Rope Life and Care
The most recent investigation by the DAV (German Alpine Club) safety committee has led to a change of opinion: nowadays ropes break only if they are lying across a sharp edge with a climber's weight on them. Since such situations do not occur on freeclimbing routes, which are usually vertical or overhanging, and since severe falls are a rare occurrence, ropes can be used safely until the outer sheath is visibly damaged.
Tests have shown that the ropes that are not put under strain when lying across a sharp edge can survive considerably more than 200 typical freeclimbing falls. Even the ageing of the nylon, which used to be put forward as a reason why all ropes had to be changed every two to three year, even if not in use, has proven not to be a problem.
However, if rock edges enter the equation, which is usually the case in alpine regions, then ageing has a considerable effect on the safety of a rope. Even with a rope straight from the factory, there can be no guarantee that it will hold every time it comes under strain while lying across a sharp edge.
The safety qualities of a rope deteriorate as the total distance over which it has been used increases, and top-roping and abseiling put particularly heavy strains on a rope. Even the different kinds of rock, which range from smooth limestone to sharp-edged basic rock, such a basalt, have differing effects on the safety qualities of a rope.
A rope should always be discarded if the outer sheath is visibly damaged, after it has been hit by falling rocks and after it has arrested a fall while lying over a sharp edge.
