Discussion Topic |
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Kurt Ettinger
Trad climber
Martinez, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 10, 2013 - 07:17pm PT
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I always thought this was poor etiquette. So last night I was told by an (ahem)experienced climber that "when climbing on multi pitched routes outdoors I have to do it all the time". He then proceeded to tell me of some belay technique he used which involved stepping on the rope. So am I behind the times on this thinking of avoiding rope stepping?
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labrat
Trad climber
Auburn, CA
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May 10, 2013 - 07:23pm PT
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No
Maybe sleeping on it is ok........
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 10, 2013 - 07:59pm PT
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It is an old wifes tale that stepping on the rope will ruin your rope, work dirt into it and make it so weak that you will die. in real life the rope wears out from the friction of rapelling , lowering and falling. a little bit of dirt has no tangible effect on this process. Long after the rope is retired from climbing duty you can still drag huge oak trees out of the woods with it. Logging really works the dirt into the rope ;)
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Fletcher
Trad climber
The great state of advaita
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May 10, 2013 - 08:03pm PT
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I've slept on my rope before! Not comfortable and no, I was not getting kinky that night... just was a bonehead and somehow forgot my sleeping bag! Doht!
Eric
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 10, 2013 - 08:29pm PT
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One of the things which I recall from my first day climbing is "never throw a good rope in the dirt, and never step on the rope."
Don't tread on my rope.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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May 10, 2013 - 08:35pm PT
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just don't do it with crampons on!
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10b4me
Ice climber
Soon 2B Arizona
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May 10, 2013 - 08:35pm PT
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just was a bonehead and somehow forgot my sleeping bag
I would never do anything like that :-)
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 10, 2013 - 08:36pm PT
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I have used my rope as a pillow quite a bit over the years.
it is critical to keep the rope away from chemical contamination which makes the parking lot a band place to dump the rope at the end of the day while you look for the car keys. Reguler dirt is not a big deal. it washes off when you get caught in the rain or go ice climbing;) i ty to not step on the rope but out of courtesy but do not have a fit when someone does. I remember a few BINTD cursing and throwing bad vibes out there at the noob who stepped on the rope. Just big fish in small pond puffing out their chests..... In reality it does no real harm to your rope.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 10, 2013 - 08:38pm PT
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actually crampons don't do anything to the rope unless you put it on the pavement and stomped the crap out of it. crampons on snow does absolutly zero damage to a rope.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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May 10, 2013 - 08:45pm PT
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Just try not to do it when the leader is making a dyno. Things could get testy.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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May 10, 2013 - 10:05pm PT
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I don't think this is a troll. It's a pretty good example of one of those old practices ('wives tales', if you must) that has been fairly debunked in recent years.
If someone has demonstrated science showing how Rope A, subjected to heinous trampling abuse, consistently failed well before Rope B, treated with princess-like care, I'd love to see it.
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jabbas
Trad climber
New River, AZ
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May 10, 2013 - 10:26pm PT
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I just scream and then remember Kern -Mantle ... no problem. If ropes were that fragile we would all be dead or mangled. I still tippy toe about the snake pit !!
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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May 10, 2013 - 10:43pm PT
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stepping on rope, ok. puking on rope, not ok.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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May 10, 2013 - 10:43pm PT
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actually crampons don't do anything to the rope unless you put it on the pavement and stomped the crap out of it. crampons on snow does absolutly zero damage to a rope.
This might -might- be true of an unweighted rope on unconsolidated snow, however, I would never consider this to be true of a weighted rope on a harder surface, such as ice. A sharp edge, like many crampons are, can cause a weighted rope to separate instantly. It's usually rock edges, but it is the only reason for a good rope to fail in something like 30 years internationally, I remember reading at one of the certification sites.
Get above me, and get a sharp metal edge near my weighted rope, and I'll consider it attempted murder.
