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Static ropes
Climbing ropes
Accessory cords
Rope and gear bags
Rope accessories
In the United States PMI - Pigeon Mountain Industries - is renowned for its low-stretch ("static") rope throughout the caving and rescue fraternities. From their base in North America's caving heartland, PMI set out 24 years ago to make superior ropes for caving - and succeeded. They then extended their range from "sport" ropes for caving to cater for every use of static rope, including height safety, tactical, and rescue. PMI also manufactures various specialised ropes. For tactical purposes there is a black option and various camouflage patterns. For night-time rescue a reflective rescue rope - "Vis-Mat" - is available to order.
| "Three Sigma" strength rating |
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| PMI uses the "three-sigma" method of rating rope strength. This is a statistical method in which a figure three standard deviations below the average result in a standard laboratory test is taken as the rating. This ensures that 99% of ropes will have a higher strength than the rating. In actual use lower figures are obtained because of weakening caused by the knot. PMI 11mm rope breaks at 22.2kN on a bowline knot - remarkably this is over 80% of the rated strength. |
The basis of PMI's ropes is the very tight weave of the sheath. This prevents the sheath from slipping and bunching on the core with repeated use of descenders or ascenders, and more importantly, it gives the rope great abrasion resistance.
American cavers have very informal rigging techniques, compared to those used in Europe and elsewhere. Because of this American static ropes are generally made very tough, while European ropes are much softer, with looser sheaths and more stretch. Among American caving ropes, PMI seem to achieve the best balance of stiffness and handling.
PMI distinguishes between"Sport" and "Rescue" ropes. Both are exactly the same, except that rescue ropes come with NFPA certification (see below), and because of this they cost slightly more.
One of the important features of caving ropes is their stretch under low loads,which should be as small as possible, to minimise bounce when prusiking. PMI Static rope has extremely low elongation under body weight. Even the smaller sizes have less than 2% stretch. You can prusik on 9mm rope with virtually no bounce at all.
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The Cordage Institute in the USA recently re-defined the terms "static" and "low-stretch" as follows: Static: less than 6% stretch at 10% of break strength; Low-stretch: 6-10% stretch at 10% of break strength. In the case of 11mm PMI Static rope the minimum break strength is 27 kN, so therefore stretch is measured with a load of 2.7 kN - approximately 270 kg. Based on older standards, PMI usually quotes stretch figures with a load of 147 kg, which are 1.4 kg for PMI Static and 4% for PMI Impact (see below). |
A recent addition to our PMI rope range is 11mm Impact rope. PMI introduced Impact as an low-stretch alternative rope for the rescue industry, particularly for use in belaying, to reduce peak loads in the event of a shock-loading. We stock Impact in the 11mm size, although it is also available in a 12.5 mm size. In addition to its application in the rescue industry, Impact can also be used for top-roping in outdoor centres and climbing gyms, or wherever a durable rope is required and a moderate level of stretch is desirable.
Impact is composite rope, which uses a polyester sheath for durability, and a nylon core for strength. The static elongation under a load of 140 kgs is 4%, compared with less than 2% for the standard PMI ropes. (By comparison, dynamic climbing ropes stretch 6-8% under a load of 80kg).
The Australian-New Zealand standard for rope access work on structures specifies that ropes used in rope access meet either the Australian rescue rope standard, CE standard, or the NFPA standard. (See Product standards). All PMI rescue ropes can be supplied with NFPA certification. We supply 11mm and 12.5mm sizes of rescue rope. The 11mm size is available in black as well as white.
* NFPA = National Fire Protection Association (USA)
PMI produces ropes which generally have a tight sheath construction. The downside of a tight sheath construction is a stiffer rope. To suit those who prefer a softer rope, PMI makes two versions of their ropes. The original stiffer ropes are called Regular or Max-Wear (to emphasize their greater durability), and have the greatest possible abrasion resistance, but are very stiff to handle. They are ideal for caving, but most people find them too stiff for general use. The alternative is a softer handling rope called Flex or EZ-Bend, which iis nicer to use, but is not as tough as Max-Wear.
