My favorite climbing lanyard snapped mid-ascension last Thursday

I've been using the same 3-strand eye-and-eye lanyard for about 8 years now. Everyone told me to retire it after 5, but I figured as long as it looked good and felt strong, it was fine. Well, I was maybe 30 feet up a big red oak outside Austin when I shifted my weight and heard a pop like a firecracker. The damn thing gave way right at the splice. I went down about 10 feet before my friction hitch caught me, and let me tell you, my heart didn't start beating again for a solid minute. I had only done a quick visual check that morning, no real inspection. So now I'm replacing it with a 12-strand spliced one, and I'm kicking myself for being stubborn about gear age. Has anyone else had a close call from using climbing gear way past its recommended lifespan?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah_hart27d ago

Didn't @finley_price24 just nail it with that battery analogy? I read somewhere that micro-fractures in old splices are basically invisible until they let go completely.

williamb2928d ago

That visual check thing gets you every time... you look at a rope and it seems totally fine but the damage is hiding inside the splice. 8 years is really pushing it even for a well kept lanyard, especially with the sun and sap and all that. Glad the friction hitch did its job though, that alone makes you really appreciate proper knots.

finley_price2428d ago

Man that is SO true. It's wild how the things we trust the most are the ones hiding the biggest problems, isn't it? @williamb29 I see this all the time with my buddy's old car, the engine sounds fine but the rust is eating the frame from the inside out. Or even my phone battery, looks fine but it dies at 30 percent because the cells are shot. It's like everything has a hidden decay that visual checks just can't catch. The friction hitch being the safety net is a perfect reminder, sometimes the simple backup is the only thing standing between you and a disaster.