One of the most important safety procedures that one can do before climbing is tying into the rope ... there is at least 3 inches of tail leaving the knot. Tie off the extra tail of rope to the live ...
Yes, even if you never use a brand new climbing rope, it still 'expires ... you can simply tie a figure 8 knot into one end and attach a locking carabiner to the loop, where it will then clip ...