Climbing rope

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A climber and a belayer using a climbing rope Rock Climbing Mississippi Palisades.jpg
A climber and a belayer using a climbing rope

A climbing rope is a rope that is used in climbing. It is a critical part of an extensive chain of protective equipment (which also includes climbing harnesses, anchors, belay devices, and carabiners) used by climbers to help prevent potentially fatal fall-related accidents.

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Climbing ropes must meet very strict requirements so that they do not break in the event of an accidental fall. However, they also need to be light, flexible for knotting, and resistant to chafing over sharp and rough rocks; all that in all possible weather conditions. Although ropes made of natural fibres such as hemp and flax were used in the early days of alpinism, [1] modern climbing uses kernmantle ropes made of a core of nylon or other synthetic material and intertwined in a special way, surrounded by a separate sheath woven over it. The main strength of the rope is in the core, and the sheath of the rope represents only a small fraction of the overall strength of the rope.

Climbing ropes can be classified into three categories according to their elasticity: static, semi-static, and dynamic ropes.

Static rope

Static ropes are ropes that are specifically designed for little or no stretch. As a result, they are unable to absorb large shocks. They should therefore not be used to protect a climber against a fall. On the other hand, they are particularly strong and can withstand a large load under static load. They find their application in fixed ropes, zip lines and shuttles.

Semi-static rope

Semi-static ropes have limited stretch. They can absorb small shocks and are also statically loaded yet very strong. However, these ropes may not be used to protect climbers from falling. They are used as fixed ropes, for rescue operations, and in caving.

Dynamic rope

Dynamic ropes are used in sport climbing. They are sufficiently stretchable to safely absorb a fall. However, they are relatively weak in static loads and therefore should not be used for zip lines and amusement rides.

A falling climber quickly develops enormous kinetic energy. This energy is released as soon as the climber stops falling. Some of this energy goes to the belay chain, the rest is split between the belayer and the climber. The rigid parts of the belay chain are strong, but only absorb a limited amount of energy. The human body can also only handle a limited amount of force on the body (the so-called catch or impact value) without incurring a back injury. Dynamic ropes therefore are designed to stretch by a limited amount to catch falls. By stretching, a large part of the energy generated is captured so that the final capture impulse for a single rope is less than 12 kN, under testing conditions as defined in the CE standards. [2] UIAA rules mandate that stretching be less than 40%. [3]

Dynamic ropes can be single ropes, half ropes, and twin ropes, each with different specifications. [4]

Dry rope

Dry ropes are ropes that have been treated to repel water. To achieve a UIAA Water Repellent grade, a rope must not absorb more than 5% of the rope's weight. [5] This is in contrast to non-treated ropes which can absorb up to 50% of rope's weight in water. [6]

The dry treatment prevents dirt and other particulates from getting into the rope, extending the rope life. However, the dry treatment will wear off with extended use. [2] Dry ropes are more expensive than non-treated ropes, so they are typically saved for ice climbing or wet weather.

Maintenance

Ropes must be inspected regularly, and retired from use if significantly damaged or worn. [7]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carabiner</span> Shackle with a spring-loaded gate

A carabiner or karabiner, often shortened to biner or to crab, colloquially known as a (climbing) clip, is a specialized type of shackle, a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notably in safety-critical systems. The word comes from the German Karabiner, short for Karabinerhaken, meaning "carbine rifle hook" used by a carbine rifleman, or carabinier, to attach his carbine to a belt or bandolier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Figure-eight loop</span> Type of knot

Figure-eight loop is a type of knot created by a loop on the bight. It is used in climbing and caving.

The Flemish loop or figure-eight loop is perhaps stronger than the loop knot. Neither of these knots is used at sea, as they are hard to untie. In hooking a tackle to any of the loops, if the loop is long enough it is better to arrange the rope as a cat's paw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation</span> International sport governing body

The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, commonly known by its French name Union internationale des associations d'alpinisme, was founded in August 1932 in Chamonix, France when 20 mountaineering associations met for an alpine congress. Count Charles Egmond d'Arcis, from Switzerland, was chosen as the first president and it was decided by the founding members that the UIAA would be an international federation which would be in charge of the "study and solution of all problems regarding mountaineering". The UIAA Safety Label was created in 1960 and was internationally approved in 1965 and currently (2015) has a global presence on five continents with 86 member associations in 62 countries representing over 3 million people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climbing harness</span> Item of climbing equipment

A climbing harness is a device which allows a climber access to the safety of a rope. It is used in rock and ice climbing, abseiling, and lowering; this is in contrast to other activities requiring ropes for access or safety such as industrial rope work, construction, and rescue and recovery, which use safety harnesses instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rope</span> Length of braided strands

A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly constructed cord, string, and twine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rope rescue</span> Type of technical rescue using rope

Rope rescue is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use of rope, be it steel or cable rope, or more commonly used nylon, polyester, or other type of rope. Kernmantle rope as it is called, is available in various types: dynamic or static which is most commonly used in rescue and industrial rope work. Anchoring includes using specialty anchors, as well as things as simple as a length of chain, cable, rope, or webbing wrapped around a pillar, tree, boulder, or such. They provide the security and a point from which a person or subject can be belayed. Belaying is the act of protecting the climber, rescue professional, or subject in the event of a fall. Various other devices used, including friction rappel (lowering) devices, which acts as a braking device on the rope. They are used for lowering a load, a subject or oneself (rappelling). Pulleys can serve as a mechanical advantage, along with rope grabs, and other tools, to raise, or haul, a load up a vertical section, or across a gully or canyon. Pulleys systems are used in conjunction with the rope, rope grabbing devices, i.e.: Prusiks, or mechanical grabs, to capture the progress made during the lift. Since pulley systems are generally short in length, they are used in conjunction with a progress (raise) capturing technique, and a long rope; and a backup safety or belay. This specialized equipment is used to reach the subject(s) and safely recover them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of climbing terms</span> For rock climbing and mountaineering

