Kevin,
I've been doing top-rope indoor wall climbing for the past couple of years, and am now one of the belayers at the same climbing wall (employed there very part time), and have a rope related question.
When ice climbing (as in your awesome picture!), do you use a special kind of rope with any kind of protective covering on it, so that when the rope rubs back and forth across the sharp ice, the rope's integrity won't be accidentally compromised? Just curious. Without knowing much about the subject, it seems that sharp ice could easily slice through a rope while it's in use without too much trouble. Thanks.
CaT
Cat,
Most ice climber prefer using two 60-meter twin ropes so that they have a full length climb and rappel. The ropes used here are like any other climbing ropes, dry-threated to prevent water absortion and dynamic to take some impact force from a lead fall. When setting top-rope, sharp edges are often avoided. If there is a rough edge, the anchor is extended out and over the edge with slings and cordellete. From my limited experience climbing waterfall ice, it usually has a smooth edge. Just imagine a waterfall but frozen.
Kevin
