I have a really kinky rope. It kinks up at the end of long rappels and when I'm lowering someone after a single pitch lead. It's 2-3 years old, 60m, 9.8mm. It doesn't cause problems ever on the lead, but it kinks like heck when I'm lowering or at the end of the rappel. It's super annoying. Ideas on how to fix this?

New rope.. Maybe try a different brand? What kind of rope are you having troubles with?

Stop rappelling and lowering with a munter. Just kidding, but what are you using?

Well they say that ropes take after their owners.

It's a Petzl rope, 9.8mm, 60m, approx. 3 years old. It kinks with any ATC or similar device. Yesterday while cragging I pulled it all the way through like 4 or 5 times and still had the same problem while lowering. It gets so twisted a the bottom of the pitch while lowering that it becomes very difficult to pass rope through the device as the person being lowered approaches the ground. It's been getting worse over the last year or so. I'm mystified. Will washing it help?

get up high enough that you can just let the rope ends dangle in the wind off of a cliff and let it unwind itself.

Sounds like you've done just about all that will do. Time for a new rope

Is it the Nomad? I have the same problems with my Nomad although it also kinks up a bit when being fed out for the lead. I've been told the dry treatment may be the problem.

Take it to a park, spill it, grab one end and go for a long walk. Head for a tree or pole for a 180* turn. Try to get several hundred yards in.
Also, get a GriGri or Cinch.

how are you storing the rope? my first rope was really kinky for the first couple years i owned it because i would lay it out on my rope bag tarp in a sort of circle. simply flaking it out into a pile ended up letting the rope do what it needed to do, and it stopped kinking so much.

that rope was primarily for sport climbing. since moving to colorado, my new rope has just seen trad lines, and at the end of pretty much every day it ends up coiled over the shoulders and then in backpack form, and it hasn't been nearly as kinky as that first rope that i laid out ever so 'nicely' at the end of every day.

use it to make a rug..

The Petzl Nomad sucks for more reasons that how easily it kinks. But I tried this once and it worked:

Set up a TR and have the climber weight the rope. You will probably see twists in the rope. Pick up the pile and turn in circles til all the twists are out. It sounds stupid but it works.

I guess you could also do it at an anchor, and have the climber turn in circles.

Lee, did they produce a bi-colored rope?

menage a twine?

EDIT: Or maybe menage a 'tween?

In my experience twisting can be reduced by how you use your rope the first few times out. I try to avoid lowering and rappelling. I will run a new rope on several longer (multi-pitch) routes before I put it through anything that might twist it. Also, I have noticed that some anchors, if the rings or chains are not set up right, can almost ruin a rope after one lower.
Stu

Try Blue Water Ropes, I have had a few ropes from most of the manufacturers and I think they handle the best and kink the least

stop lowering off the anchors and start rapping. if you must lower, make sure you are lowering off a configuration that isn't twisting the rope, (i.e. metolious rock rings, chains). rarely lower off a hanger with only one ring on it (some of them are configured correctly, they look like they are on the rock sideways). a hanger with two rings also works. if this doesn't work, send the rope to me.

Did you follow the directions when you first unpacked your rope??? If you didn't you will most likely always have a kinky rope! Get a new one if problems stay kinky!