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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May 10, 2013 - 10:46pm PT
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It's better than stepping on yer dick
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 10, 2013 - 10:48pm PT
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how the heck would you step on a weighted rope? HUH? Never stepped on a weighted rope in 30 + years of climbing.... never seen a weighted rope get stepped on.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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May 10, 2013 - 10:50pm PT
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a weighted rope get stepped on. would that be like slack lining? but more difficult?
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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May 10, 2013 - 10:53pm PT
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Actually crampons don't do anything to the dick unless you put it on the pavement and stomped the crap out of it
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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May 11, 2013 - 12:30am PT
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An engineering kid in one of my stats classes did a project on climbing ropes breaking. Old dirt stomped on ropes weren't significantly weaker than clean ropes, but basically every kind of knot made the ropes WAY weaker.
Climbers should step on ropes, but NEVER USE ANY KNOTS!
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
Panorama City, California & living in Seattle
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May 11, 2013 - 12:40am PT
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it is critical to keep the rope away from chemical contamination which makes the parking lot a band place to dump the rope
I have always heard the rope should be kept away from oil contamination.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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May 11, 2013 - 01:01am PT
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how the heck would you step on a weighted rope? HUH? Never stepped on a weighted rope in 30 + years of climbing.... never seen a weighted rope get stepped on.
You have a group of climbers tied in, hanging, while they fix ropes/anchors on a steep ice/snow route, and then have a second group cross their tie in ropes, above them.
You've never experienced that, because you are a safe and careful climber.
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LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
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May 11, 2013 - 01:47am PT
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step on the rope if it's on the wall at the time. It's a good cheat sport climbers use. clip your bolt, put your foot on the rope, you have a no hands rest hanging from your draw and your belayer is completely unaware of it. continue your red point.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
the tip of god's middle finger
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May 11, 2013 - 08:32am PT
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sometimes i swallow an end
and slowly work it thru my stomach,
digestive tract, and eventually
usually on tuesdays i pass it
out the b-side.
im like a bead on a ware,
or a tattoo on god's underdeveloped bicep.
i floss the rope in and out a couple times,
really scouring out my internal
transit system.
i've never pushed the entire 200'
down my gob, i always pull it back
up the hatch.
so one end of my rope is quite featured
with many layers of stomach acids and shite.
this is why i have to self belay,
word got out and now no one will
hold my rope, by which the way,
never yet broke.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 11, 2013 - 11:40am PT
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that is completly impossible with simply stepping on an unweighted rope. You would have to weight the rope over the edge to do that. something else happened to the rope that you missed and you blamed it on the guy stepping on the rope.
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Kurt Ettinger
Trad climber
Martinez, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 11, 2013 - 12:27pm PT
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I never thought incidental stepping on the rope did a whole lot of damage. I always thought of it more akin to slapping someone with a glove and challenging them to a duel. Just a rude thing to do.
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climbrunride
Sport climber
Golf Wall, CO
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May 11, 2013 - 12:43pm PT
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I climbed with Cosmic once. He was very safe and aware. And fun to hang out with. I believe that he really does check his rope every time.
But someone has to play Devil's Advocate...
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climbrunride
Sport climber
Golf Wall, CO
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May 11, 2013 - 12:45pm PT
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I was taught the rule that, if you get caught stepping on the rope, you owe the person who caught you a beer.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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May 11, 2013 - 12:45pm PT
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it's never okay to step on the rope..but it's okay to sleep on it.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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May 11, 2013 - 02:46pm PT
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I was taught that stepping on a rope and working dirt into it arent so bad for the rope, but the dirt in the rope then abraids the biners it runs through, potentially filing them down over time. Not a big deal if you clean your rope and inspect your gear.
Although if you are wearing street shoes you may very well have petrochemicals from the road. Paranoid? perhaps. But it is the one part of the system that isnt redundant....
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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May 11, 2013 - 02:59pm PT
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It also depends on how long you want to keep you rope.
Grit gets into everything.
A little grit goes a long way.
