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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

Rave About Your Rack Please do not post retail SPAM.

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Rope Life - what do you know?

fitz

1-Oct-2009
11:35:14 PM

Sorry, if this has been posted else where.
Getting back into climbing after 8 years. Ive got a pair of Mammut 8.5mm and a 60m single 10.5mm. Both sets about 10 years old. $ years weekend use. the look great. No fur, nicks, abraisions - nothing. Single has taken 1 decent fall the halves a couple of piddely lobs.
But I guess the main issue is age. Stored dry and in the dark but subject to the hot summers in a bag in a box in a shed. Gut instinct is to dump or relegate.
Anyone KNOW what the low-down is?
Help much appreciated.
Fitz


SwineOfTheTimes

2-Oct-2009
12:07:29 AM

Just go for it.
Your gear placement is probably more dodgy than your ropes anyway.


wallwombat

2-Oct-2009
12:46:11 AM

I agree with SwineO.

gfdonc

2-Oct-2009
8:34:00 AM

Check the Black Diamond web site and the web generally for tests. There are some tests of 20 year old ropes written up somewhere. I recall the breaking strain was basically unaffected but the rope lost a little elasticity meaning the potential of a higher impact force.

But I'd also agree with the comments above.


ajfclark

2-Oct-2009
8:44:14 AM

This one? http://web3.bdel.com/scene/beta/qc_kp_archive.php#011907

rockranga

2-Oct-2009
8:57:30 AM

I posted a similar thread about 9 months ago, the general consensus was to get rid of the rope.

Chances are it's perfectly safe to use... but why risk it, you can get 50M ropes for about $240 which seems pretty good value for what's at stake. If you're in Melbourne head over to hardrock in the city, they have two ropes on sale there for the above price.

Mike Bee

2-Oct-2009
10:19:45 AM

I'd retire them, I reckon.
10 years is the absolute longest that rope manufacturers suggest storing a new rope before discarding it. They've already had some use, thus are too old based on the makers recommendations.
Put them aside and use them for top ropes or trailer tie downs.

A new 50m 10.2mm Beal Edlinger should cost $229 from most climbing shops. The 60m version is $279. You're life is worth more than that.


wallwombat

2-Oct-2009
11:02:06 AM

I have an Edelrid 10.5mm that is 18 years old. I have towed my van with it. I now use it as a rap rope. I would never lead on it but having tested it with my van, Im sure it's OK to rap on or top rope with. It's not going to snap on my weight.

I have an Edelweiss 10.5mm that is about 10 years old which was stored away much like your ones. I now use that for bolting and rapping but that's mainly because I have a 9.4mm, a 10mm and a pair of 8.5mm half ropes that are less than two years old. I would have no problem leading on it. Any route that involves lots of working (which I rarely do), where I may trash the rope, I use the ten year old Edelweiss. It's fine.

I think everyone who posts this old rope question normally buys new ropes, as the overwhelming response on Chockstone is exactly what Mike Bee said, "retire them. your lifes worth more than that". Well, having never met you, I can't say that.

You obviously have some doubt about the ropes. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked the question. The responses here will seed that doubt and you will inevitably go shopping for a new rope.

I stand by my original post. I'd use them.

Fitz

2-Oct-2009
11:18:36 AM

Yeah, my gear placement will be a bit slow, thats a given. Thanks for all the advice. Ill use them for a short while as I work up the grades again getting some condition and gear placement savvy back.
So whats new in ropes in the last 10 years?


wallwombat

2-Oct-2009
11:39:43 AM

On 2/10/2009 Fitz wrote:

>So whats new in ropes in the last 10 years?

They have got a lot thinner.


rodw

2-Oct-2009
12:39:09 PM

I agree with WW, they will be fine, Id use em.

Wendy

2-Oct-2009
12:51:17 PM

On 1/10/2009 fitz wrote:

>Anyone KNOW what the low-down is?

I KNOW we can safely say that none of us KNOW whether your ropes will be fine.

>Gut instinct is to dump
>or relegate.

Once you have this gut instinct, you really won't be comfortable climbing on them anyway. How are you going to feel about your ropes a few metres above gear and peeling off? Or maybe concern about your ropes will stop you getting to a few metres above your gear anyway. Climbing is so much more pleasant when you are happy with all of your equipment. Do whatever you have to do to feel happy about them.

