On Rope

"On Rope" is the name of the authority in rope climbing books. It is also what is called when you are about to ascend up a tree when climbing in a group. It is also the subject of today's musings.

It's been a rough week. My sleep has been exceptionally poor, call stressful, and politics have intruded constantly into my thoughts. Climbing trees is a wonderful escape. It allows for problem solving, focusing my mind on tasks at hand and not a myriad of other worries. It is a re-connection (figuratively and literally) with nature. It is physical work, which adds to the feelings of accomplishment. It offers new perspectives in familiar settings, and it involves just enough risk to always keep it exciting.

Even on days when I don't climb, I can enjoy a portion of the experience in working with my ropes.

I got a new rope this week. In the photo above it is the red rope. It's called "The Fly". Technically it is a 7/16" Static Kernmantle Rope. Every hobby has its lingoes, and mine involves words like "kernmantle", "kilonewtons" and a host of knot-tying terms. Pictured with the red Fly rope is my green Poison Ivy rope (11mm, 200 feet) and my Cadillac of ropes, the camouflage colored 11mm "Snakebite" rope, all 600 feet of it.

I have two eye-hooks bolted into the ceiling of my office (with grudging approval from Kate), and I can stand in here and practice tying Blake's hitches, figure 8's, Prussik's, and other complicated climbing set-ups involving split-tails, lanyards, various hardware pieces and mechanical tools.

I'm sure the escape must be similar to the fly fisherman intricately crafting a fly, or someone who needlepoints carefully placing each stitch. It's a feeling of focus, creation, and learning.

There's a "feel" to the rope that is very satisfying. A good climbing rope is soft enough to easily be tied, yet each of those ropes can hold over 5,000 lbs. A knot will feel and look right if tied correctly, and wrong if not. Over time muscle memory sets in, and the knots seem to form in your hand just by thinking about them.

It's a good hobby. I hope to bring my kids more and more up into the trees, and pass along this appreciation to them (as well as a lot of hardware). My oldest has climbed with me, and is gradually learning the knots and the skills. It's fun to have other family members tell me about particularly interesting trees they've seen - ones that would be "great to climb". Once you start looking at trees that way, you find yourself constantly doing so.

It's a beautiful Fall weekend, I'm not on call, so hopefully I'll be spending some time off the ground.

Update: I got my climb in