Cutting the rope

Hey hey,

I am looking into using a shorter rope for indoor sport and smaller pitches at the crag. I have a 60m that is getting a little old (2y) but isn't at its end of life yet. I'm thinking of cutting it in half and get a new rope for my main outdoor use, but I'm not sure where to cut. I'll be traveling across the US this year and while I'll be mostly climbing outdoor, I'm expecting to be visiting quite a few gyms as well. My concern is to cut the rope 50/50 (2x30m) and run into too many gyms with longer rope requirements.

For most gyms I went to, 30m was enough- is this really the case in a majority of places or should I consider cutting something bigger and ditching the rest of the rope?

If the wear is primarily near the ends from lead falls, I would just trim it to a 50m or as long as you can get away with to the nearest 5 or 10m. This will give you as many options as possible to keep using it and isn't too much hassle at the gym. If it is bi-pattern I would trim equally from each end, or make sure the middle mark is still accurate. I also like to label the very tail with the length so there is no confusion between my ropes.

The very middle of your rope is usually the least worn, don’t chop it straight in half. As suggested, either trim off what’s needed on each end or just chop an even 10m of each side and you’ll have 40m off decently good to go rope 

+1 for at least 35m. 40m sounds good.

Go 40m, couple gyms in NC the 30m cuts it really close. 

Thanks everyone! I'll cut both ends and go with a 40m

Sender One LAX you need a 50m. It depends on where you're climbing, just check in with the front desk before you climb to make sure your rope will be long enough. 

Ben LC wrote:

Hey hey,

I am looking into using a shorter rope for indoor sport and smaller pitches at the crag. I have a 60m that is getting a little old (2y) but isn't at its end of life yet. I'm thinking of cutting it in half and get a new rope for my main outdoor use, but I'm not sure where to cut. I'll be traveling across the US this year and while I'll be mostly climbing outdoor, I'm expecting to be visiting quite a few gyms as well. My concern is to cut the rope 50/50 (2x30m) and run into too many gyms with longer rope requirements.

For most gyms I went to, 30m was enough- is this really the case in a majority of places or should I consider cutting something bigger and ditching the rest of the rope?

Surprised nobody is shitting on you for wanting to go to gyms instead of just going ***REAL CLIMBING*** (gyms are tight sometimes). 

But if your rope isn't too gnarled at the ends it's nice to have 2 30s for the gym. Lend one to a friend, sell it, save it for later. Use your real rope in the gym while on your trip if the 30 isn't long enough?

One other suggestion...whatever the final length of rope you decide you want, consider measuring your entire rope first just to confirm it’s length. Yours may or not be exactly 60m, so if you whack of 10m off each end, for example, what remains may or may not be exactly 40m. It’s always nice to know the real length of a rope.

RandyLee wrote:

Sender One LAX you need a 50m. It depends on where you're climbing, just check in with the front desk before you climb to make sure your rope will be long enough. 

You can use a 40m at Sender One LAX. I've run the torch with mine and had about 5m left. Just tie a knot in the end just in case