A document on Sharp Edges and Rope Cuts, produced in collaboration between the safety commissions of the NKF/NCF and the UIAA has been published.
This is an English language translation of the original ‘Skarpe kanter og taukutt”, produced in Norwegian by the Norges klatreforbund (NKF) / Norwegian Climbing Federation (NCF), a UIAA full member.
Background
The climbing rope is the backbone of the protection system in sport climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing. If the backbone breaks, climbers find themselves at the mercy of gravity. A fall during roped climbing will very likely cause serious injury or death to the climber.
The paper explores the risks associated with climbing ropes breaking due to contact with sharp edges. It outlines the factors contributing to rope cuts, historical data on accidents, and recommendations for climbers and route developers to mitigate these risks.
This document charts:
- Requirements for climbing ropes
- What are sharp edges?
- What happens when ropes break and cause of rope breaks
- The impact of sharp edges
- Rope breaks due to rockfall
- Non-rock fall rope cuts
The paper also provides a series of real-life rope cut cases studies.
Though rope failures due to sharp edges are rare, they pose serious risks. The study emphasises the importance of awareness, careful route planning, and proper climbing techniques to prevent accidents.
While the UIAA Safety Commission, other related bodies, and climbing equipment and gear manufacturers will continue to explore ways to improve rope resistance to sharp edges, climbers are called to proactively assess and mitigate risks during their climbs.
Download the paper here.
Further Reading
For further details on the UIAA’s work in documenting accident reporting systems, and related recommendations and case studies, please click here.
For information on the UIAA’s resources in climber safety click here.
