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Fall factor

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 humptydumpty 06 Dec 2016
I have a cow's tail made from 1/2 rope. If I clip it into a bolt (and attach the other end to my harness using a rethreaded figure-of-eight), climb above the anchor until the cow's tail is taut, and then fall off:

a) will this be a factor 2 fall?
b) is there any chance of the rope breaking?
c) will I get sore kidneys?

My understanding is that, as long as the fall is clean, the answers are Yes, No and Maybe, but I'm not 100% sure. Opinions?
 EddInaBox 06 Dec 2016
In reply to humptydumpty:

Yes, Depends on the condition of the rope, Depends on the length and condition of the rope.
 Aigen 06 Dec 2016
In reply to humptydumpty:

Fall factor = 2
Kidneys ok but your knees will be sore.
 ianstevens 06 Dec 2016
In reply to humptydumpty:

a) yes
b) no
c) probably
1
 jkarran 06 Dec 2016
In reply to humptydumpty:

> a) will this be a factor 2 fall?
Basically but likely to be somewhat harsher than the equivalent fall while conventionally belayed.

> b) is there any chance of the rope breaking?
Always but it probably wont.

> c) will I get sore kidneys?
And the rest.
jk
 Plungeman 06 Dec 2016
In reply to humptydumpty:

a) Depends where the ground is
b) Depends if there's something to cut it on
c) Depends if you had sore kidneys before
4) Has nothing to do with rope length as stated above (that's the point of fall factors)
Finally) Why on earth are you asking?
 EddInaBox 06 Dec 2016
In reply to Plungeman:

> 4) Has nothing to do with rope length as stated above (that's the point of fall factors)

The point of fall factors is to substitute a basic rule of thumb that is easily understood, for complicated real world situations that are too difficult to model whilst up a cliff. In the real world length of rope makes a difference, consider a slightly squishy climber taking a theoretical (no knots to tighten, vertical drop with no swing) 0.02 metre factor 2 fall on a 0.01 metre static attachment, it clearly isn't going to generate as much peak load as a 2 metre drop on a 1 metre dynamic attachment. Now factor in that in the real world, with a cow's tail perhaps 0.3 to 0.6 metres in length, that it will be impossible to take anything approaching a completely vertical drop, and we will have to account for some of the energy being converted to a roughly tangential component which will be absorbed by the climber's knees when he swings into the rock, and not by the lanyard. It quickly becomes apparent that over short distances the fall factor model doesn't bear up so well.

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