Page 51 - D. Raleigh "Knots and ropes for climbers"

6. Rope Care

In 1986, I stepped off a 500-foot-high tower in Arches National Monument, Utah. I thought I was
clipped to the rappel rope, but I wasn't. I free-fell 160 feet before a spare 9-millimeter haul line clipped
to my gear sling wadded itself into a knot and snagged in a fortuitous crack, like a cork in a bottle. The
impact bent a carabiner and exploded the sheath off the rope. In some places, the core strands were
nearly snapped in two. Obviously, that rope was ready for retirement. What about yours?

Climbing ropes demand attention. New ropes are especially fussy, prone to twisting and kinking. To
remove kinks, uncoil the rope and pull its entire length through your hands several times. Letting the
rope hang its full length down a wall will also remove twists. Repeat

An unpadded rope can become
damaged and unsafe when sawed
over a rough edge.

A padded rope.

Rope tarp.