Last week we got you dialed on the different types of ropes; read on to learn about rope ratings, how to choose the right rope length, and how to properly care for your rope.
Live rope testing on The Abyss (5.12c) in American Fork, Utah
Rope Testing
The fall-rating for a rope is determined with a standardized test during which the rope is repeatedly subjected to a factor-1.75 fall (extremely harsh) until it breaks. A single rope must survive five of these falls with an 80kg (176lb) weight to receive UIAA certification. Half ropes must hold five falls with a 55kg (121lb) weight. Twin ropes are tested with two strands (as they would be used for climbing) and must hold 12 falls with an 80kg weight. Keep in mind that these are extremely hard falls that you would rarely, if ever, encounter in real-world climbing. Do not take a rope’s fall-rating literally. A 9-fall rope is super burly, but most sport climbers fall on their ropes at least nine times in a weekend. They’re not about to get a new rope on Monday. Fall-ratings simply tell you that a 9-fall rope is stronger than an 8-fall rope. If you’re working a route, and expect to be pitching off a lot, get something with a high fall-rating. If you’re redpointing a route you have wired or are alpine climbing where falls are relatively rare, this rating is less important than other considerations such as weight.
A rope’s impact force is the measure of how much stress it puts on gear during a standardized fall. The higher the number, the more force your top piece of gear receives, so it’s smart to look for a low impact force if you’re using your rope for ice climbing or sketchy trad routes. This, again, cannot be taken literally. There are many variables that affect impact force: slack, rope drag, the type of belay device used, and so on. These numbers are most useful for comparing one rope to another.
Static elongation is how far the rope stretches when it is loaded statically with an 80kg weight. The only real relevance of this test is for big wall climbing and rescue situations. Juggling a rope or hauling gear is easier if the rope stretches less. So, if you’re heading to the Valley to tick off the Nose, look for a big, fat rope with low stretch.
Other Considerations
Most ropes come in 50m, 60m, and 70m lengths. Unless you have two ropes, you can only rappel or lower from a climb that’s half as long as your rope. This means that if you have a 50m (164ft) rope, you can only climb a sport route that’s about 80ft long before you need a second rope or belay station to get down. The area where you climb dictates your rope’s length. If you live in a place where all the cliffs are under 80ft, than a 50m rope is perfect. A 60m rope is ideal at crags such as Smith Rocks, Ore., or American Fork, Utah, and it is the length used by the majority of climbers today. In places with really long pitches, like Indian Creek, Utah, it’s nice to have a 70m line. Many consider 60m to be the minimum length for ice climbing, even with two ropes. The extra length of a long rope makes for fewer rappels when descending a big alpine face after a horrendous ascent. A 3,000ft face requires at least 19 rappels with a 50m rope (assuming you can actually rap straight down in full-length sections) but may be done in only 13 rappels with a 70m rope. That’s six less anchors to leave behind or six less V-threads to build.
The diameter of a rope, measured in millimeters, is an important consideration. Though different construction techniques increase variability, thicker ropes usually last longer than thin ones and are more resistant to cutting on sharp rock edges. When you’re looking for a thin rope, what you’re really looking for is light weight. Think of your rope’s thickness in terms of durability, and check the weight if you’re trying to lighten your pack.
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Dry treatment is worth every cent when you're dealing with snow and ice
Rope Care
A clean rope is a happy rope. Never lay your rope in a place where it would be exposed to unknown chemicals. Dropping your life line on the garage floor where your beat-up truck has been leaking oil for three years is a terrible idea. If you’re smart enough to avoid chemicals, dirt becomes the number-one enemy. Using a rope bag is the easiest way to increase your rope’s life. These bags not only make your rope easy to carry, they provide a dry, clean place to stack your line while belaying your partner. No matter how careful you are, ropes eventually need a wash. Drop that grimy cord in your bathtub full of warm water, and scrub the sheath with a rope brush until the water is dirty. Repeat the process until the water runs clean, then lay your rope in a dark, cool place until it’s dry. Don’t hang it up.
Keeping a rope from kinking demands attention. When you first get your rope, uncoil it carefully instead of dropping the whole heap on the floor and pulling from one end. This alone will make life considerably easier when you get to the cliff, because doing it the lazy way is sure to lead to a nicely pre-kinked rope that will make belaying and rope work a real pain. Using a rope bag cuts down on the times you need to coil your rope, but you should use a butterfly coil (described in just about every “how to climb” book ever published) instead of the old-school mountaineer’s coil. The mountaineer’s coil may look cool, but it kinks your rope far too much.
All ropes, no matter how thick or burly, eventually needs to be retired. Your rope’s life depends on how much you climb, what type of rock you climb on, and how well you take care of your rope. A person who only climbs a few days a season won’t have to retire his or her rope for five years or more. A weekend climber will likely replace their line every two to three years. If you’re climbing four or five days a week—good for you, but you’ll need to replace your line every season. Check your rope slowly for soft spots, damage, or excessive fuzziness at the end of every climbing day. Deformation and soft spots are signs that the core might be damaged. If you can see the core, it’s definitely bad. When damage is isolated to one place, you can cut the rope there, toss the short piece, and re-melt the end. Keep in mind that this makes your rope shorter, so you may be coming up short when lowering off a route that you’ve done a million times. If your rope is too fuzzy, grimy, or soft, or generally doesn’t inspire confidence, it’s probably time to retire it. If you’re not sure, show it to someone who has been climbing for a long time (and has gear that doesn’t scare you) for advice. If you get the thumbs down, braid that sucker into a welcome mat, and buy a new one.
Remember, your rope saves your life every time you fall. Treat it accordingly.
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Tags: climbing, gear maintenance, safety