How to Take Care of Your Climbing Rope

As climbers, we depend on our climbing ropes to keep us safe and protected if we fall. Proper care is essential for the safety and longevity of a rope. Given the nature of climbing, your rope is often in contact with the ground. Small particles of rock, sand, and dirt make their way into the fibers of the rope overtime, and those tiny shards rubbing against the fibers can hasten the aging of a rope. With a few easy steps, you can make sure your rope stays clean for a safe and full lifespan.

Sections

Washing a Rope

It’s important to keep your rope clean by washing out any particles that have built up over time. Soak the rope in a tub with lukewarm water (not hot) and a mild soap or rope-specific soap. Rinse with clean water a couple times to get all the dirt and soap out of the rope. Depending on your rope, the first wash may bring out most of the dirt. Keep repeating this process until the rinse water is essentially clear.

After washing it, you never want to place a rope in direct sunlight to dry. It needs to be washed and then dried slowly away from windows. Lay it out on a towel with space so it’s not touching itself, and change to a dry towel as needed. Never put your rope in the dryer or hang dry it. Always lay it flat and without kinks.

How often you wash your rope depends on how often you climb and also the type of terrain your rope is exposed to. Frequent climbing in sandy or dusty areas will require more frequent washing. Having a rope bag that folds out to a ground tarp that you can belay from helps keep your rope clean and off the ground so it can go longer between washes.

Coiling a Rope

Coiling a rope is helpful to avoid tangles during transport and storage. The basic rule of thumb is to have as few kinks in the rope as possible. Think of a circle gently cinched at the middle with a few loops to hold it in place. Never coil a rope from the middle point. Always coil from one end to the other.

The Butterfly Coil technique makes loops over your shoulders the size of your wingspan. Leave a couple feet of tail in the ends to wrap around your coil in one spot and then tie off.

The Backpack Coil uses the same method as the Butterfly except that you leave longer tails at both ends of the rope. After cinching the middle of the coil, position your rope on your back like a backpack, and use the long tails to wrap around the rope and tie around your waist.

Storing a Rope

Always store your rope somewhere dry outside of direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to the sun damages nylon and other materials and jeopardizes the integrity of a rope, so make sure that it’s stored away from sunlight.

You also want to store your rope with as little kinks as possible, so refer to the previous section about how to properly coil your rope. After you have coiled your rope, hang it in a gear closet or place it in a storage tub away from sunlight. Make sure your gear is always out of reach of any animals in the house that could damage it without your knowledge.

Inspecting a Rope

Just like with any climbing gear, you want to inspect your rope regularly for any issues that might be a safety concern. Pull the entire rope through your hands checking for any bulges or deformities. Inspect the sheath for any new abrasions and for existing abrasions becoming worse. You also want to make sure that the rope does not have any sun or heat damage.

Inspecting your rope should be a regular practice. Keeping your rope clean will ensure you get a full lifespan of safe use out of it. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation on when to retire and replace your old rope.