Having run a SRT session today we took the opportunity to fit the load cell to the top of a pitch and have a little look at what forces are generated when ascending and descending a rope.
The full data is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/joi3au8qd8pxhcv/SRT%20Forces.xlsx?dl=0
The head line figures were (for the 2 guys today that is)…
- Peak load: 1.93kN (achieved in SRT ascent)
- Average load in ascent
- First person (approx 60kg): 0.6kN
- Second person (approx 80kg): 0.83kN
- Peak load in decent: 1.36kN
- Average load in decent
- First person: 0.52kN
- Second person: 0.4kN
Whats this tell us?
Well for these two, on this day, at a 6-7m climbing wall it looked like higher loads were placed on the anchors/ropes during ascending, nearly doubling the load achieved when just hanging on the rope! Bouncing clearly increases peak loads.
Abseiling produces smaller peak forces.
Pretty much what you’d expect to see I guess!