14
Had a climbing line snap on me yesterday in a big oak
It was a 5/8 inch line, about two years old, and it gave way just as I was shifting my weight to a new anchor point. I managed to grab a lower limb and get down okay, but it was a real scare. What's a good rule of thumb for when to retire a rope, besides just looking for obvious wear?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
fionafoster1mo ago
My cousin's old tow rope did that in his garage. Just snapped one day, no warning.
4
iris_carter1mo ago
That kind of thing happens way more than people talk about. We get used to gear and forget it's just material that breaks down over time, sun, and stress. A two-year-old work rope that sees regular use is probably past its safe life, even if it looks fine on the outside. The fibers inside get tired in a way you can't always see.
3
wood.uma9d ago
Man, that story just made my palms sweat. I have a retired climbing rope in my garage I use for tug-of-war with my dog, and now I'm side-eyeing it. The rule I always heard from the old timers was to retire a work rope after one year of steady use, no matter how it looks. The sun and the tiny bits of dirt you can't even see really eat away at the inside fibers. Better to be safe and replace it a little early than to find out the hard way.
0