Glossary of climbing terms relates to rock climbing, mountaineering, and to ice climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock-climbing equipment</span> List of manmade gear

Rock-climbing equipment varies with the type of climbing undertaken. Bouldering needs the least equipment outside of shoes and chalk and optional crash pads. Sport climbing adds ropes, harnesses, belay devices, and quickdraws to clip into pre-drilled bolts. Traditional climbing adds the need for carrying a "rack" of temporary passive and active protection devices. Multi-pitch climbing adds devices to assist in ascending and descending fixed ropes. And finally aid climbing uses unique equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abseiling</span> Rope-controlled descent

Abseiling, also known as rappelling, is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling, the person descending controls his own movement down a static or fixed rope, in contrast to lowering off, in which the rope attached to the person descending is paid out by his belayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top rope climbing</span> Type of rock climbing

Top rope climbing is a form of rock climbing where the climber is securely attached to a climbing rope that runs through a fixed anchor at the top of the climbing route, and back down to the belayer at the base of the climb. A climber who falls will just hang from the rope at the point of the fall, and can then either resume their climb or have the belayer lower them down in a controlled manner to the base of the climb. Climbers on indoor climbing walls can use mechanical auto belay devices to top rope alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall factor</span> Mathematical ratio relevant to climbing safety

In lead climbing using a dynamic rope, the fall factor (f) is the ratio of the height (h) a climber falls before the climber's rope begins to stretch and the rope length (L) available to absorb the energy of the fall,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock climbing</span> Type of sport

Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations or indoor climbing walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport, one that often tests a climber's strength, endurance, agility and balance along with mental control. Knowledge of proper climbing techniques and the use of specialized climbing equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munter hitch</span> Adjustable knot used control friction in a belay system

The Munter hitch, also known as the Italian hitch, mezzo barcaiolo or the crossing hitch, is a simple adjustable knot, commonly used by climbers, cavers, and rescuers to control friction in a life-lining or belay system. To climbers, this hitch is also known as HMS, the abbreviation for the German term Halbmastwurfsicherung, meaning half clove hitch belay. This technique can be used with a special "pear-shaped" HMS locking carabiner, or any locking carabiner wide enough to take two turns of the rope.

Kernmantle rope is rope constructed with its interior core protected by a woven exterior sheath designed to optimize strength, durability, and flexibility. The core fibers provide the tensile strength of the rope, while the sheath protects the core from abrasion during use. This is the only construction of rope that is considered to be life safety rope by most fire and rescue services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascender (climbing)</span> Devices used for ascending, braking, or protection in climbing

An ascender is a device used for directly ascending, or for facilitating protection, with a fixed rope when climbing on steep mountain terrain. A form introduced in the 1950s became so popular it begat the term "Jumar" for the device, and the verb "to jumar" to describe its use in ascending.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prusik knot</span> Type of knot

A Prusik is a friction hitch or knot used to attach a loop of cord around a rope, applied in climbing, canyoneering, mountaineering, caving, rope rescue, ziplining, and by arborists. The term Prusik is a name for both the loops of cord used to tie the hitch and the hitch itself, and the verb is "to prusik" or "prusiking". More casually, the term is used for any friction hitch or device that can grab a rope. Due to the pronunciation, the word is often misspelled Prussik, Prussick, or Prussic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynamic rope</span> Rope designed to stretch under load

A dynamic rope is a specially constructed, somewhat elastic rope used primarily in rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering. This elasticity, or stretch, is the property that makes the rope dynamic—in contrast to a static rope that has only slight elongation under load. Greater elasticity allows a dynamic rope to more slowly absorb the energy of a sudden load, such from arresting a climber's fall, by reducing the peak force on the rope and thus the probability of the rope's catastrophic failure. A kernmantle rope is the most common type of dynamic rope now used. Since 1945, nylon has, because of its superior durability and strength, replaced all natural materials in climbing rope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice screw</span> Protection anchor for ice climbing

An ice screw is a threaded tubular screw used as a running belay or anchor by climbers on steep ice surface such as steep waterfall ice or alpine ice during ice climbing or crevasse rescue, to hold the climber in the event of a fall, and at belays as anchor points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belay device</span> Mechanical piece of climbing equipment

A belay device is a mechanical piece of climbing equipment used to control a rope during belaying. It is designed to improve belay safety for the climber by allowing the belayer to manage their duties with minimal physical effort. With the right belay device, a small, weak climber can easily arrest the fall of a much heavier partner. Belay devices act as a friction brake, so that when a climber falls with any slack in the rope, the fall is brought to a stop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caving equipment</span> Equipment for caving and spelunking

Caving equipment is equipment used by cavers and speleologists to aid and protect them while exploring caves. The term may also be used to refer to equipment used to document caves, such as photographic and surveying equipment. Originally, cave diving equipment was quite limited, but the increasing popularity of caving during the 20th century led to the creation of specialist caving equipment and companies.

References

  1. Mears, R. P. "THE CLIMBING ROPE DEFINED" (PDF). alpinejournal.org.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  2. 1 2 "Rope markings explained". www.thebmc.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  3. "How to Choose Climbing Ropes". www.rei.com. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  4. "Summary of EN 892" (PDF). edelrid.de. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  5. "UIAA 101 Dynamic Ropes" (PDF). theuiaa.org. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  6. "Climbing Technology". www.singingrock.com. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  7. "UIAA STANDARD 101 / ROPES  : Recommendations for Inspection and Retirement" (PDF). theuiaa.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-10-21.