Tried a new climbing rope for a big oak job and the difference was huge

I was up in a 70-foot pin oak last Tuesday, swapping between my old 11mm static line and a newer 10.5mm semi-static I borrowed from a guy on the crew. The old rope was fine for years, but man, the thinner one changed the whole climb. It ran through my hitch so much smoother, I wasn't fighting it on every limb walk. The weight difference felt big too, less drag on my saddle. I could feel the extra bit of stretch in the semi-static, which was nicer on my back when I had to make a big cut and swing. Ended up finishing the takedown almost an hour faster than I figured. Anyone else made a switch like that and found it helped with fatigue by the end of the day?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_karen21d ago

Read an article that said even a half-millimeter change can reduce friction by like 15 percent, right?

jennyh3321d ago

That sounds about right from what I've seen. I remember reading about bike tires ages ago, how a tiny change in tread pattern or rubber compound can make a huge difference in how they grip the road. It's wild how small adjustments in engineering can have such a big effect. Makes you realize how much testing goes into stuff we don't even think about.