Winch cable ?s

[Peanut Butter]

I don't know anything about climbing rope, but I don't think you can compare it to synthetic winch cable.
Yes you do have to be more careful in the rocks but that's what the sleeve is for. Mud doesn't seem to effect it, nor do normal snatch blocks.
Most of the people I ride with use it and have for many years with no problems, and we use our winches a lot, not only for helping ourselves and others but also for pulling downed trees out of the way.

It is very similar to rope used in repelling/climbing. And yes you don't know much about it or these things would make sense. It is very susceptible to abrasions and cutting from a verity of sources to include sharp metal surfaces, rocks, sand, dirt and mud which contains small rock particles. These particles will cut and weaken the rope. A good cleaning after each use will help prevent this. It is also sensitive to heat which can occur during winching. Using a snatch block that was used with steel cable can be problematic if it has any sharp metal edges, gouges, or rough surfaces. It also needs to fit the size of rope used. This is more important with rope than steel. Thus my suggestion for using a rope specific snatch block. While your life does not depend on the care of your rope in winching as it does in climbing and repelling, proper care of the rope will make it last much longer. Given the cost of synthetic cable, I would think this advice would be beneficial. Rod