5%. If you've not done it already, soak your rope in the bath then dry it out before cutting. 

I ended up getting a 100m then, after shrinking it, cutting it to 65m and 30m which was worked very well for me. A couple of years later I ended up getting a 100m rope for Pabay...

I use the 30m much more than the 65m, but that's a function of where I live. 

Mehmet 

I'd suggest cutting it own to a maximum length of 70.

For the very few occasions when you need longer you just need to learn how to pass a knot on abseil.

Gaping Gill main shaft.

Dave

An Bealach Rúnda (E1 5b) 

Grey Wall Recess area on Pabbay. Free hanging for most of 100m.

America, Caen Gowla is similar I believe. 

Foula.

I regretted having chopped the 300 m of static into 100 m lengths as I slowly span in space passing a knot between the re-knotted sections of the once 300 m rope.

I also regretted thinking that using an old stop I had recovered from a skip was a good idea. I did not really realise how the weight of 200 m of rope pulls an already thin 9 mm static even thinner and reduces the friction.

Off the top of my head, I'd be guessing you would need a 100m ab rope for various crags on Mingulay/Pabbay, for Rora Head on Hoy, for Ramna Geo on Orkney Mainland, must be some Shetland crags that need one too and maybe for Screaming Geo on Lewis... there are probably a good many more sea cliffs that are just not that famous where it would also be useful in Scotland. It's also worth considering that if you have to do any kind of awkward rigging at the anchor then a 100m rope gives you a lot less than a 100m abseil. IMHO an ab rope can never be too long, one of my projects involves a 160m abseil to get to the starting ledge.

If you chop it, you will arrive somewhere one day and find it isn't long enough... but the same thing will happen even if you don't chop it!