Wendy

2-Oct-2009
1:01:33 PM

On 2/10/2009 ajfclark wrote:
>This one? http://web3.bdel.com/scene/beta/qc_kp_archive.php#011907

That's the scary one about tatty old trashed ropes. Anyone got the link for old but unused ropes?


Richard

2-Oct-2009
1:15:55 PM

sell em to a climbing gym .. have you seen how twisted some of those ropes are, or my fav, the rope where the end is only sheath for about half a meter...

gfdonc

2-Oct-2009
1:25:54 PM

On 2/10/2009 Wendy wrote:
>On 2/10/2009 ajfclark wrote:
>>This one? http://web3.bdel.com/scene/beta/qc_kp_archive.php#011907
>
>That's the scary one about tatty old trashed ropes. Anyone got the link
>for old but unused ropes?

That's not the article I had in mind.
Neither is this one, but try it instead:
http://www.fishproducts.com/tech/Ropeshelflife.pdf

Wendy

2-Oct-2009
3:38:16 PM

On 2/10/2009 gfdonc wrote:

>That's not the article I had in mind.
>Neither is this one, but try it instead:
>http://www.fishproducts.com/tech/Ropeshelflife.pdf
>

That ones really about statics and whilst it raises some interesting points - how useful that Edelrid change their mind from indefinately to 3 years - and their testing with Bluewater suggest no loss of strength, it doesn't address dynamic rope (and the BD one is doing straight static tests on their tatty ropes as well).

I do occasionally wonder why people tend to be much more concerned about the age and condition of their rope over any other bit of gear. Hands up who's climbing on a 10 year old harness? Mine never last that long as there's only so many years of thrutching a harness can do before it has scary abrasions, but there seems to be plenty of old harnesses out there. What about everyone's slings? And those on their quickdraws or cams? They seem to be archaic even more often. Surely all these things are subject to similar forces to a rope and manufactured of similar materials?


dimpet

2-Oct-2009
4:15:34 PM

Rope failure is probably going to cause more damage to you if your 100 meters up :P,
If one of gear fails you fall to the next one, not the entire way down.

>On 2/10/2009 Wendy wrote:
>I do occasionally wonder why people tend to be much more concerned about
>the age and condition of their rope over any other bit of gear. Hands
>up who's climbing on a 10 year old harness? Mine never last that long
>as there's only so many years of thrutching a harness can do before it
>has scary abrasions, but there seems to be plenty of old harnesses out
>there. What about everyone's slings? And those on their quickdraws or
>cams? They seem to be archaic even more often. Surely all these things
>are subject to similar forces to a rope and manufactured of similar materials?

Wendy

2-Oct-2009
4:28:18 PM

On 2/10/2009 dimpet wrote:
>Rope failure is probably going to cause more damage to you if your 100
>meters up :P,

won't harness failure too? It's too late to ask Todd ...

>If one of gear fails you fall to the next one, not the entire way down.

We do spend a lot of our climbing time within 1 or 2 pieces of the ground as well.
>

rockranga

2-Oct-2009
4:29:04 PM

On 2/10/2009 dimpet wrote:
>Rope failure is probably going to cause more damage to you if your 100
>meters up :P,
>If one of gear fails you fall to the next one, not the entire way down.
>
>>On 2/10/2009 Wendy wrote:
>>I do occasionally wonder why people tend to be much more concerned about
>>the age and condition of their rope over any other bit of gear. Hands
>>up who's climbing on a 10 year old harness? Mine never last that long
>>as there's only so many years of thrutching a harness can do before it
>>has scary abrasions, but there seems to be plenty of old harnesses out
>>there. What about everyone's slings? And those on their quickdraws or
>>cams? They seem to be archaic even more often. Surely all these things
>>are subject to similar forces to a rope and manufactured of similar materials?

I think there's also a difference between static equipment and dynamic stuff, don't quote me on that though but it would make sense, especially when people go on about not letting the core of your rope dry out or it gets brittle

Disclaimer: the above is simply an oppinion drawn from comments heard around the water cooler, it's entirely possible i have no idea what i'm talking about and look like a complete twat right now

Fitz

3-Oct-2009
9:47:26 PM

You make some good points Wendy, I had replaced harness and slings already. The elastic between the harness belt and leg loops was done in so I dumped it and the slings. That got me thinking rope..... that got me here! Gone through the rest of my kit too. Gee I missed the feel of the original BD cams.

There are 21 messages in this topic.