Spiroll rope protectors for toprope

Anyone ever use spiroll rope protectors while ice climbing on top rope to protect against ice axe strikes?  I'm really curious to know if one of these would actually provide any real protection in the event of a direct strike. 

Yeah I know just avoid hitting the rope in the first place but I have frequently taken people out who have never climbed before and it would provide an extra level of comfort

if your that worried about it... seems like it would work... would i ever spend money on such a rediculous endeavor? hell no

if the person you're going out with can't avoid hitting the rope on a line they're TRing they should die, that person is not fit to survive.

You could prolly just go buy some plastic tubing for a lot cheaper and just slip it on before you tie in.

I bet it would work, assuming the rolls are long enough. You really have to hit the rope dead on to damage it. Anything that causes the pick to deflect a little should help.

I suggest you have your newbie agree to buy you a new rope if he/she damages it. Certainly more attention will be paid, and you might just get a new rope! It's only fair.

Small diameter garden hose, I'm sure you can find some old stuff laying around that no one wants. Like you said it's about a level of comfort for someone new to ice, not about whether a person is fit for survival as your axe even on a direct hit likely wont sever your rope. Someone always has to comment with some form of idiocy.

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just have them not swing into the rope. How is this even a problem? Unless you have them on some super thin mixed line where the ice is 5 inches wide and the rope is running right over it (you won't) they can easily avoid hitting the rope. just give them a reminder as they're climbing if they start swinging close and they'll stop. Why waste money on unnecessary tubing?

saw some folks using this in Ouray when I was there couple months ago

I guess it helped with there comfort level????

I don't see the point as any sharp pick would easly slice right through the plastic on a direct hit, then right through the rope as well.

Seems kinda pointless to me , I have ropes that are my topropes
and ropes that are for leading only.My topropes are usually an old
9.8 or 10.5 that are perfect for tr-ing,

It's pretty darn easy to avoid hitting he rope if your paying attention, yes sometimes it happens but its never a killer blow.
unless ur partner is totally honest with you ill bet they have stepped on you rope with crampons more than once without saying a word
???? you dont know n keep climbing on that same rope in ignorant bliss

As for myself if I ever have any doubts about my rope it goes in the trash.

Ill add the twenty plus tax i would have spent on the spiroll to the new rope fund jar.

cheers

I've seen people slide tubular webbing over their rope for this purpose. A spiroll would definitely help stop a pick from going into the rope. Seems like this is more for protecting your rope than a safety issue. It's really, really hard to cut through a rope with an ice pick. I've done it to cut a section of old rope for an anchor and it was hard.

Michael Schneiter wrote:I've seen people slide tubular webbing over their rope for this purpose. A spiroll would definitely help stop a pick from going into the rope. Seems like this is more for protecting your rope than a safety issue. It's really, really hard to cut through a rope with an ice pick. I've done it to cut a section of old rope for an anchor and it was hard.

If your really concerned a 5 foot section of PVC costs about $3 at home depot works pretty damn well

My experience has been that very few people will come close to hitting their rope when climbing ice. I tell clients to wait until the belayer takes up the slack before swinging. This virtually eliminates the chances of striking the rope.

been using sections of garden hose for protection. after all these years of toproped ice climbs, we finally DID hit the rope twice in same day, right through the hose and quite a chop into the rope too. Hard to believe it hasn't happened much in the past. Cheap protection, thick, easily replaced. Have also used a sliced open section of hose for rope protector over rock edges for rock climbing TR too.