HOW TO CHOOSE A CLIMBING ROPE?
Choosing the right climbing rope for your type of climbing requires some knowledge about various features manufacturers guarantee, and balancing features VS prices. Climbing ropes have to meet the minimal standards set by the European Union (CE) and can apply to pass also the higher standards set by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA). On this article we will have a
general view on the ropes that are currently on the market and understand all the tests they have to pass, learning what those signs on the label mean.
First of all, let’s look inside a rope! Climbing ropes are made of an internal kernel, composed of filaments woven in bobbins, and an external mantle, which is a protective sheath. While the mantle is vital to preserve the filaments from damage caused by abrasion, humidity and solar light, it is the kernel which does the thought job, holding
circa 70% of the tension.
Since 2010 Beal produces climbing ropes with their new design Unicore, which binds the sheath to the kernel (core), preventing slippage and dramatically reducing the possibility of falling when the sheath is cut under load.
UIAA guidelines for DRY ropes
The UIAA has released in 2014 the guidelines illustrating their new Water Repellent standard. In order to be labelled “Dry” by the UIAA, the amount of water a climbing rope can absorb should be less than 5% of its weight. “Dry” ropes must be treated with water-repellent products on both core and sheath. You can watch this video on how engineers at Mammut tests their ropes.
Under this new regulation, climbing ropes are now separated into 3 different categories:
- No water-repelling treatment at all
- Only Sheath treated
- Core and Sheath treated
WHICH ROPE CAN I BUY?
This is just a list of the most famous ropes currently available. They are all single or triple-rated ropes. The price refers to the 70 meters model and can vary depending on where you buy and offers they may have.
Producer | Model | Treatment | Diameter (mm) | Weight (g/m) | Sheath (%) | Dyn Elongation (%) | Falls | Price € |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beal | Stinger Unicore | Dry | 9.4 | 59 | 38 | 33 | 8 | 200 |
| Beal | Stinger Unicore | Sheath | 9.4 | 59 | 38 | 37 | 8 | 170 |
| DMM | Orbit | Dry | 9.6 | 61 | 38 | ? | 8 | 190 |
| Edelrid | Swift Pro | Dry | 8.9 | 52 | 34 | 33 | 5 | 202 |
| Edelweiss | Performance | Sheath | 9.2 | 57 | ? | 37 | 5 | 205 |
| Edelweiss | Performance | Dry | 9.2 | 57 | ? | 37 | 5 | 240 |
| Gilmonte | Next | Sheath | 9.6 | 60 | 35 | 34 | 7 | 150 |
| Mammut | Infinity | Dry | 9.5 | 59 | 40 | 30 | 8 | 220 |
| Mammut | Infinity | Sheath | 9.5 | 59 | 40 | 30 | 8 | 160 |
| Mammut | Infinity | None | 9.5 | 59 | 40 | 30 | 8 | 120 |
| Maxim | Pinnacle | Dry | 9.5 | 61 | 36 | 40 | 7 | $295 |
| Metolius | Monster | Dry | 9.2 | 53 | 50 | 35 | 5 | 240 |
| Millet | Magma | None | 9.5 | 57 | ? | 35 | 6 | 155 |
| Petzl | Arial | Sheath | 9.5 | 58 | 40 | 32 | 7 | 180 |
| Petzl | Volta | Sheath | 9.2 | 55 | 42 | 33 | 6 | 205 |
| Roca | Kalymnos | None | 9.8 | 64 | ? | 30 | 6 | 96 |
| Sterling | Fusion Nano IX | Dry | 9.0 | 52 | ? | 33 | 6 | 280 |
| Tendon | Master | Dry | 9.1 | 56 | ? | 29 | 5 | 140 |
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SINGLE AND HALF ROPE?
WHAT IS A SLING?
KILOGRAMS VS NEWTONS
The measurement we use to define our weight (kilograms or pounds) is in effect the unit of measure of mass. Mass is measured in Kilograms, and it never varies: a body of mass 80kg will be the same on planet Earth as well as on the Moon or out in space. Mass is mass!
Newtons measure the force pulling a body towards a heavier body. We are attracted towards the center planet Earth. An object of one kilogram is attracted to the center of the Earth with a force of 9.8 Newtons. If you will take that same object to the Moon its mass will be just the same, but its weight will be much less.
Newtons are often rounded to facilitate calculations, and thus 1 kg is said to correspond to 10 Newtons. 10 Newtons make a Deca-Newton (daN) and 1000 Newtons make a Kilo-Newton (kN).
CARE & MAINTENANCE
The Dynamic and Static Resistance of a rope (as stated on its label) apply only when in new and pristine conditions. Friction against rocks, karabiners and belay devices, as well as the inexorable deterioration caused by UV rays, dust, aluminium oxide and water reduce considerably its initial resistance.
Should we be saying that it is imperative not to step on a rope resting on sharp rocks, walk on it wearing crampons or spill battery acid on it? This should be common sense, so let’s move to matters for which we’d need knowledge instead of judgement.
Wet Ropes
A wet rope, even if new, loses up to 66% of its resistance. This means that if a new rope is guaranteed to withstand 8 falls, it will only withstand 2 or 3 falls if wet. For a rope to lose resistance it is not necessary to be completely drenched, even thin rain affects its performance. All ropes actually on the market are treated either with chemical agents (Superdry or GoldenDry) or heating techniques (Duraflex or Dry Cover) to prevent water and dirt affecting their resistance.
