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How to Clean Your Climbing Rope

How to Clean Your Climbing Rope

by | Apr 26, 2018 | Blog

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Words & Photos by Melody Yuan

I’ve had my trusted rope for two years. It’s dynamic, durable and my life depends on it.

It only seems right then, to make sure the rope’s well taken care of. While I’ve taken precaution to keep my rope on the tarp and not step on it when climbing outdoors, rinse it every few months, use a proper rope bag, and make sure it stays flaked when it’s not in use, I really only washed it for the first time two weeks ago.

My rope has journeyed up many routes and picked up dirt across different crags. My climbing friends can attest that I probably had the dirtiest rope among our regular climbing group. I used to pride myself on the fact that my rope was well used, but after belaying one day and noticing that my hands were black as night after only one climb, I decided it was time to wash it.

But how?

After talking to a few fellow climbers, reading threads and making a trip to REI, I was equipped and ready to take on the challenge.

What you need:

Tub, bucket or a sink that you don’t mind getting dirty

Rope soap (Editor's Note: Recommended. Other detergents are potentially damaging to ropes.)

Warm water

Gloves (optional)

While cleaning the rope using just warm water may be a good enough solution, I decided to use the Edelweiss Rope Wash because my rope was too dirty for just water to clean. I have also heard of climbers throwing their rope into the washing machine*, but I would encourage washing the rope by hand. Who wants all that rope dirt in the washer where your clothes go anyway?

Step 1:

I used the bathtub at home and placed my filthy rope inside. Then, I filled the tub half way with lukewarm water. Editor's note: Washing your rope may stain your bathtub! Wash at your discretion.

Step 2:

Let the water soak. I left the rope in the tub for about 5 minutes. During this time, I cleaned the inside of my rope bag.

Step 3:

Swish it around. I pulled and squeezed the rope to make sure all the sediments were coming off, and that every inch of the rope had been in the water.

Step 4:

Add rope wash. If you’re intending to use a wash, a small amount will usually suffice in getting the grittier dirt out.

Step 5:

Scrub and Swish. Pull the entire length of your rope through your hands and scrub with your fingers.

Step 6:

Drain the water, rinse the rope and then refill the tub with clean water to rinse and/or scrub the rope again. I drained and refilled the tub four times before the water started getting clear again.

Step 7:

Dry thoroughly. Flake the rope out of the tub and lay it across a water-friendly area like a towel, balcony or shower-curtain rod. In my case, I laid it across the bike rack in my garage and away from direct sunlight.

Once it’s completely dry and looking brand new again, flake the rope one more time to make sure the rope is clean, tie the ends, and put it back into your rope bag. And voila! Guaranteed that the next time you go climbing, you’ll feel great pulling out some clean rope to set up on a new route.

To ensure that your rope stays in its optimum conditions, I would suggest doing the following:

  •         Store your rope in a dry place, away from heat and direct sunlight. Exposing the rope to too much direct sun can damage the fibers and fade the colors. This includes keeping the rope in your car on a hot day.
  •         Make sure that your rope is on a tarp or something similar when you climb outdoors, since dirt and sediment can easily get onto your rope. Also, you don’t want anyone to accidentally step onto your rope.
  •         Inspect your rope as you flake it to make sure there aren’t any fuzzy areas, cuts, flat spots or weird misshapes in your rope. It’s normal for a rope to get weaker over time, especially in the event that you’ve taken a huge fall or have owned the rope for more than a year, so this inspection is important**.

* Please research and wash your rope in a washing machine at your own discretion.

**This post is a general guide to maintaining your rope. If you are uncertain about the integrity of a rope, have it inspected by a professional. Sender One is not responsible for any rope failures via use of this guide.

Why You should NEVER Climb in the Morning

Why You should NEVER Climb in the Morning

by | Apr 23, 2018 | Blog

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words by Iris Ma

Note: This piece is meant to be humorous.

Climbing in the morning is such a chore. You have to wake up before the sun rises and it makes you feel more productive than you should be. The drive is forgettable without the usual vexation of traffic. Then, you get to the gym and nobody's there, except for the bright and cheery-eyed front desk crew. Your voice echoes through the empty space when you ask for tension and no one is there to watch you send your project except for your belayer. You can do laps on your favorite routes and you don’t have to wait for any to free up. If you encounter a spinner, you get to be the hero and report it to the front desk, who probably knows why you’re there to talk to them anyway. Finally, when you’re climbing outdoors, you’ve developed a habit of an early start and waking up early is no longer such a pain when you want to beat the heat and the crowds to the crag. If these aren’t enough to convince you not to climb before work, here are four more reasons why exercise in the morning sucks:

Burn more calories

Boost your EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) - otherwise known as oxygen debt or the “afterburn”. EPOC explains how your body can continue to burn calories long after you’ve finished your workout. So, the intensity of your workout directly correlates with the amount of EPOC benefit you receive.

Win win win, no matter what 

Don’t get derailed by last minute errands, to-dos, or a late night at the office. Getting your workout done first thing in the morning ensures that nothing else gets in your way and you can stick with your training program.  

Feel rad all day long

If you’re feeling fatigued, the best antidote is more exercise. Some research suggests that morning exercise improves mental focus and abilities all day long, and has the ability reduce symptoms of depression.

Rest & digest better

Morning exercise can not only improve the length of sleep you enjoy, but also your quality of sleep by promoting deeper sleep cycles. Exercise releases a healthy dose of adrenaline which is great for waking up, but not so great in the evenings before bed. The hormones released during exercise also improve your internal digestion and system on a more consistent and regular basis.

Editor's note: Iris climbs EVERYDAY at 7AM.

