using arborist ropes for a youth rock climbing activity

[PBrandt]

Has anyone ever used your arborist climbing lines as a belay line during entry level top rope rock climbing? My main question is whether arborist ropes are dynamic enough to not jar a rock climber who takes a fall. The climbing lines I am thinking of using are Yale Blaze/bandit and NE safety blue.

Thanks!

Patrick

 

[SomethingWitty]

Has anyone ever used your arborist climbing lines as a belay line during entry level top rope rock climbing? My main question is whether arborist ropes are dynamic enough to not jar a rock climber who takes a fall. The climbing lines I am thinking of using are Yale Blaze/bandit and NE safety blue.

Thanks!

Patrick

I have before.
Strictly speaking it is a no-no because of the increased loads on your anchor point.
The standard 9-10mm completely nylon ropes have something like 3 times the stretch that a 16 strand poly rope does.

That being said, if i knew that nobody was going to be taking any several foot drops (seasoned belay persons help there) and that the bolts were fairly well maintained, I wouldn't be scared of it at all.
Buttttt other people's kids are often a very delicate topic and one that i have less experience with.


If you do decide that you need rock specific ropes, the best deal i have ever found was edelweiss impulse from gear express. I think i paid around .50/ft.

 

[monkeylove]

The simple answer is no. The more complicated answer has about 100 variables.

 

[SomethingWitty]

The simple answer is no. The more complicated answer has about 100 variables.

Yeah. That.

 

[monkeylove]

Witty just named a few of the variables I was thinking of.

 

[monkeylove]

No disrespect to you PB, but that fact that you are asking about belaying a rock climb but have no rock ropes also concerns me a little.

 

[PBrandt]

No disrespect to you PB, but that fact that you are asking about belaying a rock climb but have no rock ropes also concerns me a little.

I was asked by the group if I could lend them some ropes. They have more certified belayers than ropes and don't want the kids to have to wait around for a long time between climbs.

 

[PBrandt]

The standard 9-10mm completely nylon ropes have something like 3 times the stretch that a 16 strand poly rope does.

That was my concern. Thanks for the information guys!

 

[moss]

No disrespect to you PB, but that fact that you are asking about belaying a rock climb but have no rock ropes also concerns me a little.

Patrick knows his way around tree climbing, no worries there. Yeah the main point for top roping beyond the effect on the top anchor is that arb semi-statics are just not ok to fall on even for a short distance. To be theoretically acceptable the belayer has to be super vigilant with slack which means a weak link has been built into the system.

I'm a crap belayer because the climbers always complain I take up too much slack, once a work position climber, always a WP climber ;-)

That brings up something I've never thought of : are dynamic ropes used for belay for the secured footlock and speed climb events at ISA climbing competitions?
-AJ

 

[monkeylove]

I've never paid attention to that at any evrnts I've watched. If I was to take a guess it would be maybe arborist dynamic, but probably not rock dynamic. Although the whole dynamic vs static thing is always a crap shoot. As far as I am concerned all ropes should be labeled and sold by their elongation percentage at a standard weight. By rope in the system our lanyards should be made out of rubber as compared to our climbing lines.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I've NEVER seen anything but arb climbing lines used for belays.

Good point your alluding to Andrew!