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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Double, twin or single rope ...? 19-May-2004 At 4:30:41 PM shmalec

Message

dalai wrote:
>, there may be differing lengths of rope out (i.e.
>one rope isn't as direct to that point). If you fall the ropes may move
>at different speeds generating heat damaging the ropes as they run against
>each other.

I've seen this mentioned a couple of times on chockstone. Seems unlikely to me that this could generate much heat. There can be no relative movement between the two ropes at the climber or belayer. Maybe possible in theory to get a bit of movement in the middle somewhere but generating enough heat to damage a rope sounds a bit suss.

I read somewhere that it is advisable to clip both ropes through the first runner to avoid a high fall factor on a single half rope. Sounds like a good idea to me unless you traverse straight from the belay.