Page 20 - Rappelling

feet). These are the standard precut lengths you can It is not a good idea to borrow or rent a rope,
buy from a climbing shop. Static and low-stretch because you don’t know its history. Don’t lend out
ropes are commonly sold in precut lengths and are your rope, and keep track of its history and how
also sold directly from spools, cut to your desired long you’ve had it. Most manufacturers recom-
length. mend keeping a rope for no longer than five to
seven years, even with minimal use, and no longer
Rope Care and Use than ten years even if the rope has been stored and
When buying a rope for rappelling, purchase from never used.
a climbing shop that specializes in selling climbing Inspect your rope by running your hand over
gear. the entire length of the sheath when coiling and
Any reputable climbing shop will only stock uncoiling the rope. Visually inspect for excessively
the top brands, like Sterling, Maxim, Beal, Blue- worn areas on the sheath, and feel for irregularities
water, Mammut, Edelrid, Edelweiss, Petzl, Millet, (voids, flat spots, etc.) in the core. Your rope should
Metolius, and PMI. be retired (or cut to a shorter length) if you see the
Avoid setting up a rappel where your rope sheath is excessively worn or frayed, exposing the
might abrade or cut over an edge. This can severely core, or if there are any anomalies in the core. Mul-
weaken or ruin your sheath in just one rappel! tiple fast rappels can burn the sheath of your rope,
Avoid standing or stepping on your rope, as this a result of heat generated by the friction between
can grind sharp pebbles and grit through the your rope and your rappel device. If the sheath
sheath and into the core. Minimize your rope’s feels glazed or melted, the rope should be retired.
exposure to UV light, as this will weaken the fibers
over time. Store your rope in a shaded, dry place. Coiling and Uncoiling Your Rope
If your rope gets dirty, you can wash it by When you buy a new rope, take extra care the first
hand in a tub or in a washing machine (preferably time you uncoil it to prevent kinking. The best
a front-loading washing machine, because a top- method is to simply unroll the rope from the coil,
loading machine’s agitator will abrade the rope) as if pulling it off a spool, holding the rope and
with hot water and a soap suitable for nylon. If rotating the coil until the entire rope is stacked on
washing your rope in a bathtub, make sure the tub the ground, keeping the rope free from any twists.
is free from any chemicals that may damage it. I Once the rope is in a loose pile, inspect the rope by
daisy chain the full length of my rope before wash- running it foot by foot through your hands from
ing it in a machine to keep it from getting tangled. one end to the other, then coil it with the butterfly
Let your rope dry by hanging it in a shaded area. coil method.
Be vigilant, and protect your rope from coming
into contact with any chemicals that contain acids, Backpacker or Butterfly c oil
bleaching or oxidizing agents, or alkalines. Acid is The backpacker, or butterfly, coiling method puts
the archenemy of nylon and can severely weaken fewer kinks in your rope. It is also the fastest way to
nylon and polyester fibers. Be extremely cautious coil a rope, since you start with both ends and coil
to avoid exposing your rope to battery acid or a doubled rope. I start by measuring two and a half
any type of acid that may be encountered in your arm lengths (both arms extended), then begin the
garage or the trunk of your car. It is wise to store butterfly.
your rope in a rope bag.

Equipment 9

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