The Climbing Rope Pinch Test and How to Check Your Rope for Damage

Ropes are literally a lifeline for climbers so one important skill to learn is how to check your own rope for damage so you know when a rope is safe to climb on or when it’s time to retire the rope.

If you are not familiar with the anatomy of climbing rope it’s fairly simple, you have an outer protective layer called the sheath and an inner layer of the rope called the core.

Checking the Rope for Damage

Checking your rope for damage is a fairly easy process and is split into two parts/checks that you should undertake at the very least once a year.

Check 1 – Checking the Sheath

The first check you want to make is checking the outer sheath of the rope, this can be done by slowly moving the rope through your hands feeling it for any signs of damage along with visually checking.

The signs of damage to the sheath you are looking for are:

• Cuts
• Burns
• Frayed Strands
• Fuzzy Areas
• Signs of chemicals

Using the guide above guide will allow you to see what the different types of damages look like and identify the same type of damage on your own rope.

If after inspecting the sheath you find any signs of damage or cuts you should retire the rope immediately. But rather than throwing it away, you should recycle it into something else.

Check 2 – Checking The Core

If your rope managed to pass the first set of inspections dont celebrate just yet as you now need to check the core of the rope for any signs of damage.

The pinch test is the most reliable way to check your core for damage and can be done by flexing the rope and seeing if it bends in a curve which means the core is intact. If your rope flattens together instead then it means your core is shot and the rope is no longer safe to climb on.

Along with the visual reference provided by Petzl, the British Mountaineering Council also has a great video guide.

Using both of these methods you can ensure that your rope is suitable for climbing on allowing you to climb safely and securely.