Yahoo Canyons Group

sheath slip/ Bluewater Canyoneering Rope~GEAR

By Charly Oliver · July 17, 2002

Oh yeah. I forgot sheath slip.

The 9mm Canyon Pro (prototype) had a little sheath ship after that first week of use. About three inches on a 200′ rope, seven days of use. I trimmed and resealed the ends.

The 8mm rope has had no sheath slip yet. I’ll keep you posted.

By the way, sealing the ends of these ropes is a little different than with nylon ropes. Spectra is so slippery it’s hard to get a good seal with a traditional hot cutter, so:

1. I milked the core out of the sheathe about 2cm. 2. I then cut the 2cm end off the Spectra core. 3. I milked the sheath back over the end and sealed the ends with a not cutter. 4. Then I covered the ends in a “cap” of Aqua Seal.

Works great!

Charly

—–Original Message—– From: Charly Oliver [mailto:coliver@trango.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 7:50 AM To: Yahoo Canyons Group Subject: [from Canyons Group] Re: field use/ Bluewater Canyoneering Rope~GEAR

Here’s a little more field test info on the BlueWater ropes I’ve been using last fall and this spring.

9.2mm Canyon (prototype). Nylon core with polyester sheath.

This rope received its initial three days of use around the Cedar Mesa rendezvous October 2001 then again in a couple of cold clear Colorado canyons. A number of different rap devices were used including a Petzl Huit, Kong 8 (small), Black Diamond ATC, Trango Jaws and Trango Pyramid. The polyester sheath fuzzed a little initially then settled into its working form. This fuzzing removed both the “waxy” and “fast” feel of the new rope. This rope handles quite well. Supple enough to tie knots easily yet stiff enough to minimize kinking. The 9.2mm diameter makes it very easy to hold onto when rapping a single line. It was in and out of muddy water a fair amount, dragged through the sand some then thoroughly rinsed on a descent of Dream Canyon. Sheath slip has been virtually zero.

The nylon core gives this rope the ability to absorb an accidental shock loading yet it is not excessively bouncy. Polyester sheaths tend to get a little fuzzy right away but then settle down to a nice working texture. If you are used to using 100% nylon ropes this can seem a little weird at first but once you get used to it it’s no big deal. The rope didn’t float but does resist absorbing water fairly well and dried quickly. I would recommend this as a good “first” rope or for anyone wanting a rope that will withstand a lot of abuse.

9mm Canyon Pro (prototype) Spectra core with polyester sheath. This rope turned into the 8mm version. Used with a Kong 8 (small), Black Diamond ATC and Trango Pyramid.I tested this prototype rope over seven consecutive days spring 2002. A little lighter in weight (but not much) than the nylon/poly rope. Quite durable. Very strong. Absolutely no stretch so rapping off less than bomber anchors demands caution. This rope didn’t actually float either but it didn’t absorb much water and dried out very fast. The 9mm diameter is a good size for both single and double line raps. It is easy to hold onto and very controllable even on single line raps. Similar handling characteristics to the 9.2mm rope above by which I mean, stiff enough not to kink but also knots easily. One cool thing I’ve noticed about Spectra core ropes is that like nylon ropes they stiffen up the more you rappel but repeated bagging seems to soften ’em back up again. My guess is that the Spectra fibers are so dang slippery.

8mm Canyon Pro (production) Kong 8 (small) and Trango B52 (prototype). This is the rope Dave Black and I used on the West Fork of the San Juan trip. The 8mm size is awesome! It’s really light. I have no concerns at all about the small diameter. Spectra/poly construction means no real worries about cutting. Care must be taken when using less than bomber anchors as this rope also has zero ability to absorb an accidental dynamic loading. Very compact. Doesn’t absorb water but doesn’t float either. When used as a single line the 8mm diameter is a little small to hold on to at first but no big deal once you get used to it. The sheath fuzzed up and lost its waxy slick feel right away. This characteristic used to bug me but I’ve gotten used to it now. I would recommend this rope for experienced canyoneers who are looking for a compact, high performance, lightweight rope.

Charly

—–Original Message—– From: ratagonia [mailto:tom@jrat.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 10:40 AM To: Yahoo Canyons Group Subject: [from Canyons Group] Re: 9.2 mm Bluewater Canyoneering Rope~GEAR

Thanks for such a thorough and comprehensive review ;-)

But really, Mr. Bamba, a little more information would perhaps make your review more useful: like –

How many canyons? Which ones? How many rappels x how many people x single or double strand x wet or dry?

Have you used it wet? Core slippage is a lot more prominent when using a rope wet, and different rappel devices encourage slippage to differing degrees. Single strand rappels certainly are a lot tougher on a rope than double strand, and using au naturel anchors tends to be tougher than using well placed fixed anchors.

And if you “liked it a lot”, what is your opinion now?

My apologies if this appears harsh. I think you may have something useful to offer the group, that your hasty post was not effective in communicating.

Tom (aka Mr. Persnickety)

— In canyons@y…, “apolobamba2001” wrote: > I recently purchased this rope and I liked it a lot. It is really > sturdy. It does not absorb water or kink. I have not noticed any > sheath slippage either. > > Downside: Neon Orange

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