You could use the best quality rope bag and maintain the utmost protection from dust and dirt, but your climbing rope is bound to get damaged with use. Your rope handles a lot of stress at the ends and gets overworked by frictional hurt at the contact point with the carabiners. If you lead the climb, the point of attachment to the next carabiner could be equally well rubbed out.
You would notice that the middle portion of your rope remains in a particularly better state than your rope’s ends. It makes more sense in cutting climbing rope rather than the whole length of it. It has been studied that the 15 meters of rope at either end is the most prone to getting frayed, beaten, rubbed, fuzzy, and ballooned.
It is important to minutely inspect your climbing rope before heading out on the rock. Cutting down the imperfect portions of your rope will save you an accident, but you also need to keep in mind that you don’t cut more than required. You should be well aware of the length you are cutting and the new middle point of your rope should be clearly marked so that there is no confusion during the climb.
There are a few things to remember before you attempt to cut your climbing rope yourself. You don’t want to fray your precious rope’s sheath while making it good for the next use. We have listed for you, proper steps to accurately and effectively chop the climbing rope.
cutting climbing rope – Step By Step Instructions
Marking and Taping
The first step is to identify the area of damage and to clearly demarcate it to avoid a mistake.
If your rope looks completely damaged, on the whole, do not care to preserve the shreds and instead buy a new one.
The point of cutting the rope should be marked at least 30cm away from the area of damage.
In case there is no visible damage to the rope but you want to stay safe and avoid the parts that would have been overstressed during the last climb, you should chop down a minimum of 3 meters and a maximum of 5 meters from both the ends. This is also valid if you sustained a high fall on this rope the last time you went on an expedition.
After the spot has been marked, you have to tape it as tightly as possible up to a width of about two fingers. Taping will make sure that there is no separation or fraying of the various layers of the rope as it is cut.
Tightening the Climbing Rope
You should make sure that the rope is tightly pulled when you cut it. The inside of the rope is built out of a billion intertwined fibers that could easily fray and balloon the rope if it is not stretched tightly while being cut.
It is advised to employ a helper for this task. Let them tug the rope at either end while you snap it in the middle. Or recruit one helper who would pull the rope as tightly as possible at one end while you tug at another and cut it down with your free hand.
Your point of cut needs to be accurate if you want to save this rope. So concentrate!
Making the Cut
Once you have taped the rope and pulled it as tightly as possible, it’s time to cut it using the sharpest knife of the planet. As we’ve told you before, your climbing rope is built out of incomprehensible intertwined fibers that give it the required valuable strength and flexibility. Your cutting instrument should be sharp enough to defeat it.
It will be perfect if you own a knife sharpener to make a swift chop feasible. If you don’t, you could heat up your knife hot red and then make it cut. Heating a knife increases its ability to cut and also works in immediately fusing the fibers that would have otherwise frayed. Avoid using a knife that you treasure, you don’t want it to get spoiled.
Pay attention to the angle at which you make the cut. The ideal cutting angle would be from 45° to 50° to create a sharp cut edge devoid of any stray fragments and splitting of fibers.
The direction of the cut should be from the thicker portion of the rope toward the thinner end portion.
One important thing to remember is to concentrate on cutting the rope at an angle while pulling it tight. Avoid applying pressure on the rope against resistance as this will lead to fraying. Cut patiently but don’t go so slow that the fibers start splaying out. A very fast cut could even result in splitting at the tips. It is best to maintain a balanced motion adept with accuracy and heading in the right direction. A perfectly cut rope will have a smooth cut edge.
You may want to practice on an old splayed section of rope before attempting to reduce your main rope. The next step is to melt the cut ends.
Melting the cut ends of the rope
If you use a heated knife for cutting your rope, the step of melting will be fulfilled to an extent while cutting. But it is important to properly melt the ends of your cut rope with a lighter so that the separated ends of the cut portion are connected together and to the sheath and no fraying is possible.
For the final touch, make your hand wet and with dripping fingers, squeeze the hot melted cut end. It is important for your fingers to be wet to ensure they don’t get burned in the process.
We have enumerated some helpful tips to help you cut your climbing rope accurately and efficiently.
