Top roping rope care

Question
The weather is finally starting to break in the north east and I have been going out and climbing real rock again, I  almost forgot how hard real rock can be, but so free to go where ever you want.  Sometimes I can't set my top rope so that the rope is off the rock.  The other day the rope took a beatting.  How do you know when it is time to stop using your rope and get a new on? Also is it ok for the rope to rub that hard on the rock.

Thank you this is a great service. JA

Answer
Dear John-Anthony----The best specific guide is the use manual that came with your rope. You can probably reclaim it on the internet.

Short of that, I can tell you that every rope manufacturer says to inspect before each use----------something no one does. But what everyone does is to conduct a "passive" inspection by feel as you play the rope through your hand.

Specific signs your rope is in trouble:

(1) The sheath is worn or has bumps.
(2) There is one or more thin spots indicating core slippage.
(3) The sheath has visibly slipped at the end, leaving an  evelope of sheath at and end with no core.
(4) The rope is crusty or dry/stiff.
(5) The rope is simply too old---four or five years. The manufacturer specifies shelf life for each rope.

I climb about 100 days per year and retire my rope every year or 15 months. I buy cheap ropes and just dump them without reguard to their appearance. I do not want to be on a scary climb when I start to question the integrity of the rope.

As to setting a long top-rope line, if I have an old rope I may thread the rope through tubular webbing to add extra protection and the lower my set up over the edge to protect the running rope.

Good Luck

For more on rope safety, please see my book, "Ultrasafe-A Guide to Safer Rock Climbing," available on Amazon.com