[Nutty]

There's this UIAA document on ageing of ropes: https://www.theuiaa.org/documents/safety/About_Ageing_of_Climbing_Ropes.pdf

[Nutty]

Dirtbags climbing might take your rope if you e-mail them: https://dirtbagsclimbing.co.uk/

I'm thinking of making a cargo net out of my old ropes to put in the garden for my little boy to play on.

[r-man]

There's this UIAA document on ageing of ropes: https://www.theuiaa.org/documents/safety/About_Ageing_of_Climbing_Ropes.pdf

Thanks, that's brilliant. So age is basically irrelevant. I'll carry on with my old rope then.

Key quotes:

Ageing caused only by storage can almost be neglected compared with ageing during use.

These facts also hold for 10- or even 15-year-old ropes. This has been proved by many tests of such old ropes (not even 25-year-old ropes and one 30-year-old rope broke in tests...

A rope need only be discarded when the the sheath has been damaged such that the core is visible.

[duncan]

I’d be totally happy to use a 15 year old rope stored in a cool dry cupboard in my home. The BD study (one data point) more or less confirms this. I’ll try to find the link but IIRC Beal recommends a rope could be used for up to 10 years after sitting unused for 5 years. You can be sure they are being cautious.

Storage in someone else’s garage might be a concern. Are you completely confident it’s been nowhere battery acid for example?

[andy_e]

Good links, thanks!

I'm fairly certain my parents aren't in the habit of storing acids, but it's the damp that concerns me more. Could that have an effect?

[SA Chris]

Discarding old ropes is bad for the environment. Use them 'til they go!

[BrutusTheBear]

The Barn Climbing Centre down this way collects them for the local monkey sanctuary...

[Potash]

I'm currently using a old single rope at the climbing wall. I started using it after my short gym rope got too short to lower off with.

It must be the best part of fifteen years old.

I had a brief review of the reports linked to above and decided there seemed no evidence it needed retiring. It has not broken yet.

[andy_e]

Yeah, but you used to actively seek out chossy climbs, so I don't trust your opinion.

[steveri]

These folk pickup from a couple of places: https://madebyscavenger.com/pages/climbing-gear-collection-points

[galpinos]

andy_e, as long as it's well stored, it'd be fine.

I’d be totally happy to use a 15 year old rope stored in a cool dry cupboard in my home. The BD study (one data point) more or less confirms this. I’ll try to find the link but IIRC Beal recommends a rope could be used for up to 10 years after sitting unused for 5 years. You can be sure they are being cautious.

Storage in someone else’s garage might be a concern. Are you completely confident it’s been nowhere battery acid for example?

Beal state a maximum life of 15 yrs from date of manufacture, 10 years from first use

The lifetime statements on ropes are mandated as they are PPE (goddamn EU!). The numbers are derived thus (text I wrote for something else but is relevant here):

The PPE regulation (and the previous PPE directive) states the manufacturer must stipulate a lifetime for PPE if the product is "significantly affected by ageing". It acknowledges the lack of control a manufacturer has over the conditions of use so stipulates the manufacturer shall provide the user of the PPE with all relevant information on the foreseen use conditions and all other factors influencing the lifetime of the product so that the user is able to determine when to retire it.

Because of the above, the maximum lifetime of textile items is normally set as the date of manufacture plus an elapsed time. Manufactures will then normally expand on that information by explaining how different usage types and storage may reduce this maximum lifetime.

As you know, there are many variables involved in textile degradation which prevents textile lifetimes from being determined accurately. However, it gives a standard that all manufacturers work to.

The DAV, who are pretty hot on this stuff, have counted 64 snapped ropes in the last 60 years so it's not massively prevalent. Anecdotally "70%" of ropes failures are from cut ropes, eg a sharp edge and Edelrid have been working on that with their new aramid reinforced rope. No rope failures have been attributed to solely age.

[galpinos]

I'm currently using a old single rope at the climbing wall. I started using it after my short gym rope got too short to lower off with.

It must be the best part of fifteen years old.

I had a brief review of the reports linked to above and decided there seemed no evidence it needed retiring. It has not broken yet.

A lot of the info above is for old ropes that are unused, well stored. For ropes that have taken a hammering:

https://eu.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_GB/experience-story?cid=qc-lab-retiring-old-ropes

One of the results had the old battered rope breaking at 40% of the strength of a new one.

[cheque]

I just go off the creak test- if it creaks when I'm hanging on it, it's getting it's ends chopped. If it still creaks then  .