Page 35 - Rappelling

Every carabiner you buy should have the UIAA breaking strength ratings stamped on the spine.

The UIAA has determined the following • Do not load a carabiner over an edge of rock—
strength ratings for a carabiner to be CE certified. this can open the gate when the carabiner is
For oval carabiners: loaded, and two-thirds of the carabiner’s strength
• Closed gate strength, major (long) axis: 18 kN will be lost.
(4,047 lbs.) Retire a carabiner if it shows a groove from
• Minor axis strength, closed gate: 7 kN (1,574 lbs.) excessive rope wear, or if it has been dropped a
• Major axis strength, gate open: 5 kN (1,124 lbs.) lengthy distance down a rock face. If the gate is
For locking carabiners: sticky, washing it with soap and water and using
• Closed gate strength, major (long) axis: 20 kN some graphite lubricant will usually take care of the
(4,496 lbs.) problem.
If you do a lot of rappelling, you’ll see that an
• Cross-loading across the minor axis, closed gate: aluminum carabiner used in conjunction with your
7 kN (1,574 lbs.) rappel device will wear rather quickly, developing
• Major axis strength, gate open: 6 kN (1,574 lbs.) noticeable grooves. When this happens, you should
An important thing to remember with carabin- retire it. The worn-off aluminum particles also
ers is that a carabiner is only about one-third as get on the rope and your hands. A locking steel
strong if it’s loaded with the gate open. It’s essential, carabiner is much heavier than an aluminum one
therefore, to keep a few things in mind when using but will last longer, as steel is far more durable and
a carabiner: wears much more slowly than aluminum. One cau-
• Always load the carabiner in the proper tion when using steel: If you drop one from any
direction—on the major, or long, axis. distance (say 20 feet or more), you should consider
• Do not cross-load a carabiner (on the minor retiring it, as steel is more prone to micro fractures
due to its metallurgical structure.
axis) or load it in three directions (called triaxial
loading).

24 RAPPELLING

Rappelling_i-174_3pp_CS55le.indd 24 7/24/13 10:15 AM