Saw my climbing line glazing after only 3 climbs... need advice on what I'm doing wrong

I had a scary moment about two weeks ago up in a big cottonwood near Salem. I was doing a spar removal and noticed my static climbing line was getting this shiny, almost melted look right where it ran through my friction hitch. I'm using a standard 11mm line and a blakes hitch, nothing fancy, and I thought I was tending it properly. But when I came down and checked the rope, it had that glazed feel in a spot about a foot long. I ended up swapping to a backup line for the rest of the job and I'm wondering if my hitch cord is too tight or if I'm just not letting it release enough when I descend. Has anyone else seen this kind of glazing happen fast on a newer rope?

2 comments

2 Comments

emerymoore1d ago

Glad you caught that before something went wrong, that glazing sound is terrifying when you hear it up in the tree. I had the same thing happen on a brand new Sterling rope after just two removals, and it turned out my hitch cord was way too tight and I was loading it too fast on my descents. The blakes hitch is simple but it builds up heat quick if you're not letting it slip a little as you come down, especially on a static line that doesn't absorb any of the shock. I switched to a 10mm eye-to-eye cord with a VT prusik and learned to ease into my descents more gradual, and the glazing stopped completely. Have you checked your hitch cord diameter against your rope size?

shane_perry2922h agoMost Upvoted

That "loading it too fast" thing really applies to so much more than just climbing ropes, doesn't it?