Spiked through climbing line, photos.

[TLHamel]

Spiked through my Tachyon a couple days ago. Wanted to show the internal damage that can occur. A few years ago, I spiked through Blaze leaving no damage to the cover. However, I extracted the core and found half of the core strands severed! Not good on a double braid rope. Anyway, here you can see the damage to the different parts of Tachyon. Notice the tracer yarn and ID strip, along with two parallel core strands are completely severed. No strength loss there, but interesting none the less. 32 strand braided core has three strands completely severed and two others with abrasion. 24 strand cover has four strands completely severed with two others 50% severed. The cover took most of the damage this time.

 

[TLHamel]

Here's a close up of the core and cover.

 

[FlashTreetop1]

That rope would still lift an elephant. A rope like that would hold a man for a whole other climbing season. Can u say paranoid.

D.W.H

 

[mattbever]

Taylor, where you wearing Gecko's with a european style tree gaff...kinda flat shaped? I could see the potential for this style of gaff to do more damage to a "spiked" rope...more so than other gaff styles...Just thinking out loud. I see this happening often at work. What would be some creative ways to avoid this "spiking" of ropes?

 

[Blinky]

At least we know you keep your gaffs nice and sharp.

I agree the rope is still plenty strong but it sure is hard to know without dissecting. If I put a sharp gaff through my lifeline I'd probably cut it too. Ropes are fairly cheap and I can always use an spare short one.

My ropes are tatty but only from nicks in the cover, a strand here, 3 strands there... no big deal.

 

[UrbanTC]

I did the same thing to my new Fly line. I sent it to Knot and Rope, he sent it back and said not to worry about it.

 

[marlinspiker]

keep your rope running to the side of your saddle through a biner to avoid spiking it.

 

[TLHamel]

[ QUOTE ]
Taylor, where you wearing Gecko's with a european style tree gaff...kinda flat shaped? I could see the potential for this style of gaff to do more damage to a "spiked" rope...more so than other gaff styles...Just thinking out loud. I see this happening often at work. What would be some creative ways to avoid this "spiking" of ropes?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey Matt, what's shakin'?
Gecko's with American style pole gaffs. And, as marlinspiker mentioned above, you can clip the tail of the line through a krab on a leg loop

 

[mattbever]

My head is shakin' at MN drivers who have never learned how to merge!....Ha. Yeah I have a crab on my side used to hold extra lanyard off my feet that i will occasionally use for keeping rope away from spikes...over the shoulder works quickly as well, depending on application. I'm usually pretty conscious of rope near spikes but when it happens I'm good for a few cuss words for sure!

 

[southsoundtree]

[ QUOTE ]
Taylor, where you wearing Gecko's with a european style tree gaff...kinda flat shaped? I could see the potential for this style of gaff to do more damage to a "spiked" rope...more so than other gaff styles...Just thinking out loud. I see this happening often at work. What would be some creative ways to avoid this "spiking" of ropes?

[/ QUOTE ]

I tend to drag my spike along the tree trunk as I lift it. I have a feel for the tree, additional balance and less opportunity for spiking the rope, which I always run across the top of my boot, and to the outside. I don't know if dragging makes me feel more comfortable stepping higher or not, but seems like it might, which in turn means faster climbing.

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

[ QUOTE ]
I tend to drag my spike along the tree trunk as I lift it. I have a feel for the tree, additional balance and less opportunity for spiking the rope, which I always run across the top of my boot, and to the outside.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've always done the same. I don't feel the need to take large steps to plunge the spike in the tree.

 

[Norm_Hall]

Taylor, your spikes are super sharp. Check the fine razor like cut on the rope fibers. I think you did the rite thing in retiring the rope. Once again, thanks for sharing. Very informative.

 

[robinia]

[ QUOTE ]
That rope would still lift an elephant. A rope like that would hold a man for a whole other climbing season. Can u say paranoid.


[/ QUOTE ]

NOT helpful.
If a piece of your system is in question, retire it. The last thing anyone needs to consider is what some other random person thinks of your decision.
Criticism should only come when asked for, or if the person is not being safe ENOUGH!

Thanks for sharing Taylor. Especially since I'm currently working on Lava and may spike it one day, despite best efforts...

 

[Dan_Watkins]

I do what marlinspiker does. rope to the hip and through a micro pulley so it is far away from my spikes. i would retire the rope as well. as stated previously, ropes are relatively cheap compared to a fall due to a rope break

 

[Daniel]

Even if the rope would still lift a pick up truck, knowing that a piece of your climbing system has been compromised is very distracting..

You can still use hte rope, just not for life support.. I like tying up bradford pears, threading a rope through the upper canopy to to keep the thing from falling apart, when there are 7 large limbs with included bark etc..

 

[Blinky]

One end will make a good short rope.

 

[TLHamel]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

I was 50' up a 90' cottonwood when I gaffed through the rope. I immediately called for my second (replacement) climbing line. No hesitation on the retirement of the rope. With 25% cover and 10% core severed, that's technically a 35% reduction in rope strength. This is mechanical damage, not strength loss due to knots or splices. How do you keep an eye on mechanical damage throughout a climb? What's to keep the strands from degrading further whilst running over parts of the tree? I was very unhappy to have to buy a new rope; this one will make a nice, short tagline or something.

Call me paranoid.

 

[jmcscrap]

Paranoid.....

Better safe than sorry!

 

[Blinky]

I've gone both ways. I've cut a rope that had little visible damage but bent too much for my taste and I've climbed... and still climb on this tatty piece of Velocity that has been through the frikkin ringer. It's got tufts and cut strands all over it but if you run your hand over the whole length it feels solid and consistent. In both cases it's my gut telling me what to do rather than specs.

I think if you don't feel 100% confident about a rope, retire it. The last thing you need in a tree with a chainsaw is to wonder if your rope will do it's job. Those kinds of distractions destroy productivity.

 

[Daniel]

Exactly... you don't need the distraction... you've got other things to be thinking about... and when you have to figure compromised gear of any kind into climbing and rigging solutions, it throughs you off..