It is amazing what grit can cut through.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 11, 2013 - 03:11pm PT
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I've always considered it bad form, at the least, to step on a rope,
especially when wearing crampons. But I was also too cheap to retire
one after doing so. Besides, climbing is all about worrying, isn't it?
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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May 11, 2013 - 03:59pm PT
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hey there all, say, this is an interesting share...
*did not know there were old-wives tales, as to ropes, :)
(course old-wives tales find a way to fit in, everywhere) ;)
carry on... as you carry your ropes into the future, to be the 'best that they can be'...
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 11, 2013 - 04:07pm PT
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That is a repetitve wear mark as in rope rubbing ona sharp edge. ever try to cut an unweighted rope with a sharp knife? ever run over a rope with logging chains? i have wrecked enough rope to be highly doubtfull that a casual standing on a rope would do that. 10 min of purposfully grinding the rope against a sharp rock with your foot with the intent of doing the dammage possibly but a casual step on the rope no effin way. If ropes got coreshots that easy i would have to buy a new rope every week...
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 11, 2013 - 04:12pm PT
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there is a common sense aspect to this. if the rope is on the sharpest rock you have ever seen find a better place to stack it or do not stand on it. If it's laying in the sand and your buddy steps on it and you yell at him you are just being an ass.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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May 11, 2013 - 04:21pm PT
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If that was wear from repetitive use there would be wear marks all around the cut, but there are none. On top of that the rope does not look new but I see very little fraying.
I believe Cosmic.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 11, 2013 - 06:43pm PT
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Cosmic, My apologys. the photo was aparently taken after the core shot got worn. it did not look like a fresh core shot to me. I have wrecked and broken a ton of retired climbing rope and it has been a great learning experience. (I do know what a fresh and an old core shot look like) I routinely log with retired rope. i know it is not ideal because of the stretch but I always have it on hand and its good for my head to drag a 60t tall 12" diameter oak out of the woods with a rope that I have retired.
I do not treat my in service ropes like sh#t but I am not all uptight about dirt and stepping. My ropes wear out from climbing miles and falls logged long before they have any kind of chance to suffer from dirt. If someone does step on the rope I nicely and calmly tell them that it is not a big deal but it is better if they do not do it. I am hyper aware of car trunks with jumper cables in them, any work gloves that have been under the hood of the truck and that kind of stuff. a bit of dirt however is not an issue. Quite a few times I have seen someone bark at a newb for stepping on the rope and 99% of the time it looks and sounds like chest puffing ego strokeing BS.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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May 11, 2013 - 06:51pm PT
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My gear has lots of sand packed in it....
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
WA, & NC & Idaho
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May 11, 2013 - 06:52pm PT
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Just don't POOP on yer rope!!!!!
YER
GUNNA
DIE!!!!''
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 11, 2013 - 07:31pm PT
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Army likes to yell a LOT! train harder not smarter... Oh wait, that's the Marines;)
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jfs
Trad climber
Upper Leftish
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May 11, 2013 - 11:46pm PT
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
May 10, 2013 - 05:38pm PT
actually crampons don't do anything to the rope unless you put it on the pavement and stomped the crap out of it. crampons on snow does absolutly zero damage to a rope.
Guffaw!!!
wait...I think he's serious...
What I mean to say is...this is erroneous information.
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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May 12, 2013 - 12:18am PT
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I don't think this is a troll. It's a pretty good example of one of those old practices ('wives tales', if you must) that has been fairly debunked in recent years.
If someone has demonstrated science showing how Rope A, subjected to heinous trampling abuse, consistently failed well before Rope B, treated with princess-like care, I'd love to see it.
this post should have been the last post. but it isn't.
