Old timer at the supply yard made me rethink my rope care routine

I used to just throw my climbing rope in the back of my truck after every job, figured it was tough enough to handle a little dirt and mud. Then this retired arborist named Frank at the local Weaver supply yard saw my rope sitting in the bed with pine needles stuck to it and chewed me out. He told me that grit and debris act like sandpaper inside the sheath, wearing it down way faster than any normal use would. He showed me his own rope that's been going strong for 3 years just by wiping it down and bagging it after each climb. Now I keep a canvas rope bag in my truck and spend 2 minutes coiling it up proper at the end of the day. Has anyone else had a veteran climber call them out on something they thought was fine?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_oscar26d ago

That part about "grit and debris acting like sandpaper" really hit home for me. I had the SAME experience a few years back with a guy named Pete who used to climb redwoods up in NorCal. He saw me stuffing my rope into a loose duffel bag after a job and gave me an earful. He said the tiny fibers in the sheath are what give it strength, and grinding dirt into them is like taking sandpaper to your own muscles. Now I keep a dedicated canvas bag with a built-in tarp that I lay out on the ground before coiling. It forces me to keep the rope off the dirt entirely. Also, he made me start hosing off the rope if it gets muddy instead of letting it dry with the grit baked in. That simple switch has made my ropes last at least twice as long, no joke. I still catch myself rushing sometimes but I always hear his voice in my head saying "treat it like your lifeline, not a garden hose.

mila40525d ago

That Pete sounds like a real lifesaver, I had a guy named Joe in Yosemite who taught me the same thing about canvas bags.