How often do you replace your climbing line?

[TreeTopKid]

Two questions from a bucket baby who climbs only a handful of times a year:

First, I keep my climbing gear stowed until needed in a water-proof duffle. Is there a certain age when a climbing line should be replaced even if it still looks like new?

Second, I'm just curious and not trying to criticize anyone but, how do you guys manage to nick your climbing lines so often that they need replacement before they wear out? Do you have the same problem with cutting lanyards? Are they hand saw nicks or chain saw nicks?...one seems much more precarious than the other. Again, I'm just curious, not criticizing. I've just never nicked a climbing line in the 24 some years that I've done tree work but, then again, I've probably done less climbing in that 20 years than most of you do in a single month.

Snatching the line with a pole saw in the wind you pull it with the hook and it ends up the blade, pulling a pole saw up into the tree, your line getting wrapped around the bar of your chainsaw as you work, pulling a chainsaw into the tree, getting caught on spiky little stubs are a few ways that it can happen. If you've got a lot of time to spare all the above can be avoided, but usually I just have to get on with it, and move onto the next.

 

[arbor pro]

jps,

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking a hanging saw was likely the culprit in most cases. Nicks from a running saw would be a whole other story.

 

[TreeTopKid]

jps,

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking a hanging saw was likely the culprit in most cases. Nicks from a running saw would be a whole other story.

Well! I've cut my line in half too!

 

[Raymond]

I can't recall the last time I (noticeably) nicked a rope while climbing. I buy them so I don't do that. I do have a habit of reaching for my ropes with my hand saw. Not noticing any damage that day. And yes sometimes spurring them occasionally.
But when you have groundmen stepping on your ropes, burs in the trees snagging your ropes, snagging on rock and brick walls, etc. They get just a little unnoticeable nick that grows like cancer. And eventually need to be replaced.
How often? When it looks unsafe.

 

[outofmytree]

Yes

Yes and yes



Not really, most of my chainsaw nicks are from getting caught on the sharp cutters of a hanging saw. Picks tend to cut through and I get a lot of them.



I also will frequently gaff into the line when moving around a removal.

Even after moving my handsaw to my ankle, I still will nick my ropes when moving it to and from the scabbard. Also the same follow through that can get a knuckle will get my lanyard from time to time.

Re crotching and using a saw, dropping a saw out of the tree, there are so many ways I have botched up a rope. I've even burned a few descending.

If I climb 200 days out of the year, most of it on one rope, and I have a 1% accident rate that will cause degradation of the rope, I go through 2 ropes a year.

Also, I probably am a bit more conservative as to what will cause a downgrade of a $120 rope. What is a $300 budget for something so important?

Ahhh. Now I feel normal!

The "bonehead" who nicks my climbing line is me. Most common cause is cocos palms. They have tricky hessian-like fibres which can easily catch the 200t and suck it in to the climbing line. I recently changed positioning of the line and have had a "nick-free" Summer ever since.

 

[Raymond]

I've been self employed now for just over 13 years.
I've only had to fire two guys.
One because he would only bath once a week if that, even in the heat of summer.

One day I aggresivly swung into a drugstore...parked and jumped out at the same time.

Went in and came out with shampoo, bar soap and a bottle of cheap cologne. Threw him the sack and told him use it or you fired!
I ended up firing him a few days later.

The last one was a hot head for no reason. He was chipping brush when I was up in a tree.
I told him whatever you do don't chip my rope.
Twenty minutes later he chipped half my rope, with a blank who gives a rat ass look.
I finish the tree with others still to do but ran him back to his truck first. SEE YA!