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nagchampa
Jul 7, 2003, 3:13 PM
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Registered: Jul 1, 2003
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This should be an easy answer by looking at the manufaturers UIAA fall rating and calculating the amount of falls you've taken on it, but what if all your falls aren't huge whippers that equate to their calculations?
What if you only weigh 120lbs compared to someone who weighs 220lbs?
What if you are climbing overhangs opposed to someone who climbs vertical or slabs?
What if you are just working a climb how do you calculate in all the hangs?
I would think all these factors and more would make a big difference in the amount of wear a rope takes on in referrence to the number of falls? I've seen people use ropes for several seasons, and I've heard alot of answers to this question.
~ How do YOU determine when YOUR rope has had it?
~ And which rope do think holds up the best (within a reasonable thickness for sport or trad)?
:?
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cbeltrano
Jul 7, 2003, 3:49 PM
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Registered: May 22, 2003
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you bring up some valid points. it's tough to see the beating a rope has acctually taken.... but i'm not about to sit there with a calculator and a clip board trying to figure out if the rope i'm climbing on has had it... just make it a judgement call.... if you don't feel safe on the rope get a new one
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jt512
Jul 7, 2003, 4:05 PM
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Registered: Apr 12, 2001
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In reply to: This should be an easy answer by looking at the manufaturers UIAA fall rating and calculating the amount of falls you've taken on it, but what if all your falls aren't huge whippers that equate to their calculations?
Read the frickin' tag that came with your rope. It explains when to retire it.
-Jay
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whittle
Jul 7, 2003, 4:25 PM
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Registered: Jul 7, 2003
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I'm trying to decide, with a friend, which rope to buy. The issue being: we want to practice leading first in the gym, and so, in the gym we could get away with a shorter (cheaper) rope. *I* think we should get a rope that would be long enough for outside too (Rumney, NH), but my friend suggested that if we practice for 2 months indoors, where we would probably push ourselves pretty hard, and fall a lot, we might not want to take it outside any after that...i.e., we'd have to retire it anyway, so we should by a short rope now since we'll have to buy another shortly anyway.
So I don't have an instruction booklet in front of me, but people talk about retiring a rope after 7 falls, and I can't imagine this. I thought that it was refering to factor 2 falls (or really big lead whippers...ie, close to factor 2). But other people seem to think no matter the lead fall, it counts.
Please help my confusion,
Thanks.
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fishypete
Jul 7, 2003, 4:25 PM
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Registered: Apr 5, 2002
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JT is right - there are guidlines out there e.g. X years based on how regular the use, and after a major fall etc. There are many versions of this guideline - your manufacturer will have provided his version.
However you should remember that the UIAA fall rating will NOT give you ANY guideline about when you should retire your rope. It is a completely different measurement, which does not relate to repeated short falls or the wear from normal use AT ALL.
It only describes how many 1.8 FF falls the rope will take in succession before breaking, using a static belay.
HTH,
Fishy.
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