PMI 11mm and 12.5mm rescue ropes can be supplied with swaged loops at the ends, to provide a fixed eye without the need for knots. PMI claims a strength of 97% of the normal test strength of the rope for these swaged eyes.
These swages can only be fitted to new ropes before they leave the factory. It is not possible to have old ropes retro-fitted. Also, because these ropes are obviously not a stock item, there can be a considerable lead time before these are delivered.
We stock PMI static rope in a range of sizes and lengths as shown in the table below. Other options are available to order. Note that the uses recommended below are a guide only. Purchasers should evaluate their requirements carefully.
| Size | Sheath | Type | Weight /metre | Strength | Uses |
| 7.5 mm | P.E.R. | 39 gm | 15.6 kN | Emergency rope. | |
| 9 mm | Regular | Sport | 53 gm | 19.3 kN | Lightweight caving, lightweight safety lines. |
| 10 mm | Flex | Sport | 74 gm | 23.1 kN | Outdoor education - abseiling, top roping |
| 10 mm | Regular | Sport | 74 gm | 23.1 kN | Caving |
| 11 mm | Flex | Rescue | 82 gm | 26.9 kN | Rescue teams, rope access, height safety, tactical |
| 11mm | Regular | Sport | 82 gm | 26.9 kN | Adventure operators, caving (fixed ropes) |
| 11mm | Flex | Impact | 82 gm | 26.7 kN | Outdoor centres, climbing gyms (top-roping) |
| 12.5mm | Flex | Rescue | 104 gm | 40.5 kN | Fire Service, rescue teams, height safety |
We will cut any lengths to order according to customer requirements.
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Aspiring Enterprises supplies dynamic climbing ropes from the French manufacturer Millet. The rope division of Millet was formed by merging two of France's long-standing rope manufacturers, Cousin-Trestec and Rivory-Joanny in 1999. The operation was consolidated in Cousin-Trestec's factory, but incorporated many of the Rivory-Joanny design features, including the thickened sheath and the three-strand core (see below). Some of the ropes, including the Diamond 3 and the Altitude 3 are in fact Rivory-Joanny designs which have been continued.
Millet is now the only rope manufacturer in the world to make a braided core rope. The braided core comprises three sections braided together, and costs more to make, but is much tougher than the standard twisted core. As each strand of the core operates on its own, there is much greater resistance to cutting of the rope, and there is also improved adhesion between the sheath and the core. The ropes achieve high fall numbers in testing. These ropes are designated by a "3" after the name. Braided core ropes are Diamond 3, Silver 3, and Altitude 3.
Millet can also make ropes which have a thickened sheath. In these ropes the sheath is 20-30% thicker than in a normal rope, which gives the rope much better resistance to abrasion. Therefore these ropes are desirable when there is repetitive wear on a rope, such as in climbing gyms. Thickened sheath ropes are Top Rock, Silver 3, and Pro Force.
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Top Rock 10.7 mm single rope Standard treatment |
A heavy duty hard-wearing rope for climbing gyms, rope courses, and outdoor centres. The specially thickened sheath provides excellent abrasion resistance. |
| Diamond 3 10.4 mm single rope Standard treatment |
A mid-weight but hard-wearing single rope for sport climbing and general use. The three-strand braided core will handle multiple falls well |
| Silver 3 9.7mm single rope Standard treatment |
A lightweight single rope with excellent handling. The combination of three strand core and thickened sheath makes this the toughest possible rope for its weight. |
| Altitude 9.0 mm half rope Water resistent |
A half rope for light-weight mountaineering on moderate routes. Three-strand core improves resistance to cutting. |
| Pro Force 8.8 mm half rope Standard treatment |
Double ropes particularly suit climbs with natural protection. Very low impact force, sustains a high number of falls. |
| Pro Alpine 8.5mm half Water resistent |
For technical alpine climbing, a pair of Pro Alpine ropes is ideal for versatility as well as for the convenience of abseiling with double ropes. |
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Millet accessory cords are attractive, high quality cords for every purpose, in a range of sizes from 3mm to 8mm. The 4mm to 8mm sizes comply with the European standard.
