Climbing Rope

Since becoming a rock climber in 2011, I’ve learned a lot about a very important piece of equipment for this sport, climbing ropes. Since there are many different climbing styles, there are many different types of ropes. There is a great deal of engineering goes into designing and developing a successful rope.

Climbing rope was developed to catch a person in free fall without hurting them. There are generally two different “types” of rope: dynamic rope, and static rope. At the level of difficulty that I’m climbing, I use dynamic ropes. Dynamic ropes are engineered for maximum stretch, which protects me from the force of falling and can prevent injury. They are mainly used in top-roping (climbing anchored) and sport climbing (climbing and clipping into gear that was previously placed).

Static ropes, however, are designed for pulling up gear and stretching would not be efficient for this use. They are used mainly in caving, rappelling, and rescue.

Some specific design choices, such as choice of materials, can affect the design. During the process of designing a good rope, engineers face many challenges such as: finding the right material that can sustain falls, creating a rope that has both strength and durability, and one that can endure all weather conditions. When engineers could not find a suitable material they had to decide if they should put a protective coating over the rope. Protective coating benefits the rope by shielding the rope from moisture so it does not put on extra weight. This makes it suitable for climbing by being as lightweight as it can be. Another decision was about how the rope should be constructed, like what type of pattern or braid they should use. The number of strands in a pattern they wanted to use in the rope had to be determined in order for it to be both lightweight and tough. The pattern they used was very important because the pattern had to be very strong, yet lightweight, so it could endure sharp, rocky surfaces.

Many different engineers contributed to the design and manufacture of climbing rope. For example, petroleum, environmental, mechanical, and chemical engineers all helped in developing rope by contributing both physical and mental support. They could also contribute their input by saying, “Maybe we should add this,” or asking, “Would adding this make it tougher or heavier?” All engineers had to work together to create a protective, stable rope. In today’s modern rope, engineers decided on using nylon as their main material, for its strength, durability, and lightweight factors.

Climbing rope has come a long way in the technology world. First, in the pre-1960s, climbing rope was made out of natural materials such as hemp, sisal, and manila. These materials were not very flexible. During World War II Wallace Carothers discovered nylon which completely changed ropes. In today’s modern dynamic rope, thousands of nylon fibers are woven together in a kernmantle construction, which includes the sheath and core of the rope, where the sheath (the outside of the kernmantle rope) is made of smoother, colorful nylon strands that are woven. This type of construction made the rope very flexible and strong. Finally, engineers put a protective coating on the rope.

Engineers will continue to use a design process to improve climbing rope in the future. First, they will identify the problem and ask themselves what went wrong. Then, they will brainstorm ideas and solutions then choose the best one. Next, they will follow their brainstormed plan and create! Lastly, they will improve the technology, discuss what can work better, and repeat the design process to make changes. Process engineering is most likely a sub-discipline involved with the development of climbing rope. It is part of the chemical engineering discipline. Textile engineering is a major specialty of process engineering. It is most likely involved with the materials of climbing rope. Manufacturing engineering is likely another sub-discipline involved with the development of climbing rope. It is part of the mechanical engineering discipline. It is involved with the production of climbing rope. I think that all climbing ropes are very useful pieces of technology. I will continue to appreciate engineers for the rest of my life.

Works Cited:

“Climbing Ropes Explained,” www.rockclimbing.com/Articles/Introduction_to_Climbing/Climbing_Ropes_Explained_16.html, date created- October 17, 2001

“Wet and frozen ropes can be dangerous,” www.singingrock.cz/mokra-a-zmrzla-lana-mohou-byt-nebezpecna, date created- January- February 2001

“Rope,” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope, date last modified- February 5, 2105

“Kernmantle rope,” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernmantle_rope, date last modified- October 9, 2014

“Climbing Rope Construction,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX3G5PcL_AU, date created- January 6, 2013

“Dynamic rope,” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_rope, date last modified January 5, 2015

“How climbing rope is made,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWmzdsfeeZM&x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534, date uploaded- July 23, 2008

“What Is Climbing Rope Made Of?,” www.trails.com/facts_3503_what-climbing_rope-made.html, date created- unknown “Climbing Ropes,” img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/116082255.png, date created- unknown

“The Engineering Design Process,” www.engr.ncsu.edu/theengineeringplace/media/pdf/design-process.pdf, date created- unknown

“List of engineering branches,” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_engineering_branches, date last modified- February 14, 2015

“Types of Engineering,” www.aboriginalaccess.ca/adults/types-of-engineering, date created- unknown

“The Disciplines of Engineering,” whatisengineering.com/engineering-disciplines/, date created- unknown