I'm not saying gratuitously step on your rope and do a John Travolta spin, but it's not worth fetishizing an unstepped-upon rope. Ropes get stepped on, even by crampon-adroned boots. Ain't no thang.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 12, 2013 - 07:20am PT
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Jfs, Ice climbing there are many,many situations where you have more serious sh#t on your mind than worrying about if you or someone else stepped on the rope. In 30++ years of climbing i have seen only one rope actually dammaged from crampons. It was kicked repetedly by the leader with freshly sharpened horozontal front points. Rope on snow the poons never penetrate, rope on rock if the poons are dull nothing happens, sharp poons as in first 3 weeks out of the box, yes they will penetrate the rope so that should be avoided. It has been tested and usualy the points that penetrate do not cut the fibers, they slide between the fibers. still not a good idea at all. One or two pitch like this and the poons are usually dull enough it is a non issue;)
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Reeotch
Trad climber
4 Corners Area
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May 12, 2013 - 08:31am PT
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YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NEVER STEP ON YOUR ROPE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, EVER!
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 12, 2013 - 08:37am PT
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good luck with that one;)
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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May 12, 2013 - 08:53am PT
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It's bad luck to step on a rope.
May or may not be a fact. But it's a "best practice."
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jfs
Trad climber
Upper Leftish
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May 12, 2013 - 09:40am PT
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Tradmanclimbs,
Cool.
And interesting. Just not my experience.
Cheers.
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covelocos
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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May 12, 2013 - 10:17am PT
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Step on my rope and you owe me a beer.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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May 12, 2013 - 10:30am PT
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I'd say something to someone who just casually walked across a flaked rope; that's just plain stupid. There could be a sharp rock underneath, and full body weight applied through a portion of a single foot could create enough pressure to nick the sheath.
The fact that it is unlikely that such actions will hurt a rope is the wrong way to think about it. There is a small non-zero probability that the rope will be hurt, as Cosmic's experience proves beyond question. When the simplest precautions can eliminate such possibilities, it is foolish not to take them. I've never seen a situation in which you couldn't nudge the rope aside with a toe and not step on it, so what's the big deal?
The trouble is that what amounts to the most elementary common sense ends up formulated as an inviolable commandment, "Thou shalt not step on thy ropes!" and then the silliness of such an absolute prohibition undermines it's appropriatness.
I often gently step on my ropes when setting up rappels, to eliminate rope weight while I'm threading my device. But of course I do this on a flat area without sharp edges or pebbles, and I don't come anywhere near applying full body weight.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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May 12, 2013 - 11:17am PT
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rgold, the voice of reason and common sense.
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FRUMY
Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
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May 12, 2013 - 11:20am PT
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Oh come on Locker.
Next you're going to be saying there is no one living on the back side of the Moon.
If it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
Potemkin Village
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May 12, 2013 - 11:27am PT
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I often gently step on my ropes when setting up rappels
nor would I hesitate to step on a rope running through an anchor to a surprise out of control falling climber if this were the last resort, as sometimes only a couple pounds are needed to arrest slippage.
;)
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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May 12, 2013 - 09:46pm PT
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Question = "Stepping on the Rope OK?"
One Answer = "I often gently step on my ropes when setting up rappels"
So your answer ALSO is, "YES"...(EDITED: With explanation)
Well, at least you added the "with explanation" proviso. But if you are going to quote out of context, you could just have well quoted the part where I said stepping on the rope is "stupid."
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 12, 2013 - 09:54pm PT
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Rope on snow the poons never penetrate
Uh, I guess you've knott done that experiment on neve. And just how could
it not do some damage? It may not do major damage but it can't
be good for it and it most certainly could do major damage cumulatively.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 12, 2013 - 10:19pm PT
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Neve is neve, snow is snow. Not a great idea either way but not worth blowing your top at someone when you have a serious climb to deal with. keep it calm, keep it informative but do not treat it like a cardinal sin, a black and white rule that has been broken and now deserves serious repremanding. That approach will only ruin the vibe of the climb.
