Ropes For Caving

Ropes For Caving
By:  Cave Spelunking

Caving ropes don't live an easy life.  They are punished relentlessly by being stretched, knotted, squeezed in metal devices, soaked in water, dragged through the mud, and hauled over rough rocks.  And still the cavers will entrust their very existence to a rope that's been seriously abused.  When a caver is hanging above an abyss and a single rope is all that stands between him and certain death, he will certainly question the condition of the rope.  It's really a good idea to question the condition of the rope before being in that precarious position.

It starts with choosing the right rope to begin with.  You want a 10-10.5mm diameter, low-stretch nylon rope designed for SRT ( Single Rope Technique ).  There are big advantages to this rope.  It's strong enough to provide for a reasonable safety, yet it is lightweight and won't exhaust cavers who are carrying it.  Not only that but this kind of rope can also be used for traverse lines, hand lines, lifelining ladder climbs, and more.
Yes, this is the most expensive caving rope, but saving a few dollars on your caving rope really isn't the place to start cutting corners.  After all, your life is going to depend upon that rope on each pitch.

Eleven-mm ropes should be used for intensive use by caving clubs or by cave rescue teams.   The principle is that the more use and the greater weight the rope will have to hold, the bigger the rope should be.  While a 9mm rope might be just fine for short drops and light weights, and it is certainly lighter and easier to carry, you wouldn't want to have to depend on a 9mm, overly used, and worn rope if a life hung in the balance...


Rock On & Keep Spelunking...
Cave Spelunking.