king.derek•24d agoProlific Poster

Appreciation post: The old guy at the hardware store in Bend said something about my climbing rope

I was buying a new carabiner and mentioned my 11mm rope was getting fuzzy, and he said 'That's not wear, that's character, but the core is what quits on you first.' I cut a short piece off my old line and sure enough, the sheath was fine but the inner strands were frayed. How often do you guys actually check the core on your retired ropes?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_adams6624d ago

Cut mine open every time now. That old guy saved me from trusting a rope that looked fine.

miamitchell24d agoMost Upvoted

That old guy's paranoia is contagious.

the_ivan17d ago

Same here, started cutting my climbing ropes after a close call. Found a core that was almost gone even though the sheath looked perfect. It takes a few minutes and costs you some rope, but it's cheap insurance. Now I just plan for it and buy a little extra length. That peace of mind is worth way more than the few feet you lose.