This article is about rope used in mountaineering and sport climbing. For the gymnastic activity, see Rope climbing.
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A climber and a belayer using a climbing rope
A climbing rope is a rope that is used in climbing. It is a critical part of an extensive chain of protective equipment (which also includes climbing harnesses, anchors, belay devices, and carabiners) used by climbers to help prevent potentially fatal fall-related accidents.
Climbing ropes must meet very strict requirements so that they do not break in the event of an accidental fall. However, they also need to be light, flexible for knotting, and resistant to chafing over sharp and rough rocks; all that in all possible weather conditions. Although ropes made of natural fibres such as hemp and flax were used in the early days of alpinism,[1] modern climbing uses kernmantle ropes made of a core of nylon or other synthetic material and intertwined in a special way, surrounded by a separate sheath woven over it. The main strength of the rope is in the core, and the sheath of the rope represents only a small fraction of the overall strength of the rope.
Climbing ropes can be classified into three categories according to their elasticity: static, semi-static, and dynamic ropes.
^Mears, R. P. "THE CLIMBING ROPE DEFINED" (PDF). alpinejournal.org.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
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