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I finally saw a climbing line snap on a big oak in Atlanta | Arborists - Guest Forum

I finally saw a climbing line snap on a big oak in Atlanta

It was a standard removal job in Decatur, a 90 foot white oak over a garage. I was running the ropes for my climber, and we were about 60 feet up. The line, a 5/8 inch static rope we'd used for maybe two years, just popped on a heavy limb. No weird angle, no sharp edge we missed. The limb dropped straight down, punched through the garage roof like it was paper, and left a hole you could drive a car through. We shut the whole job down right then. I spent the next three hours checking every inch of our other ropes with a magnifying glass. Found two more with core shots we'd missed. How often are you guys actually retiring gear before it fails? I feel like the 'it looks fine' check is not enough anymore.

3 comments

3 Comments

smith.blair7mo ago

Man that's terrifying. A buddy of mine had a similar scare with an old rigging sling that looked totally fine. It was holding a decent sized pine top, and it just gave way with a sound like a gunshot. The block shot back and missed his head by maybe two feet. He got real religious about retiring stuff on a schedule after that, not just when it looks bad. Makes you wonder how much unseen damage is just sitting there waiting.

morgan.adam6mo ago

Check every rope for core shots by bending it back hard over your thumb, looking for any flat spots or changes in color. @smith.blair is totally right about retiring gear on a schedule, not just by looks. I had a rigging line fail on me once and the sound still haunts me, just like your buddy's story. That invisible damage is the real killer in this job, so now I mark retirement dates right on the gear with a paint pen.

sandra_martinez577mo ago

A five-eighths inch static rope just snapping under normal load is the kind of thing that ruins your whole week. You check your gear, you trust it, and then it turns out you've been working with hidden faults. Finding two more ropes with core damage after that would make me question every piece of equipment in the truck. It's not just a close call, it's proof the danger is invisible. That garage roof never stood a chance.