With all of this being said, I hope you take my advice and never climb in the morning.

Climbing Terms for New Climbers

Climbing Terms for New Climbers

by | Mar 23, 2018 | Blog

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Whenever you’re climbing, indoors or out, you may hear or find yourself using all sorts of climbing jargon. Whether you’re new to the sport or well versed in climbing, there may be some words you may not understand. Especially with the start of Sender One LAX’s Bouldering League, you may need to know some of these words just to understand the rules! Climbers use and say so much slang, climbing pretty much has its own language. So here’s some beta (don’t worry, keep reading and we’ll define this too!) on how to navigate and translate this foreign language.

 

Beta: Specific advice, direction, or instruction on how to complete a climb.

Example: “Hey, what’s the beta for this climb?” “There’s a secret knee bar, my friend.”

Boulder: Climbing on boulders, often “shorter” or less tall climbs. Protection usually is the floor or a mat.

Example: “I like that boulder. That is a nice boulder.”

 

Bump: A technique in which you move an extremity to a hold, then move it to a subsequently higher hold.  This is done to advance short distances with poor holds.

Example: “Go to that crimp, then bump to the jug.”

 

Campus: Climbing without the use of your feet.

Example: "It's too difficult to keep my feet on the wall, so I'm just going to campus this."

 

Crimp: A small hold that you can only get the first pad of your fingers on.

Example: “Crimps are small.”

 

Crux: The hardest part of the climbing sequence.

Example: “The crux of the problem is the big move in the middle. And also the first move. Also, the move after the middle. And the top.”

 

Dyno: Short for dynamic, this is a technique where the climber will jump for a hold otherwise out of reach.

Example: “You’re a lot shorter, so you might have to dyno to the top.”

 

Flash: Finishing a climb on your first attempt, with beta or seeing the entire climb.

Example: “I flashed that climb, now I never have to do it again.”

 

Jug: A big hold that you can hold with your whole hand.

Example: “It’s good. It’s a jug.”

 

 

On-sight: Only applicable to rope climbs, on-sighting is finishing a climb on your first attempt, without any beta or being able to see the full route in detail.

Example: “I can probably on-sight a 10.a.”

 

Project: A climb that may take multiple sessions to figure out and complete.

Example: “I’ve been projecting the pink one in the corner for months.”

 

Sandbag: To underestimate a climb’s difficulty or a climber’s ability.

Example: “They’re sandbagging to score more points in Bouldering League”

Send: To successfully complete a climb.

Example: “I finally sent my project at Sender One.” (OH, THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THE NAME!)

 

Have fun adding these new terms to your vocabulary so you can better communicate with your fellow climbers - and communicate way worse with everyone else.

Our Sending Community

Our Sending Community

by | Mar 16, 2018 | Blog

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Words and photos by Melody Yuan

Ever had that moment while you’re climbing and you reach the crux and hear someone yell, “Yeah! Come on,” or “you’ve got this!”

Given how inclusive and supportive our climbing community is, it’s not out of the ordinary for a small gallery to form, and encouraging comments to grow louder as you grit your teeth up the wall. Some may even spray some beta such as, “match your feet,” or “raise your right foot to that hold by your hip!”

Whether you appreciate them or not, this is the nature of our climbing culture. The level of support and positive feedback helps to motivate me and push past my existing limits to stick the next move. While some climbers may find this level of verbal encouragement distracting and/or stressful, would climbing be the same without our sending communities?

When I first started climbing, I used to cringe when I noticed that people were watching or when they started vocalizing their support. I wasn’t used to it and I didn’t like the attention. Perhaps this was simply due to my self-esteem as a novice climber, but I felt pressured to send and embarrassed if I couldn’t.

Today, however, I am reassured and motivated by words of encouragement. Sure,it could be because I’m climbing stronger now or I’ve simply accepted the fact that I’ll never look as graceful as Margo Hayes while attempting a crux. But I attribute this change to the fact that I’ve gotten to know my sending community. Some of them are now my closest friends who have watched me climb from the very beginning, and we’ve established a bond in which I trust their words (and catch!) while I am on the wall.

 

What’s the Etiquette?

There is no guideline or real etiquette when it comes to giving verbal support. While I am a climber who now appreciates positive affirmation and encouragement during tough climbs, there are others who prefer quietude while scaling the wall. The initial urge of seeing a climber attempt a hard move may be to encourage them, but be sure not to overstep if you feel like they aren’t comfortable with the all the cheering and beta spray.

I once spoke to a climber who said that the term, “you can do it,” puts an immense amount of pressure on her as she climbs the wall. “What if I can’t do it? It just makes me feel like less of a climber when I come down,” she said.  

There are some climbers who also believe that beta spraying defeats the purpose of climbing. An older climber once told me that the only way to improve technique is to reflect on how you could have climbed differently. Beta for some, are only welcomed when asked for. If not, it might be best to keep your beta to yourself and instead, give cues that might help the climber make the connection on their own.

Most climbers can probably express politely that they’d rather not receive verbal encouragement, but body language is also a big indicator to whether or not they appreciate your words. You may have good intentions, but take a second to decipher whether or not the climber needs to hear what you have to say.

Sending Community

Whether it’s the friends who spot you, your belay partner, or the people who watch you climb, the sending community is a supportive and positive one. They are there to help protect you and motivate you to send your projects.

There’s no denying the feeling of satisfaction of sending, and the amplification of that feeling when the community congratulates you on the accomplishment. So I’ll take this moment to thank all those who have patiently belayed or spotted me, and to the many words of encouragement, fist bumps, high fives and hugs that we’ve shared along the way.

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