The guy I occasionally go the Awesome walls with has finally got a rope after about 4 years of using mine. I often hold the rope in my teeth briefly whilst in the process of clipping and also take the occasional whipper without really being bothered.

But until now that was all fine because it was always my rope. It just occur to me that perhaps he might not like me taking falls on his shiny new rope. Likewise gnawing at it.

Thoughts? (apart from don’t fall whilst gnawing obviously)

I hold mine in my teeth all the time – wouldn’t say I bite it though… A rope for indoors is always going to take whippers – that’s kinda in the job description.

I tried to avoid biting it and, just the though of falling with the rope their wasn’t fun. As for falling – part of the reason it’s there. Though if you think you are going to do some abuse on a route use your own.

I think things in mouth is standard climbing

Did he fall on your rope?

Putting a rope in your mouth seems bad form whether or not it’s yours – shouldn’t be necessary. Falling though – well that’s what ropes are for isn’t it? I climb indoors on my partner’s rope (I have an outdoors one), as I’m a bit bolder than him I’ve taken far more falls on the rope than he has, but hadn’t even considered that might be a problem (I’m sure it will end up being retired due to age rather than the number of falls, it’s not like it gets high fall factors)

Rope biting at the wall is a REALLY bad habit, teeth have been lost before, much better technique to climb up a few feet more so you can clip easily, its a wall after all so a fall isn’t going to end in disaster if you end up going a few feet more…….

^^^ what he said.

Clipping by your waist also saves a bit of energy.

That said, if you need to chomp the rope, then chomp it.

After he’s dragged it over various sheepshit and guano outdoors, I imagine he’ll be less precious. And you less willing to risk your teeth…

As for taking falls, the bigger the better. If he doesn’t like it he’ll just drop you.

Rope biting at the wall is a REALLY bad habit, teeth have been lost before, much better technique to climb up a few feet more so you can clip easily, its a wall after all so a fall isn’t going to end in disaster if you end up going a few feet more…….

Yup,learn to clip better 😛

You need to rethink your clipping timing and technique. If you’re needing to bring up lots of rope to clip way above your head then maybe you’re trying to clip a couple of moves too early. Then there’s the idea that you don’t need to clip into every clip on the way up a route. Not everybody likes that though.

As for taking falls on someone elses rope – meh – it’s what it’s there for.

Meh… clip when you’re happy to and the holds allow.

Meh… clip when you’re happy to and the holds allow.

Exactly. I’m happy to keep my teeth, I paid enough for them, so never bite a rope.

Is that why people put the rope in their mouth? Never done it or seen it done, so didn’t know why. If so, then it’s also dangerous at least up to the 4th clip (6-7m up), as you’re paying so much rope out that if you fall while clipping you’re likely to deck. I don’t necessarily clip at my waist, but won’t clip above shoulder height unless I’m in a really solid position and the next moves are likely to result in a fall – which is the way I was taught (second clip is at waist unless there’s a really good reason not to).

OP

Pop over to UKclimbing and post up the same question. Let us know how you get on 😉

at least up to the 4th clip

Well that’s not true. Your fall distance is the same either way and you’re only about 2 foot lower.

It’s the only thing I’ve seen people using their teeth for indoors. To be honest though, you can clip upto full reach heigh just by grabbing the rope low enough to begin with.

The way I was taught was to get comfortable on the wall and clip as and when I deemed necessary and not to use all the clips if I didn’t need them to avoid a ground fall. I was taught by one of the very best though.

Well that’s not true. Your fall distance is the same either way and you’re only about 2 foot lower.

Not so (unless I’ve misinterpreted you).

Obviously I’m tied on at the waist. If I pull through enough slack to clip at full stretch three feet above my waist, miss the clip and fall, that’s six feet in total doubled back to my waist, so potentially well in excess of that back to the last clip.

If I’ve moved up so the clip is level with my waist, and I fall before clipping, there’s only three foot of extra rope out at that point.

With stretch on a modern single, that can make a big difference to whether you come close to decking or not.

Try (on top rope) paying out enough rope to clip above your head at the 2nd or 3rd clip, then lower off on the top rope and see where you come onto the lead rope. I’ve seen it done…

Not so (unless I’ve misinterpreted you).

http://dmmclimbing.com/knowledge/clipping-bolts-vid-part-1/ about 6.50

You’d have about 4 feet more to fall by paying out the extra rope that aracer is talking about. Combine that with rope stretch and there is potential for a ground fall from the 4th clip. Someone falling that distance would take the belayer off their feet and possibly upto the first clip, so there is also the risk of climber and belayer colliding.

I’ve seen it done…

I’ve done it.

I think we’re in perfect agreement, LS! I’m certainly in total agreement with that video. Climb up to clip rather than pull through yards of slack and do it at full stretch…unless of course you’re standing on a big ledge and moving up would put you in extremis!

Everyone other than the OP is in agreement.

mates standing on the rope with crampons on 😡 , off you go MATE, good luck!

Yeah, and did you listen through to 8:40 where he says “that difference of a metre could be quite important”?

mates standing on the rope with crampons on , off you go MATE, good luck!

Tell him he’s left a big fray in it just he reaches some brittle ice facing a factor 2. 😈

I came off going for the 3rd clip, and ended up a foot or two above my belayer having lifted him off the ground. Was glad I hadn’t tried going for the clip earlier (as it was I was reaching up more than I’d like because I needed to move through the next couple of moves without stopping).

Many moons ago we would do falls practice indoors and not clip anything above two up from the middle. It made for some great entertainment. Rarely hit the deck.

I really would urge the OP to post on ukclimbing.com his doubts about putting another man’s rope in his mouth.

Better than putting another man’s nuts in his mouth.

If you fall with the rope in your mouth the instinct is to bite down rather than relax your mouth. Years ago a chap at my local wall lost four front teeth when you fell with the rope in his mouth.

I can understand why people do it though, but try to avoid it myself 8)

I try not to nibble the rope but it’s not illegal. Imagine you’ve just clipped, there’s another high-ish clip you want to get out the way because there’s a cruxy section with rubbish holds. You can’t pull enough through because your last clip is in the way, so need to do it in 2 yanks. You could use your chin I guess.

Anyways, I wouldn’t worry if he’s been using your rope for 4 years …unless you’re a big clumsy oaf that falls off all the time and he’s a lightweight that flashes everything 🙂

Oh christ, what have I done…

I should have been more specific. I was looking for input only from the point of view of the guy whose rope I’m lobbing/chewing on, regards whether he’ll be worried about damage to his rope.

All the other stuff I’m well aware of. Not entirely in agreement about it, but well aware of it.

Well we’ve definitely got concensus on the “ropes are for falling on” issue. So that’s excellent.

As for the clipping well below or near the clip, as the man above says it’s been done ad nauseam on UKC.