The rope I am useing today, a 10.2 Sterling Marathon. the very first day I used it was a GU FA of an 11a trad climb. I blew a bird beak drilling a bolt, took a 20 footer with the power drill, bolt kit, hammer, pins, FA rack etc. Well over 200lbs. Both Ed and I then took multiple falls in the same spot trying to free the climb. I have since then rapped many virgin rough cliffs cleaning and trundeling. Jumared quite a few pitches, bunch of solo gri gri TR time, lots of lowering and had a few additional falls on this rope. It will be retired soon not because of dirt but because of heavy use. BTW lowering causes more wear on your rope than just about any other climbing activity.
Today I had this rope stacked on a grassy dirt belay ledge. I kept my feet on the rope to keep my shoes dry after last nights rain. It was safer leading with dry shoes. I rarely use a rope bag/tarp as it is just one more gimick to carry around. YMMV
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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May 13, 2013 - 03:50am PT
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"""Observed faults and failures
The Technical Committee (*1 UIAA comment, see end of paragraph) has received 20 reports of failures and/or serious damage to ropes (both dynamic and static) over the last 15 years. Two failures were caused by contamination of the rope by corrosive substances, one (dynamic) rope was damaged – but did not fail – as a result of excessive jumaring (*2 UIAA comment, see end of paragraph) and the remainder were due to serious abrasion over rough or sharp rock edges. In a small number of cases, abrasion to the rope resulted in its failure during a fall with serious consequences, including one fatality.
UIAA Comments on this part
1) The BMC Technical Committee
2) use of a rope clamp
How to prevent failure in use
The key to preventing failure during use is to minimise abrasion, or at least recognise serious abrasion to a rope before you use it through regular physical inspection of the entire length of the rope. This is probably most easily done whilst coiling the rope after a climbing session, and should be practised without fail. Assuming that there is no visible damage to the rope when you begin using it, the overriding priority whilst in use is to avoid allowing the rope to drag over sharp edges and rough rock as in Figure 10.3. This necessitates constant attention to where the rope might run during a climb, and also to how and where it will be loaded over the rock in the event of a fall. This in turn requires some skill and knowledge on the part of the climbers whilst placing runners (look out for sharp edges and protrusions near your runner placements) and setting up top-rope or belay anchors (often the use of a rope protector or padding material is appropriate).
Figure 10.3 Serious damage to a rope in use Photo: BMC Collection
In addition:
• Do not throw the rope down onto gritty or sandy ground if at all possible – small particles of dirt or grit can adhere to the nylon and then be ground into the sheath or core during normal use. Potentially this could cut some of the ropes fibres and cause it to fail with no visible evidence that it had been weakened.
• Avoid standing on your rope for the very same reason. It goes without saying that you should exercise extreme caution whilst using your rope with ice tools and crampons.
• It is advisable to avoid speedy abseils, which allow the abseil device to heat up very rapidly and can cause melting of the rope if the descender remains in contact with it at the end of the abseil – nylon has a low melting point!"""
For years I've been annoyed with snarky comments about stepping on ropes. I've always told my gang to try to avoid it but it was really not worth getting excited about. Certainly scolding someone about stepping on a rope was silly. But, recently I've read the UIAA and other reports that say my viewpoint is not correct. Chemicals, sharp edges, and dirt and grit are the main reasons ropes break.
The following link is making the same point, "don't step on the rope" may not be an old wives tale after all:
http://www.climbing.com/skill/dirty-little-secrets/
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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May 13, 2013 - 05:36am PT
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what about sleeping on the rope, and danger from nocturnal emissions?
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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May 13, 2013 - 06:18am PT
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The UIAA thing seems to be totally unscientific. they say that all the rope failures were caused by weighting over sharp edges and then go off about stepping on the rope with no connection to any actual tests or failures. I read tests years ago that said rapelling and lowering were the biggest culprits and a new rope with something like 10 lowering cycles had lost 40% of it's strength.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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May 13, 2013 - 08:36am PT
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that would depend what emissions you are talking about sprock. to my understanding most are safe.
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Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
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May 13, 2013 - 09:01am PT
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The UIAA still thinks climbers are using nailed boots at the crags.
