Making your own climbing rope for WOD

Mike Yukish · 07-14-2005, 10:46 PM

One of the recent WODs had us climbing a 15' rope. I know quite a few folks don't have a suitable rope, so here's how to make one.

Head down to Home Depot or anywhere else, and get the thick braided nylon rope. About 100 feet worth. Cut into two 50 foot sections. Find the midpoints, and put them around a bar or something so that you have four 25 foot long ends hanging down. Now make a 4-strand square sinnet as per the picture below. Basically, you go over two from the left, over one from the right, under two from the left, under one from the right, and repeat until satisfied. It goes fast. It is even faster with two people, one to weave and the other to manage the loose leads.

The sinnet has lots of feature, so it is pretty easy to grab. It looks flat in the picture, but is round in its actual form. I did this with 11mm climbing rope, and it was a bit on the thin side, but good enough. You could weave another strand into it to thicken it up by just following an existing lead of the rope, in essence doubling up a strand.

The picture is from The Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford Ashley.
http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/11888.jpg

Larry Lindenman · 07-15-2005, 06:06 AM

Mike, thank you!

Tanner Kolb · 07-15-2005, 06:58 AM

yeah mike, great post, well needed

Rene Renteria · 07-15-2005, 11:18 AM

Nice! I was wondering how to do that with an old climbing rope.

You can also buy manilla ropes. Here's one source ($1.79 per foot at 1.5 inches diameter):

http://www.ahlstrand-marine.com/mari...re/manila.html

Shipping is around $15 for 20 feet. This link and links to two other suppliers can be found on Ross Enamait's "Warrior Wire" (#9), here:

http://www.warriorforce.com/newsletter/warriorwire9.htm

Have fun,
Rene'

Craig Bucher · 07-15-2005, 11:43 AM

I braided 3 strands of 5/8 inch rope from the Tractor Supply. A little slippery with a crossfit sweat, but gets the job done. $32.00 for 100 foot rope, braids to longer than 20 feet, probably closer to 25.
http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/11905.jpg

Brian Hand · 07-16-2005, 01:09 PM

EXCELLENT, thanks Mike! FAQ worthy info. The loop is built in at the top, too. Anything in that book for making a cargo net?

Mike Yukish · 07-16-2005, 01:53 PM

Cargo net? Oh yeah. I'll give it a look. More to follow.

James Hall · 07-17-2005, 07:21 PM

Today I made my own rope from 4 3/8" ropes from Wally World using Mike's suggestions. Tonight my 14 yo son did 1 15' climb w/o legs. I challenged him to a PU contest and he pulled 18 (I did 16) + 10 on a second round!
Thanks Mike!

Mike Yukish · 07-18-2005, 05:57 AM

Here's what the 4 strand sinnet looks like, tied in thin stuff. You can get a feel for how the diameter of the final rope relates to the diameter of the individual cord, and also how much feature is in the rope. It is hand-friendly. Looks cool too.

http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/11981.jpg

Kathryn Steen · 07-18-2005, 07:25 AM

i suppose you could loop the top part of the rope around some type of hook/carabiner/etc so that your rope was portable? where do you guys hang your ropes?

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07-14-2005, 10:46 PM	#1
Mike Yukish Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: State College PA Posts: 448	One of the recent WODs had us climbing a 15' rope. I know quite a few folks don't have a suitable rope, so here's how to make one. Head down to Home Depot or anywhere else, and get the thick braided nylon rope. About 100 feet worth. Cut into two 50 foot sections. Find the midpoints, and put them around a bar or something so that you have four 25 foot long ends hanging down. Now make a 4-strand square sinnet as per the picture below. Basically, you go over two from the left, over one from the right, under two from the left, under one from the right, and repeat until satisfied. It goes fast. It is even faster with two people, one to weave and the other to manage the loose leads. The sinnet has lots of feature, so it is pretty easy to grab. It looks flat in the picture, but is round in its actual form. I did this with 11mm climbing rope, and it was a bit on the thin side, but good enough. You could weave another strand into it to thicken it up by just following an existing lead of the rope, in essence doubling up a strand. The picture is from The Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford Ashley. http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/11888.jpg

07-15-2005, 06:06 AM	#2
Larry Lindenman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 2,769	Mike, thank you!

07-15-2005, 06:58 AM	#3
Tanner Kolb Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Petoskey MI Posts: 265	yeah mike, great post, well needed

07-15-2005, 11:18 AM	#4
Rene Renteria Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 364	Nice! I was wondering how to do that with an old climbing rope. You can also buy manilla ropes. Here's one source ($1.79 per foot at 1.5 inches diameter): http://www.ahlstrand-marine.com/mari...re/manila.html Shipping is around $15 for 20 feet. This link and links to two other suppliers can be found on Ross Enamait's "Warrior Wire" (#9), here: http://www.warriorforce.com/newsletter/warriorwire9.htm Have fun, Rene'

07-15-2005, 11:43 AM	#5
Craig Bucher Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Blacksburg Virginia Posts: 46	I braided 3 strands of 5/8 inch rope from the Tractor Supply. A little slippery with a crossfit sweat, but gets the job done. $32.00 for 100 foot rope, braids to longer than 20 feet, probably closer to 25. http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/11905.jpg

07-16-2005, 01:09 PM	#6
Brian Hand Departed Profile: Join Date: Dec 1969 Posts: 633	EXCELLENT, thanks Mike! FAQ worthy info. The loop is built in at the top, too. Anything in that book for making a cargo net?

07-16-2005, 01:53 PM	#7
Mike Yukish Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: State College PA Posts: 448	Cargo net? Oh yeah. I'll give it a look. More to follow.

07-17-2005, 07:21 PM	#8
James Hall Member Profile: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Gatesville Texas Posts: 61	Today I made my own rope from 4 3/8" ropes from Wally World using Mike's suggestions. Tonight my 14 yo son did 1 15' climb w/o legs. I challenged him to a PU contest and he pulled 18 (I did 16) + 10 on a second round! Thanks Mike!

07-18-2005, 05:57 AM	#9
Mike Yukish Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: State College PA Posts: 448	Here's what the 4 strand sinnet looks like, tied in thin stuff. You can get a feel for how the diameter of the final rope relates to the diameter of the individual cord, and also how much feature is in the rope. It is hand-friendly. Looks cool too. http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/11981.jpg

07-18-2005, 07:25 AM	#10
Kathryn Steen Member Profile: Join Date: May 2005 Location: Frankford DE Posts: 156	i suppose you could loop the top part of the rope around some type of hook/carabiner/etc so that your rope was portable? where do you guys hang your ropes?