Is this rope core shot?

So long story short my rope was dragged over the edge of some fairly sharp rock while being weighted. The rope is about 1.5 years old. On the image with the two side by side bites of rope, the rope on the left is the rope that was dragged over the edge, and the right is a normal non-damaged bite of rope. Looking to get some opinions as to whether or not this rope looks good.

Look fine. Can you feel any discontinuities in the core? If you're not sure, buy a new rope. In the end, it's your call and your life (and your partner's life).

No matter what people on MP say, including me, it's ultimately your decision.

Unless you can actively see core (white) it's not likely core shot.

The sheath just protects the core and resists too much stretch afaik. If the core is undamaged then the rope will be full strength.

But ultimately only you can decide to continue using it or retire it.

Frank would take the whip but he has a devil may care savoir faire.

I'd whip on it. That does not look core shot to me. Most my ropes look like that and i consider them to have a good deal of life left. Like FrankPS said though, if you question your gear, just replace it. No amount of money is worth your health and life.

climbing friend!

do not fear it! you cannot see the white succulent core, so pure, so safe. if rope is not very badly deformed smushed feeling like pancakes it is still fantastich!

if it is quite soft and limp in this small section perhaps you shall, like an unsatisfied ex girlfriend, cut it out of your life.

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote:
The sheath just protects the core and resists too much stretch afaik. If the core is undamaged then the rope will be full strength.

This is not true. IIRC, The sheath, depending on the rope's construction, is responsible for ~20% of the overall strength. 

I went poking around on the webs looking for a good citation to back that claim up, and while I didn't find anything super concrete, here's a link to a paper on sheath damage and rope strength that seems to back that figure up:

http://personal.strath.ac.uk/andrew.mclaren/Elaine%20Reid%20Technical%20Paper%202013.pdf

FrankPS wrote: Look fine. Can you feel any discontinuities in the core? If you're not sure, buy a new rope. In the end, it's your call and your life (and your partner's life).

No matter what people on MP say, including me, it's ultimately your decision.

The rope is slightly softer where the damage is compared to other areas. 

Mikey Wally wrote: i worked at a gym (that provided lead ropes) for a few years. i've cut and retired many spools of rope. it's impossible to tell by just photos, that being said, it does not look core shot. it would fold more and there wouldn't be a visible gap. i've climbed on much fuzzier rope too, if it's fuzzier than that and you can see white, that's an issue.

ALSO, it can 100% be core shot and you could not see anything at all. i don't know what harumpfster is talking about. i've encountered ropes with a nice looking sheath with cores that are nearly disconnected.

Thanks for the reply! The damage is near the end of the rope, and it is a 70m rope so I may turn it into a 60m!

Not core shot, but moderate sheath damage. Without really inspecting it I would probably continue to use it but make that end the belayer end. 

Aleks Zebastian wrote: climbing friend!

do not fear it! you cannot see the white succulent core, so pure, so safe. if rope is not very badly deformed smushed feeling like pancakes it is still fantastich!

if it is quite soft and limp in this small section perhaps you shall, like an unsatisfied ex girlfriend, cut it out of your life.

0/10

Nathan Anderson wrote:

Thanks for the reply! The damage is near the end of the rope, and it is a 70m rope so I may turn it into a 60m!

Just have that end as the belay end, unless you're bring this rope up hard multipitch then there's absolutely no issues. 

I've got the same rope and looks the same fuzzy and all near one end. Bring it to VE and have Cody look at it. Also, if you can feel bulges or pancakes inside that's an issue!

Mikey Wally wrote: ALSO, it can 100% be core shot and you could not see anything at all. i don't know what harumpfster is talking about. i've encountered ropes with a nice looking sheath with cores that are nearly disconnected.

By definition, a core shot is when you can see the white strands of the core. You're talking about other rope damage, but not a "core shot".

My opinion - that's just MINOR sheath damage. A few strands have frayed, so of course there's less sheath tension on that spot. That's why you can fold it over more tightly than the rest of it. Not a safety issue at all.

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote: 

Frank would take the whip but he has a devil may care savoir faire.

It drives me wild when you speak French. And when you rhyme.

I'd get a lot more whippage out of that. That thing looks relatively new still. 

This rope is core shot.

Chad Lake wrote:

This is not true. IIRC, The sheath, depending on the rope's construction, is responsible for ~20% of the overall strength. 

I went poking around on the webs looking for a good citation to back that claim up, and while I didn't find anything super concrete, here's a link to a paper on sheath damage and rope strength that seems to back that figure up:

http://personal.strath.ac.uk/andrew.mclaren/Elaine%20Reid%20Technical%20Paper%202013.pdf

Sorry, I was speaking casually and not using precise language.

Ultimately the "breaking strength" of the rope is our last concern as we break long before then etc. If the core is intact no human body can generate the force needed to break it so effectively fully stronk...BUT if the sheath is damaged (worse than pictured) other important properties are compromised all of which are more important than the sheath's contribution to breaking strength (ie abrasion protection for the core).

Nothing has changed for the OP. If the underlying core is fine after palpation most of use would happily trust that rope, at least Tom Randall would.

I'll trade my rope for yers.

As others have said, the term "CORE SHOT" has a specific meaning. How a rope gets a core shot, a spot where the core is exposed matters more than seeing thru the sheath;
Just seeing the core does not mean you have an unsafe cord.
I don't see anything wrong with the rope.  The feel of slight abrasion caused by regular use is what you need to describe.  You have not done that
You can not tell the difference due to your lack of experience. good on you for asking there is no shame in that.
  What you have is a used rope, don't cut it, You may need that length when rapping.
Use that end of the rope exclusively, until you wear it out, Keep an eye on that end, check it for soft spots.or a core shot, wear so extreme that you can see the core.
Almost everyone replaces a rope at the 5-year mark, but there are studies that show 10 & even 20-year-old ropes are still safe to climb on.
Many people retire ropes in stages.
 (1st), using  a rope for top roping  (which stretches & reduces elasticity)
 & then
 (2nd, often cutting the rope in half) for anchoring only
before they "retire" a rope
(3rd) using it for a plaything or Roof-of-the- Car rope etc.

Paul Hutton wrote: I'll trade my rope for yers.

I Know! Right!

master gumby ·Wrote  9 mins ago ·
If yer rope lasts 20 years your not trying hard enough

I take very good care of my Life Lines.
I have an un-cut still original 150 ft,  44-year-old, Eldiwiess  Stratos 9ml  (that is just starting to show slight fuzziness( I'LL add a picture).)
I still use it for rapping into places, Glacier Travel or doubled for North-East "Ice Bouldering",  & Top Roping High balls,& with the kids, when they want to "Hang&climb"

If yer rope lasts 20 years your not trying hard enough

Mikey Wally wrote:

this is my understanding, though i could be wrong. rope has two parts, the core and the sheath.  the term core comes from kernmantle. kern is core, sheath is mantle.  the core can, rupture or hernia through the sheath.

Agree.

 in this example the core is shot. the core can bulge inside the sheath, or it can break entirely within the sheath without damaging the sheath, in these examples the core is shot. either way i don't think there really is a single accepted definition of core shot, but to me it's when the core of the rope is damaged to a point of retirement (or near it) regardless of whether you can see the core through the sheath.

You're insisting on confusing and conflating the colloquial "shot" as in "done, gone, kaput, broken" with the climber specific "core shot", meaning you can see the core due to a heavily damaged sheath. This def has been in use for over 40 years.