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27-Apr-2012 6:00:39 PM
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So, the dramatic version: I was dogging my way up a short climb. Took a short fall, decided I was too weak and weak minded to do this and started aiding down to retrieve gear. I was hanging on a peace when I heard a snap, vaguely registered a falling sensation and then found myself on the ground.
After making sure everything was still where it should be and worked I looked up to see the gear still in the wall and after some confusion realised that there was an end of rope attached to my harness. The rope had snapped at a point where it was running over a smooth draw and while holding body weight (!)
The rope was 8 years old but used sparingly, looked almost new and had never held any major falls. The place where it broke (close to the end of the rope) was the only bit of rope which was "fuzzy" and slightly discoloured. I thought I remembered the moment when it was stepped on while lying in sand which I thought accounted for the colour change. People tell me it must have been exposed to a chemical at some point.
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27-Apr-2012 6:13:38 PM
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Which model and brand was it?
Where did you buy it?
It might be worth sending it off to the manufacturer for testing. Not that you'll get a new rope out of it, but that there might be some good stuff to learn. I imagine that rope makers don't get a chance to play with ropes that have broken in the field very often.
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27-Apr-2012 6:38:40 PM
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Acid. My bet is acid.
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27-Apr-2012 8:08:56 PM
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On 27/04/2012 sg wrote:
>The place where it broke (close to the end
>of the rope) was the only bit of rope which was "fuzzy" and slightly discoloured.
>I thought I remembered the moment when it was stepped on while lying in
>sand which I thought accounted for the colour change. People tell me it
>must have been exposed to a chemical at some point.
The colour change is a dead giveaway.
This is highly unusual, and indicative of exposure to a nasty (as far as ropes go), chemical.
Caveat; I am not a material-engineer!
By the way, over many years and even with the best of intentions/care, I have had ropes exposed to sand ingress due stepping on etc., and never have they changed colour as a result, though they did require washing afterwards.
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27-Apr-2012 8:27:09 PM
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In light of the breaky rope above, has anyone else had a rope discoloured by Ramset 101 glue? Or tested the strength of a gluey rope other than bodyweight/sport falls?
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27-Apr-2012 8:54:15 PM
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On 27/04/2012 patto wrote:
>Acid. My bet is acid.
Firstly, I'm glad you're ok! Secondly, thanks very much for sharing your experience. Thirdly I reckon a trip this bad has to be peyote!
Case in point;
Hansel: So I'm rappelling down Mount Vesuvius when suddenly I slip, and I start to fall. Just falling, ahh ahh, I'll never forget the terror. When suddenly I realize "Holy s@#t, Hansel, haven't you been smoking Peyote for six straight days, and couldn't some of this maybe be in your head?"
Derek Zoolander: And?
Hansel: And it was. I was totally fine. I've never even been to Mount Vesuvius.
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27-Apr-2012 8:59:09 PM
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I've covered my rope, harness, tongue and eyes and everything else in 101 with no adverse reaction. OK, my eyes did water and I felt like i was going blind but the other stuff was fine.
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27-Apr-2012 9:00:23 PM
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Do you have a photo of the 'break' of the rope? I would be very interested to see how it was cut - it sounded terrifyingly sudden which is a real worry. 8 years is way too old for a rope...
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27-Apr-2012 9:13:26 PM
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On 27/04/2012 nmonteith wrote:
>Do you have a photo of the 'break' of the rope? I would be very interested
>to see how it was cut - it sounded terrifyingly sudden which is a real
>worry.
+1
>8 years is way too old for a rope...
What? Does this mean I have to retire my 30 year old ropes?
Heh, heh, heh.
On 27/04/2012 Miguel75 wrote:
>On 27/04/2012 patto wrote:
>>Acid. My bet is acid.
>
>Firstly, I'm glad you're ok! Secondly, thanks very much for sharing your
>experience.
+1
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27-Apr-2012 9:37:08 PM
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There's an interesting BD QC article about a rope that broke during an indoor lead climb. I'm struggling to find it at present though when I do I'll post it. It turns out the rope had minute traces of sulphuric acid where it broke.... Thankfully the climber, and belayer, survived unscathed.
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27-Apr-2012 10:15:44 PM
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If you cut one end of the break I can look at it under a few microscopes; from what I've read I think that acid affected rope has distinctive 'blobby' ends on each fibre which are very different to overload or cutting.
PM me.
Glad you survived
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28-Apr-2012 8:40:24 AM
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On 27/04/2012 Miguel75 wrote:
>There's an interesting BD QC article about a rope that broke during an
>indoor lead climb. I'm struggling to find it at present though when I do
>I'll post it. It turns out the rope had minute traces of sulphuric acid
>where it broke.... Thankfully the climber, and belayer, survived unscathed.
google pipeworks rope snap: http://www.caves.org/section/vertical/nh/52/RopeBreakagefinal.pdf
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28-Apr-2012 8:49:46 AM
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Dang it, you're too quick off the mark Andrew.
Here's another link to the same article:
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/uploads/black-diamond/files/Rope%20Breakage%20.pdf
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28-Apr-2012 8:57:14 AM
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Faded patches are the first sign of chemical contamination. Unless you know what chemical caused it err on the side of caution.
Other causes of fading are UV degradation. Not any better than chemical really.
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28-Apr-2012 10:12:59 AM
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Or insect repellant? DEET comes from the family of chemicals that are used to soften plastics like vinyl.
JamesMc
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28-Apr-2012 10:51:50 AM
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DEET is safe on Nylon, aka rope.
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28-Apr-2012 8:11:48 PM
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On 27/04/2012 patto wrote:
>Acid. My bet is acid.
Yeah, stop taking acid and climbing at the same time. It will end horribly.
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30-Apr-2012 7:11:59 AM
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On 28/04/2012 patto wrote:
>DEET is safe on Nylon, aka rope.
I was always told that DEET is bad for nylon and have had nylon base products fuzz up after contact.
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30-Apr-2012 9:21:25 AM
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DEET apparently is very destructive to breathable waterproof coatings such as Goretex. I wouldn't be surprised if it is destructive to other finishing coatings. However:
http://www.bluewaterdealer.com/Technical_Manual.html
"Laboratory tests performed have shown no appreciable damage done to nylon fibers by contact with insect repellents containing DEET (Test #0559)."
EDIT:
Further info:
Data available from Honeywell Corporation (makers of nylon 6, polyester and Spectra®) shows that nylon’s strength is not greatly affected by motor oil, mineral oil, salt water, Freon, gasoline, kerosene, benzene, chloroform, paints, pine oils, or insect repellents containing DEET. Chemicals that should be avoided at all costs are bleach and sulfuric acid.
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30-Apr-2012 7:07:31 PM
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Have a close look at the rest of it before using it again . . .
Most ropes only break once, sometimes twice, but rarely . . .
Cheers
MM
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