Question - How to un-twist climbing rope?

[JohnSmith]

This is a question to the climbing bunch of you all.

The usage of a munter hitch to rappel has been needed on some explores of late, but this has put some nasty twists in my main line. I know I should have a proper device, but the munter hitch does the job perfectly apart from some sheath wear and twists.

So, anyone have any good ideas how to un-twist a climbing rope?

Cheers

 

[Ojay]

Italian hitch is last resort and not something you should bother with as a 'necessity'

Stop/Rig/i.D etc are all relatively cheap enough, even cheaper a fig 8 or a piranha

I'd stop pissing about with that as an option and get a bit more life out of your ropes man!

 

[The Lone Ranger]

The best way is to let it free hang and untwist naturally, you could probably do this in sections if you can't find something high enough to do it all at once.

 

[JohnSmith]

Italian hitch is last resort and not something you should bother with as a 'necessity'

Stop/Rig/i.D etc are all relatively cheap enough, even cheaper a fig 8 or a piranha

I'd stop pissing about with that as an option and get a bit more life out of your ropes man!

Actually I had never heard of those piranhas before, they look a good bit safer than a figure 8. Might check them out.

Cheers

 

[JohnSmith]

The best way is to let it free hang and untwist naturally, you could probably do this in sections if you can't find something high enough to do it all at once.

Ok gotcha, might attach a weight to the bottom to speed the process up. Thanks for the advice!

 

[userscott]

The best way to reliably remove the twists will be to have the rope in a big pile on the floor, and "flake" it by hand into another big pile. Keep doing this over and over again and you'll see the twists disappear.

If I can be a bore, though.. Never use a rope hitch to abseil unless absolutely necessary as it's just not worth the damage to the rope as you've found out! Figure 8s and Piranhas will do similar, but not quite as severe damage - the Figure 8 being a popular choice in the 70s to the mid 90s prior to the early versions of the belay devices which are now all very common. Sheath wear and twists are not the hall marks of a descending function that's working perfectly, so instead you may wish to invest in a modern belay device - currently £7 from Go Outdoors.. http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/camp-shell-belay-device-p415236 You can abseil with it then but of course you can also belay your partner!

 

[JohnSmith]

The best way to reliably remove the twists will be to have the rope in a big pile on the floor, and "flake" it by hand into another big pile. Keep doing this over and over again and you'll see the twists disappear.

If I can be a bore, though.. Never use a rope hitch to abseil unless absolutely necessary as it's just not worth the damage to the rope as you've found out! Figure 8s and Piranhas will do similar, but not quite as severe damage - the Figure 8 being a popular choice in the 70s to the mid 90s prior to the early versions of the belay devices which are now all very common. Sheath wear and twists are not the hall marks of a descending function that's working perfectly, so instead you may wish to invest in a modern belay device - currently £7 from Go Outdoors.. http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/camp-shell-belay-device-p415236 You can abseil with it then but of course you can also belay your partner!

Cheers Scott!

Just about myself a tubular belay device so hopefully that will solve my problems. Good shout on the flaking, really does the trick after a while!