Are static ropes safe for climbing?

Hi MP, I've been climbing for a few months and I'm learning how to top rope with my friend who is also new. Today we saw a girl and a guy toproping with a static rope. I only know it was static rope because when I saw their rope it didn't look like a climbing rope and when I asked them about it he said it was a static rope. I thought there was a rule against this? Everything I've read says don't use a static rope for climbing. Thanks.

It's not recommended for taking falls on for obvious reasons you wouldn't want to lead a climb with static rope, however if they were strictly using it for top roping then I see no problem, it's not ideal but I guess if it's all they have then no harm.

the static rope minimizes the risk of "decking" potential when top roping by having a lower stretch rate.

Okay thanks Chad! My friend and I were expecting to witness a horrible accident because the girl fell a few times, but she seemed fine and obviously didn't have internal injuries. It still seems like he was putting her life at risk though.

If there is any slack in the rope, the climber would feel significantly more impact if they fall. I don't know how much more in kilonewtons, and that depends on how much slack, but I wouldn't use a static rope for toproping.

Andrew Wood wrote:the static rope minimizes the risk of "decking" potential when top roping by having a lower stretch rate.

Wouldn't just keeping a climber tight prevent this? Sometimes I want a lot of tension because I'm scared of hitting something. I've heard that a drop as small as 2 feet on a static rope will break carabiners and cause internal injuries. Why are people allowed to use such a dangerous rope?

megan79 wrote: Wouldn't just keeping a climber tight prevent this? Sometimes I want a lot of tension because I'm scared of hitting something. I've heard that a drop as small as 2 feet on a static rope will break carabiners and cause internal injuries. Why are people allowed to use such a dangerous rope?

Megan, even if your belayer keeps the (dynamic) rope tight, there will be a certain amount of stretch in the rope. More stretch on a longer route and when the climber is just starting off the ground (where the most rope is out).

Edit: Also, the skinnier the rope, the more the stretch.

Semi-static.

For toproping a static is fine. Yes it will hand out a higher impact when fallen upon but unless the slack is well below your feet then it's not too alarming.
And a two foot fall won't snap your biner or your bowels. Not unless you do it with on a two foot long rope. Remember you have at least the length of the climb of rope out and a maximum of double the length. So the fall factor are tiny.

For toproping the best is what's sometimes referred to as a semi-static or safe line. They are static enough so you don't deck when the crux is low on a route but less jarring then a full static.

FrankPS wrote: Megan, even if your belayer keeps the rope tight, there will be a certain amount of stretch in the rope. More stretch on a longer route and when the climber is just starting off the ground (where the most rope is out).

Because it's a free country? There are no climbing police. General rule of thumb is that you should only use dynamic ropes for climbing, if the couple didn't seem like they knew what they were doing maybe you should have politely said something to them. Most climbing gyms use semi static or low stretch dynamic ropes. If you know what you're doing and keep a tight belay their isn't anything inherently dangerous about using a static other than the increased possibility of user error.

Is nobody gonna call bullshit on this?

megan79 wrote: I've heard that a drop as small as 2 feet on a static rope will break carabiners and cause internal injuries. Why are people allowed to use such a dangerous rope?

You've heard wrong. It is 100% fine to top rope on a static rope, just dont lead on one (and technically under extremely specific conditions it's even possible to safely lead on one, but that's beyond the scope of this thread).

No rope is truly 100% static. All ropes, dynamic, semi-static (correctly called low stretch), and true static ropes stretch some. Further, when a climber falls, the knot will tighten, the harness will elongate, the body will deform, the belayer will be pulled up, the belay device might slip slightly. All these things combined together reduce the impact force on the climber.

Top roping on static ropes is common place in some gyms. I've been to several gyms that have over 50 static ropes set up for top rope (yes, true static ropes, not gym dynamic ropes). As long as you do not have a loop of slack in the system so large that it loops below the climber's feet, you will be fine. You dont need to be ultra tight. A small 2' fall on a static rope will still produce less force than a standard lead fall on a dynamic rope.

Also, FYI I've seen a climber take a 10' lead fall on a static rope and he walked away uninjured, but that's a story for another day.

