UKC

Rope life

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 sparkass 04 Jul 2013
Despite several years climbing and several ropes later I still feel a little in the dark about when to ditch a rope.

So whats the secret? How and when do you decide a rope has had it?
Removed User 04 Jul 2013
In reply to sparkass:
> Despite several years climbing and several ropes later I still feel a little in the dark about when to ditch a rope.
>
> So whats the secret? How and when do you decide a rope has had it?

You'll know, you'll just know.
 martinph78 04 Jul 2013
In reply to Removed User: I agree, apart from obvious damage, I think you know in your heart when it's had enough.

I retired mine last week, was damaged so I cut it short, but the rest of the rope seemed to be really soft, folded too easily, knots became a nightmare to undo, it lost it's dry treatment, and at 5 and a bit years old I decided I wasn't going to lead on it anymore.

Still be happy to top rope with it for a bit longer I guess.
 tallsteve 04 Jul 2013
In reply to sparkass:
When its nice and furry and takes up your teddy bears place in the bed.
 jkarran 04 Jul 2013
In reply to sparkass:

> So whats the secret? How and when do you decide a rope has had it?

I ditch mine when they become any of the following: Lost, worrying, quite stiff, alarmingly spongey, significantly damaged mid-span, too short, contaminated or redundant beside a shiny new bargain.

jk
 Jonny2vests 04 Jul 2013
In reply to jkarran:

Never had one go stiff before.
 Timmd 04 Jul 2013
In reply to Jonny2vests: I've seen it on climbing wall ropes before.
 ianstevens 04 Jul 2013
In reply to Jonny2vests: I've got an old Mammut one that's on its way to a stiff and wiry retirement. It does happen!

To the OP: whenever I look at the rope and think "I wonder if this will work?" - if you don't trust it deep down, something isn't right. Plus all the others above.
 muppetfilter 04 Jul 2013
In reply to Jonny2vests: This is due to heat melting the sheath, its sometimes called glazing, It can commonly be caused to long abseils .
needvert 05 Jul 2013
In reply to Jonny2vests:

Not dynamic ropes...But my caving club tends to retire ropes because they get too stiff.

Not sure if its grit in the sheath or abraded fibres not sliding against each other smoothly but they feel like cable.
 stonemaster 05 Jul 2013
In reply to jkarran:
> (In reply to sparkass)
>
> I ditch mine when they become any of the following: Lost, worrying, quite stiff, alarmingly spongey, significantly damaged mid-span, too short, contaminated or redundant beside a shiny new bargain.


This must surely be the winner!...

 Craigyboy13 05 Jul 2013
In reply to sparkass: I retire mine after they have taken the recommended falls. So 7 on my current rope
 james1978 05 Jul 2013
In reply to Craigyboy13: So you replace your ropes after an evenings session at the climbing wall? (more money than sense I reckon )
Removed User 05 Jul 2013
In reply to Craigyboy13:

But those are factor 1.77 falls, which mean falls well below the belay anchor. You don't do that very often, or am I wrong?

I mostly do single pitch sport routes and I bet my ropes take more than 200 falls before I retire them.
 jkarran 05 Jul 2013
In reply to Jonny2vests:

> Never had one go stiff before.

It takes a special kind of neglect. Actually I think it's mostly age and sunlight that does it though washing them seems to make it worse. Hard to tell really from such a small sample what causes it.

jk
 Fraser 05 Jul 2013
In reply to needvert:

> Not dynamic ropes...But my caving club tends to retire ropes because they get too stiff.

Do cavers also use dynamic ropes or are they static? I know on TR routes at indoor walls the ropes are usually a lot stiffer as they're static (or semi-dynamic I think)
 Jonny2vests 06 Jul 2013
In reply to Fraser:

In this sense, 'static' is bit of a misnomer. 'Semi-static', 'semi-dynamic', 'static', they all roughly mean the same thing; don't go leading on them.

But they do stretch a bit and yes cavers do favour them for obvious reasons; cheaper and stretch is usually a hindrance rather than an advantage.
needvert 06 Jul 2013
In reply to Fraser:

Depends, it seems the EU came up with the semistatic standard with caving in mind. Semistatic Type A ropes can take 5 FF1 falls with 100kg, and have a <6kN impact force for a FF0.3 100kg case.
(ie: http://bealplanet.com/sport/anglais/corde-spelenium105.php )

Though then we have some of the iconic american caving ropes like the PMI pit rope. Not sure about the specifics of that rope, I've never seen a copy of whatever standard CI 1801:1998 is that it's advertised as complying with.


Most of the cavers I know only differentiate between dynamic (enough to lead) and static (everything else).
 Cheese Monkey 06 Jul 2013
In reply to sparkass: Does anyone know what can be done to help stiff ropes? My Sterling is going strong but getting very stiff
 Jonny2vests 07 Jul 2013
In reply to Cheese Monkey:
> (In reply to sparkass) Does anyone know what can be done to help stiff ropes? My Sterling is going strong but getting very stiff

Show it a picture of Margaret Thatcher.

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