Feeling pretty good about sticking to my pre-climb gear check routine this month

It caught a worn carabiner before my ascent yesterday.

3 comments

3 Comments

My weekly gear check last spring found a seriously frayed spot on my main rope. I had just coiled it the night before and almost missed it. That habit absolutely saved me from a bad situation on lead. Sticking to that two minute routine is the best habit I ever picked up.

christopher49325d ago

Yeah, that weekly check is no joke. I read an accident report last year where a climber's rope core was shot for a full meter, but the sheath looked almost fine. They only found it because they were doing exactly what @wood.lisa does, running their hands down it inch by inch during a pack-up. Makes my skin crawl. That visual check under a lamp isn't enough sometimes, you really have to feel for those soft spots. It's wild how a routine that feels boring can be the thing that matters most.

nathanburns1mo ago

Lighting makes a huge difference in spotting those frays. I always move to a bright spot before coiling my rope.