The day my 60-foot oak told me my rope was too old

Last month in Austin, I was setting up for a removal on a live oak that had split during a storm. Got my rope out, the one I'd been using for about 4 years. It looked fine, no fraying, no sun damage I could see. I tied in and started my climb. About 15 feet up, I grabbed the rope to pull myself over a branch and it just snapped. No warning, no sound. I fell maybe 6 feet before my lanyard caught me. Scraped up my arm pretty good. The rope was a 5/8" static line that I'd bought new, but I never kept a log of how many climbs it had done. After that I spent $140 on a new rope and started marking the date on the thimble with a sharpie. Anyone else had a rope fail on them without any visible damage first?

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emmajackson1mo ago

I read a thing from a rescue trainer once who said most rope failures look completely fine right up until they go, and that stuck with me. It's scary how the inside can wear out from dust or pinch points while the outside still looks brand new. I've also heard that UV damage is sneaky cause it hits the core first, especially in Texas sun like we get. That's why I started doing the thumb test along the whole length every few months, feeling for any soft spots or flat areas. Four years is honestly pushing it for a working rope too, even if the outside seems okay. Glad your lanyard caught you, that's the whole reason we double up, but man it's a wake up call.

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