When I started climbing rope selection was easy, there was one choice, it was a multi plait rope which was one color and simple to splice with basic tools. It got the job done but it was very inefficient and hard work. Nowadays climbers have a massive range to choose from with fancy names, cool colors and some very clever technology in their construction to make tree work that bit easier.

But with so many choices it gets difficult to make sure that you have chosen the best rope for any given application, it depends on many things such as climbing techniques, type of work you do, down to the equipment you are going to use on it to climb.

As climbing techniques have evolved climbers have started to use different types of friction hitches and incorporate pulleys in their systems to advance the rope or take slack in with one hand and also to place pulleys at the tie-in point to reduce friction.
With the addition of simple devices such as foot ascenders, this makes the climb easier with less strain on the arms and shoulders but to achieve this climbers needed a different type of rope that was firm and flexible but has less bounce.

24 strand rope - Tachyon & Fly

This led to the development of double braided ropes with a tighter braided cover and a woven core, both of which share the load equally.

Tachyon was one of the first ropes developed for arborists with a 24-strand cover and a woven core providing strength and stability, Tachyon actually has an additional inner core to help keep the diameter consistent in a loaded state which suited friction hitches.

Double braided ropes in their construction have continued to evolve with climbing techniques to help provide climbers with the correct rope depending on their needs.

By changing the core for example, as in Fly, from a woven core to parallel fibers you have a rope that is very tactile in your hands but has low elongation with minimal bounce, this benefits climbers using stationary rope techniques.

With the development of SRT methods for climbing many climbers have moved away from tying friction hitches and are using mechanical devices.

With the need for ropes to cope with mechanical devices including foot and knee ascenders with toothed cams for SRT climbing, ropes have been developed with a tight braided cover.

The benefit of these types of access lines is that they are very low stretch which makes ascent very efficient with low energy leaks but they are not always the best to work from, that’s why they switch.

Certification, elongation, application

The problem for a climber when choosing a rope is that they often all fall into the same category of testing 1891 type A/ANSI Z133-2012, but it’s important to remember how you need your climbing rope to perform. Most climbing ropes are designed with a small amount of elongation, although this can be slightly frustrating during a long ascent it is crucial in protecting a climber and their anchor point should a fall happen in the tree. Some ropes, such as Tachyon, actually have a high stretch capability at high loads designed to minimize the shock effect on a climber in the event of a fall.

With that in mind be careful working from low stretch ropes.

If a climbing line has been exposed to sudden strains or shock loading this may result in rope failure and the rope should be retired as PPE

Ropes inspection and handling

All climbing ropes should be inspected before use looking for cuts, glazing (heat damage) contamination, abrasions, stiffness, and diameter change. If there is any doubt about its safety, it should be referred back to the manufacturer or a competent person for inspection.

Ropes have a shelf life of 10 years but have a working life limited to 5 years, always check with the manufacturer. Ropes must be retired sooner if defects are noticed.

My advice to a colleague in respect to rope selection would be:
• Chose a rope compatible with your climbing style
• Buy a bright color
• Use a rope bag
• Choose a rope with good end-user information, i.e. age, traceability, length, diameter.

In a climbing bag, I would recommend having 2 ropes, one suited to double rope and one for SRT. The best choice is to choose ropes that can do both, I use a 35m Fly and a 45m drenaLINE.

Who is John Trenchard?