Kyle Fowler wrote:Is nobody gonna call bullshit on this?

Awe crap I got fished in. Still some good advice on the thread.

Does anybody remember a story about a guy taking a 100`+ fall on a static line? I know he didn't make it but i can't remember the details or if he decked or what

Kyle Fowler wrote:Does anybody remember a story about a guy taking a 100`+ fall on a static line? I know he didn't make it but i can't remember the details or if he decked or what

How does that relate to toproping on a static line?

A couple years ago a wall climber pulled off a loose block which cut his lead rope; he fell to the end of his static haul line and perished.

This was in Yosemite.

Found it alpinist.com/doc/web13s/fea…

No relation to OP but I'm on MP on Saturday night so whatever

What's longest lead fall anybodys lived to tell about? Mines like 15 lol

Don't know if it would've made a difference if the haul line was dynamic. There's some debate around the pros and cons of using a static for haul lines; this accident unfortunately highlights one of the dangers.

Seems like there would be a slight possibility of survival if he had dynamic. RIP

YES, Kyle, I will because I too am, waisting a Saturday night before Fathers Day .

BULLSHIT!

Static line, is a good choice for top roping, Durable and it saves your Lead line for. . . Leading on.

A discussion of Impact force, rope Elongation(stretch), testing models for finding forces generated at the Master post, Etc. Here:

See rgold's posts

. and as has been pointed out there are semi static Lines, a hybrid made for working.
Guides will have both heavy and Lite weight climbers follow on , , , ,
either Static or so called 'Program' ropes.
(Semi-static Often a mix of a tight weave static fiber sheath, over a special dynamic core.)
and gyms use these for large groups and Top Roping.

THEN. . .. This

20 kN wrote: You've heard wrong. It is 100% fine to top rope on a static rope, just dont lead on one (and technically under extremely specific conditions it's even possible to safely lead on one, but that's beyond the scope of this thread). No rope is truly 100% static. All ropes, dynamic, semi-static (correctly called low stretch), and true static ropes stretch some. Further, when a climber falls, the knot will tighten, the harness will elongate, the body will deform, the belayer will be pulled up, the belay device might slip slightly. All these things combined together reduce the impact force on the climber. Top roping on static ropes is common place in some gyms. I've been to several gyms that have over 50 static ropes set up for top rope (yes, true static ropes, not gym dynamic ropes). As long as you do not have a loop of slack in the system so large that it loops below the climber's feet, you will be fine. You dont need to be ultra tight. A small 2' fall on a static rope will still produce less force than a standard lead fall on a dynamic rope. Also, FYI I've seen a climber take a 10' lead fall on a static rope and he walked away uninjured, but that's a story for another day.

A Tight Rope? yes, at the start, always a good Idea and I Step back off at about one foot up, to take all the stretch out of a Dynamic rope. Especially if I do not know the ropes properties,(stretch).
But that said ~ a tight rope = AID.
Climbing Is a verb, Hanging is an adverb, It was once seen as bad form to weight the rope, & if you did you were lowered immediately, NO HANG-DOGGIN" is a thing of the past.

megan79 wrote:Hi MP, I've been climbing for a few months and I'm learning how to top rope with my friend who is also new. Today we saw a girl and a guy toproping with a static rope. I only know it was static rope because when I saw their rope it didn't look like a climbing rope and when I asked them about it he said it was a static rope. I thought there was a rule against this? Everything I've read says don't use a static rope for climbing. Thanks.

There are no rules. . . .

scratch that . . .

TWO RULES

DON'T eF THE PLACE UP!

&

Your Gonna . . . . . . . .

Die..................

edit:
a guy fell off the top pitch of High Exposure in the Gunks, (early '80s?) and broke his ankle. so he did not walk away but he was other-wise unhurt.

the late Dan Osmand took a screamer on purpose, for a video, (Demonstrating a5 , l think?) something Like 210 feet.

The Late Great Charlie Fowler ?? Some thing Huge ?
( anyone remember?)
it is in Climbing, Magazine, Travels With Charlie, issue #139, August/September 1993