A single climbing rope caught me off guard, 45 minutes up a white oak in Austin

Honestly, I thought I had my friction hitch dialed in. Been climbing for 7 years, always use the same knot, same rope. Last Tuesday I'm rigging a removal on a big white oak over a fence line in Austin, and my Blake's hitch just wouldn't grab after about 30 feet up. It slipped twice before I even got my lanyard set. Took me a solid 45 minutes up there to figure out my rope was brand new and still had that slick factory coating. I wasted a whole morning feeling like an idiot, should have known to break it in first. Does anyone else condition or rough up new ropes before they trust them on a big climb, or am I just paranoid now?

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clark.lily1mo ago

Ugh, that is the absolute worst feeling when your gear just betrays you mid-climb! I dont care how many years youve been at it, a slick new rope will humble anyone.

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