| ACCESSORY CORD SIZES | |||
| Size | Rating | Spool | Uses |
| 3mm | 155 daN | 200 metre | Tent guys, draw-cords |
| 4mm | 320 daN | 200 metre | Boot laces, utility cord |
| 5mm | 500 daN | 200 metre | Prusik slings, etriers |
| 6mm | 720 daN | 200 metre | Prusik slings, nut slings, purcell prusiks |
| 7mm | 980 daN | 200 metre | Nut slings, haul rope, cordelettes |
| 8mm | 1280 daN | 200 metre | Tandem belay slings, emergency rope, Aztek rope, jigger cord. |
Note: 1 daN = 0.01 kN = 1.02 kg
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Aspiring Enterprises manufactures a range of durable bags for carrying and storing ropes and equipment. There are four different styles to accommodate different rope lengths and to suit different uses. All have a haul loop on each side so that they can be used for rope deployment or hauling. Reinforcing rands around the base increase the durability of the bags.
Our Small rope bag fits a standard 50m rope to perfection and has a 38mm adjustable strap enabling it to be carried on one shoulder, which is helpful when carrying a pack also. It has an internal loop for attaching the lower end of the rope, and is an ideal rope deployment bag. These have previously been produced in gold nad red, but in future the colour will be black.
The Medium rope bag is a mid-sized bag which can accommodate up to 100 metres of rope (depending somewhat on thickness and stiffness). It is made from blue PVC and is fitted with two basic shoulder straps for carrying.
The Standard rope bag is a basic pack, with comfy padded shoulder straps as well as a waist strap for increased stability. The bag has an outside pocket so that hardware - karabiners, descenders, etc - can be separated from the rope or bulky gear in the main compartment, which can hold 160 metres of 11mm rope. The Standard Rope Bag has a clear plastic pocket with a white card so that a record of the bag’s contents can be seen. Made from durable red cordura.
The Large Rope Bag is made of white PVC and is quite simply... large! It will hold 200m of rope, or helmets, harnesses, buoyancy vests, wetsuits, whatever. An excellent gear management tool for outdoor instructors, river guides, etc. The Large Rope Bag comes with a heavy duty rubber base as used on our caving packs, and has padded shoulder straps to ease the burden on the shoulders.
| Size | Material | Colour | Volume |
| Small | 420D Oxford | black | 25 litres |
| Medium | PVC | blue | 40litres |
| Standard | Cordura | red | 55 litres |
| Large | PVC | white | 75 litres |
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The tarp itself is quite small and is a tub shape, so that the rope will not slide off onto the dirt. The tub also makes it easier to convert the tarp into a bag for packing, either into the satchel or by itself.
The tarp is made of black ripstop nylon, and the satchel is a heavy-duty kodra fabric, jade in colour. The satchel is provided with an adjustable carrying strap.
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Often it’s necessary to protect ropes from sharp edges and rough surfaces. Enter the Aspiring rope protectors. The standard rope protector is a velcro-fastening sleeve of white PVC, 60cm long, with a double ended tie cord.
If an extremely gnarly edge has to be run, you may need our super protector. These incorporate a strip of the same tough rubber used on our cave pack bases to ensure maximum protection of the rope.
Often it's only the knot that touches the wall. Recent British research shows that old ropes always break at the knot, stressing the need to reduce abrasion there. Therefore, we make a wider knot protector that will take knots in even 12mm ropes.
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Copyright Aspiring Enterprises, revised 11 October, 2003.
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