Funny enough, a frosted rope loses only 50% of its initial resistance.
If a rope undergoes abrasion or a heavy fall when wet, it is strongly recommended to stop using it. Ropes recover the 100% of their resistance once dried out. It is important to dry ropes away from direct sun light, as UV rays damage the external nylon fibres.
Dust
If a rope is exposed to dust and mud, microcrystals penetrate the sheath and affect the performance of the kernel. Even the friction against anchoring points, karabiners and belay devices frees particles of aluminium that deposit on the sheath.
If a rope is dirty and leaves your hands black when belaying, you can be sure microcrystals have deposited on and penetrated the sheath. Subsequent friction (against anchoring points and belay devices) can only press the microcrystals against the internal bobbins, causing damages to the nylon fibres.
Cleaning ropes
To keep a rope clean it is good practice to brush it after each use, by using special spiral-shaped brushes.
Washing ropes
All manufacturers claim it safe, and also necessary, to wash dirty ropes in lukewarm water with no strong or improper cleaning agents. Although we recommend washing a climbing rope by hand, it is safe to use washing machines. We advice placing the rope inside a cotton bag (such as a pillow case) and throw it in a washing machine avoiding soap, high temperatures (30 deg. Celsius is fine) and tumble-drying. Dry the rope on shady and ventilated areas, uncoiling and moving it every now and then to avoid mould.
We know by experience that after you wash a rope something will not be quite right with it. If a wash makes it lose its external dry treatment, the rope will be exposed to faster water and dust assimilation. But most importantly you will experience stronger friction on belay devices, making the rope very uncomfortable to use.
To avoid stronger friction and faster abrasion we advise to complement the washing using wet-protection agents, which you can easily buy from the same rope manufacturer. The most common products used are produced by Beal, Camp and Nikwax.
PULLEY EFFECT
aka Parallelogram of Forces
When a climber falls, the belayer has to block the rope and counter the pulling force caused by the fall. The last quickdraw must thus withstand two equal forces: one on the climber and one on the belayer side. This doubling of forces is known as Pulley effect, or Parallelogram of forces.
Climbing ropes are dynamic and absorb part of the impact force, transmitting no more than 12kN to the climber. The rope pulling the last quickdraw at the end of a fall will probably exert a force of 12kN on the climber side, and 12kN on the belayer side too.
In reality many factors contribute to lower the force on the last quickdraw. The belayer side of the rope often pulls only with two/thirds of the force, reducing it to 8kN, and the angle of the rope also plays a crucial part. While 0 degrees angles double the force, 90 degrees angles increase the force of 1.5 times only and finally 120 degrees angles do not increase the force at all.
The reason why European Standards require all climbing equipment to withstand a force of about 22kN is due to the combination of the dissipation of the impact force by rope elongation and the doubling effect caused by the parallelogram of forces.
FALL FACTOR
Why is the fall factor important in climbing?
During a fall a climber gains great speed towards the ground, generating kinetic force that at the end of the fall is transmitted in part to the series of equipment used for the climb (harness, rope, quickdraws) and in part to the climber.The most dangerous part of a fall in an ideal situation, ignoring case-specific dangers such as rock ledges, is the final part: when the rope extends and the climber has to withstand the force caused by sudden deceleration.Studies carried out by the Air Force proved that the maximum impact force a person can withstand is about 15 times his or her weight. If falling head-down the maximum force a person can withstand is reduced to 4 times his or her weight.If a person weights 80kg, the maximum impact force he or she can withstand is 80 x 15 = 1200 kg. (1200 kg correspond to more or less 1200 daN, or 1.2 kN)How do you calculate the Fall Factor?
The Fall Factor is a relationship between the height of the fall, the length of the rope between the climber and the last anchoring point. It is expressed in decimal values, which in sport and alpine climbing go from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 2. In certain cases, like in via ferrata, the value can be higher than 2, but in this article we will concentrate on the basic understanding of sport climbing fall factor. These are two typical situations:
 |  |
| Factor 2 | Factor 0.5 |
First case: this case can happen when climbing on multi-pitches. The lead climber starts climbing the second pitch but after 2 meters he or she falls before being able to place the first quickdraw. The belayer blocks the rope and the climber falls a total of 4 meters (2+2). The falling factor will be calculated again by dividing the height of the fall by the length of available rope.FC=4/2= 2
Second case: a climber reaches 12 meters of height and falls. The last quickdraw is 3 meters below his or her harness. The belayer blocks the rope and becomes the last fixed point. The Climber will fall a total of 6 meters (3+3) with 12 meters of rope to absorb and dissipate the force. Fall Factor is measured dividing the meters of fall by the meters of available rope. FF=6/12= 0.5
In the second case the falling factor could increase if, for example, the rope gets stuck on the last quickdraw or on a rock formation.In order to be certified by European Standards and by the UIAA, the impact force a climbing rope transmits to the climber must be lower than 1200 daN. Climbing ropes absorb the impact force by elongation, usually transmitting an impact force between 800 and 900 daN, depending on manufacturer and model. With use and wear a rope becomes less elastic, increasing thus the impact force transmitted at the end of a fall.When buying a new climbing rope it is important to check all the measures stated on the label. You can see below a table of values for three half-ropes by Beal. You can notice that the fifth column states the impact force values Beal guarantees, followed by guaranteed number of falls and elongations.