They're really unsafe. They live and die by S.R.E.N.E. - an acronym for the four anchor requirements which stands for Solid, Redundant, Equalized and No Extension. He also went on to fill our heads with information on fall factors, dynamic loading, impact forces, and the equations necessary to properly plan a climb. But he tries not to overstep his bounds and cause any friction between climbers. Before my companion slipped on her shoes and got tied in to her harness, Piner had a few words to say about rope.
Rope comes in two distinct applications.
There's static and dynamic. Dynamic is used for climbing and, therefore, has stretch built in to limit the shock your body takes when it stops during a fall. You must take care of your rope, Piner emphasized. He reminded us that it's all that's between you and the hard ground. While climbing, you should never step on your rope, and you should store it in a rope bag to limit the amount of UV rays it receives.