Tech Tip: Answered Worn Out Ropes

While ropes normally get bunged up (resulting in a core shot, resulting in two shorter ropes), it is also possible to not bung it up and just plain wear it out. The rope pictured here was slated for retirement after this canyon. And this proved to be the case as the rope cut on a sharp edge, and our friend Chris Hood took a long fall into a pool without consequences, miraculously.

This is too far. If your rope even STARTS looking like this far gone, throw it away.

Here's another rope which failed. I'd like to say suddenly but it didn't really. Old and thin (8.5 mm) ropes have much less margin than you might think. If it's fuzzy, it's risky.

2 over 2 = thinner sheath than a 1 over 1.

Tom

@ratagonia What was the age of the rope? for the core to have suffered that badly inside the rope would take some time methinks, or many, many raps.

Perhaps it's a combination of the flexing action of running through a device and sediment inside the core that causes it to self-abraid.

very interesting.

How many of us have ropes that are at least that fuzzy and are still in use as mainline ropes?

I don't know, but perhaps @Chris Hood could comment.

My take on it is based on conversation with Chris about 24 hours later. My impression that the rope cut by sliding across an edge. There is not much sheath left here (though how much is hard to say) and without the sheath, the core cuts easily. This does not necessarily indicate that the core was damaged, though that certainly could have contributed to the event.

Once I get the test rig set up, I plan on testing some toasted ropes.

Tom

I failed to consider the detail about the actual cutting that triggered the failure. duh....

I would be very interested to see the break numbers on used ropes. Keep us posted.

This is a very useful post. Please post your test results Tom!

Thanks for moving the for sale item to the for sale section.

Tom

Just edited the above and did just that. Thanks Tom.

I need to check my ropes.

Question; is there an age limit for ropes? Does an unused rope stored in a dark closet age to where it shouldn't be used? A friend of mine has a rope he says has less than 50 raps on it (3 people in Mystery and some local spots) but it's old, probably 8 years and 7 since since its last use? I was thinking about buying it from him as it looks to be in good shape physically.

If the rope has been stored in a barrel of kerosene, you should be good to go.

Ha ha.

Seriously, though...ropes just sitting around get ravaged by ozone, especially if they haven't been stored in an airtight container. New, never used ropes taken out of a bag from storage that are tested and break under surprisingly low loads.