What do you do when your climbing rope reaches the end of its load-bearing lifetime? You can let it take up space in storage, recycle it, or, like these creative climbers below, turn it into something new.
The Access Fund, a national advocacy group that preserves climbing environments, asked its members to submit photos of old ropes put to new use. These were a few of the results.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2013; here we update it for 2017.
1. Rope Couch
![Rope Couch made from old climbing rope](/legacy/images/11309.jpg)
2. Rope Ladder
![ladder from old climbing rope](/legacy/images/11306.jpg)
3. Dog Leash Rope
![climbing rope dog leash](/legacy/images/11304.jpg)
4. Rope Lawn Chairs
![climbing rope lawn chairs](/legacy/images/11311.jpg)
5. Rope Rug
![climbing rope dog matt](/legacy/images/11310.jpg)
6. Rope Wine Bottle Holder
![Recycling ideas for old climbing rope](/legacy/images/11326.jpg)
7. Picture Frame
![Old climbing rope uses](/legacy/images/11325.jpg)
8. Mesmerizing Rope Mat
![Climbing rope floor mat](/legacy/images/11313.jpg)
9. Rope Chalk Bag
![Climbing rope chalk bag](/legacy/images/11305.jpg)
10. Rope Beer Koozie
![creative ways to use retired rope](/legacy/images/11308.jpg)
See more entries at the Access Fund’s Facebook page under its “Retired Rope Creations” post.