Tips for the rope you want to cut
- When the cutting of the rope is done and dealt with, your next important task to measure the new length of your climbing rope. Now that your rope will be shorter than it’s the previous length, you don’t want to find out how less it is on your climb.
It is good to measure your rope accurately to properly determine how much you have cut off, how much rope is left, and where and when the new rope can be effectively utilized. You need to find the new middle portion of the rope and mark it distinguishably from the rest of the rope.
It is understood that you were used to your previous length of rope. Marking the middle point will save you from thrifty chances when you are climbing at an edge as you’ll certainly know what length you are up against.
- You should make it a point to always inspect your climbing rope for any defects. This should be done before and after every climb. Look out for ballooned or frayed portions or damaged or rugged parts. In case the core of the rope is visible from underneath the sheath, you need to change the rope. This extra carefulness is necessary in order to avoid mishaps on your adventure.
- If you are attempting to cut the rope on your own (without help from any friend), grip one side of the rope firmly under your left foot as the rest of the rope runs along your leg to the table above your knees where you have secured the damaged portion. The other side of the rope should be firmly gripped under your right foot as you cut the damaged part. This position is best to handle the rope and tightly secure it while making a precise cut.
- You should keep this in mind, it is often and too often important to inspect your rope and cut it at the damaged portions. For this, you should always buy a rope of more length than you require so that you have an extra length to begin with. You will always have enough rope even when you need to cut away the spoiled parts.
- When you buy a new rope, it comes with a distinct mark in the accurate middle length which is quite important to judge and act while climbing rocks. So when you cut a rope, remember to always mark the middle portion distinctly so there is no confusion at the last moment.
- Most pro climbers always write the accurate length of their climbing rope on it’s taped portion so that there is no dilemma when there shouldn’t be any.
Increasing the longevity of your climbing rope
Rock climbers should know how to care well for their lifelines of the edge. Read through these comments we have researched to increase the life of your lifeline.
- One important aspect of treating any equipment fairly is to not use it to its limit. There’s a limit to the elasticity of your own god-made muscles so what is a man-made rope?
- Remember to give a break to your rope after it has been used for a harsh move, especially after your rope saves you from a fall. Your rope handles extreme stress when it holds your weight back against the acceleration of gravity pulling you down. You need to let it relax and hang down by your side for sometime after you sustain a fall.
- A good way of giving rest time to your rope is by fixing your harness to an anchor directly so that you can charge and so can your equipment.
- As we have mentioned before, take care to check, inspect, and analyze the perfection or imperfection in your climbing equipment. You don’t want an equipment failure to lead you down on your ascend. It is essential and life-saving to be cautious.
- Make sure that your carabiners and quickdraws haven’t developed sharp edges. Any sharp portions of these two devices can cause serious damage to your climbing rope and offer a serious threat to your life.
- A sharp carabiner could lead your rope to break when you are sustaining a fall on the rocks. Always check your devices. Climbing, often called extreme, when practiced carefully is a safe sport. Mishaps happen when you aren’t cautious about the safety of your equipment. Be careful!
- Look at your route and judge for yourself if it has any sharply edged rocks that come in contact with your rope and could injure its strength as you climb. Guide your rope cautiously on the route.
When do you know it’s time to get rid of your climbing rope
- If your rope has come in contact with acids or any other chemicals that could damage its fibers, it’s time to dispose of it and not take the risk.
- If the sheath of your climbing rope is irreparably worn and frayed out, it’s no use cutting it into usable pieces. Let it go.
- This is important. You need to keep checking and inspecting your rope. If you can, at any time, see the core of the rope through its sheath, it isn’t safe to climb. It would be life-threatening.
- If the full length of your rope is extremely dirty and doesn’t get clean even after washing, throw it out.
- If there are spots on your rope that feel hard to touch or portions of the rope feel stiff and not as elastic as the rest of it.
- There is too much visible sun damage.
- In case your rope has sustained several high falls, it is possible that it has reached its limits if elasticity and it might break the next time you trust it to save your life.
Make your safety and well being a priority when you head out for a climb. Risky routes are only traversed by those who have practiced dedicatedly and have carried proper useful equipment. There is no point in taking a chance with your life by using defective equipment.
So spread out that rope before you head on the terrain and look out for any flaws. You are precious!