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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you know, the boys at REI and the other shops would laugh to see this thread. almost certainly those precious "cords o'life" are drop-kicked from the semi trailer to the warehouse pallet; and probably worse -- probably hung from the window (to show that it's an authentic "Climbing Shoppe") on a rusty nail, getting pounded by California UV day after day after day after day.
Until you -- he, who does not step on ropes -- buys it off the floor.
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shady
Trad climber
hasbeen
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I make it a point to never disrespect anyone or anything my life depends on.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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lol
rc strikes again.
we had this conversation on rc years ago. tradman was there and talking about how he used the flaked rope to clean his feet at the start of climbs. then he got into how crampons wouldn't hurt the rope.
then curt stepped in, with his foot-belay photo. that was ironic, of course, but it seems that the grommie the op met took it way too literally.
rgold's sensible commentary is as out of place here as it ever was on rc.
heh
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Crazy Bat
Sport climber
Birmingham, AL & Sweanee, TN
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I was lucky enough to hang out at PMI when Alan Padgett was doing research for his book, ON ROPE. He was doing destructive testing of caving ropes with various levels of sheath damage created by rubbing the rope over the edge of a carborendum stone. It was amazing how a little sheath damage could reduce the breaking stregth. Read the book if you want the actual numbers. Cavers are very careful with their ropes and they have a sheath that is designed to withstand as much abrasion as possible.
Dont step on my rope if you can avoid it.
I have some freinds who performed a more visceral test. They filled five gallon buckets with concrete and hung it from a rope. Then they took a knife to the rope. Do that a few times and you wont step on any ropes you can avoid. Just a little damage to the core is like a zipper effect when its under weight.
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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this happened today dammit. DON"T STEP ON MY ROPE!!!
when i'm clearing loose boulders off the top of a route. it's not a safe place to be apparently
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mark miller
Social climber
Reno
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Modern ropes are incredibly well built , but why beat up your tools?
Take care of it and it will take care of you by being able to do it's job when necessary.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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My current single rope 10.2 marathon pro. it will be retired this spring after two seasons. The very first day out I took a 20 footer when a beak popped. Full ascent rack, pins cams nuts, hammer bolt kit, wire brush and the Bosch hanging off my ass. Tipping the scales well over 200lbs. Since then there have been many more falls as well as countless pitches jugged, lots of rapelling and trundeling and the biggest culprit of all sport lowering. if you are going to throw a hissy every time someone steps on your rope you better NEVER sport lower. A single sport lower does more damage to your rope than a years worth of standing on the rope. I generaly avoide stepping on the rope but i will not throw a hissy lets yell at the noob fit if someone does step on it. I do not use a tarp/rope bag when climbing as it is just one more thing to carry arround. My ropes wear out from abuse on the rock long before a little dirt at the base of the cliff has a chance to be a factor.
I am anal about not letting the rope hit the pavement in the parkinglot or letting the rope come into contact with any battery related contamination. I keep the jumper cables in a plastic garbage bag and never near the rope. etc.
Recognize the real threat and do not worry about those things that do not pose a real threat. Don't sweat the small stuff or you will end up like Ron drawing down on the oh so scary biscuit dough with a $2,000 Kimber pro ;)
PS. If I expected a rope to last me 5 to 10 years I would be much more anal about the stepping on the rope thing. I climb enough that the rope wears out from climbing and dirt is a non factor.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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I think it's more about ettiquette than actual safety/wear concerns.
You are stepping on someone's lifeline. It's rude, ropes are expensive. You wouldn't stand on the hood of some stranger's car (unless you wanted a round of fisticuffs or a free ride from the Po-po).
But you'll end up stepping on your own, or your partners' ropes, plenty. I know I move around quite a bit when belaying...maybe to spot at the beginning, or get out of a fall/swing zone, then back directly under the first bolt to not get dragged around in a fall, etc.
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| Messages 1 - 69 of total 69 in this topic |
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