Is the Mammut Infinity worth the extra money?

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This has been a good, affordable rope for me so far. Save the $,and get some draws or a cam or two.

I have a Tusk, and while it is a really really durable rope it is also heavy and still stiff after 3 years of use. Have even hauled with it on big walls. Nothing will soften it up.

in my experience the Tusk is a price point rope. It doesnt handle well, it is heavy and in my experience it is not durable at all. I destroyed the sheath in less than three months and then got a core shot in the middle. There was nothing I liked about that rope and would not recommend it to any one.
The infinity is a great rope but still on the stiff side. Mammut's tend to also have a higher impact force and lower dynamic elongation than other ropes of the same diameter. For me those are the two most import attributes to a rope. along with the general feel and handling. For me Sterling and Beal are the two best ropes on the market. I have had mammuts before and liked them but they lose out in the handling category.

Having owned two Tusks and one Infinity, I would have to strongly recommend the Tusk over the Infinity considering the circumstances outlined by the OP. My anecdotal experience with the Tusks (which may be outdated since both those ropes are several years old at this point) is very much in line with what is being said here: they're heavy, stiff, and don't handle nearly as well as many other ropes. That said, both of mine were absolute work horses and I still use them regularly. I've beaten the hell out of them nearly constantly for years.

For this reason, coupled with the fact that you can seemingly always find a good deal on them somewhere, I think they make good starter ropes. The infinity is a fantastic rope and might be a worthwhile option a bit later on but it seems that if you're going trash a rope you might as well get one that will stand up to that abuse better, especially if you can save some money in the process.

Gym use in particular isn't the best use of high end goods, in my opinion. I've slowly come to the realization that it's worth having a $30 pair of cheap gym shoes to work out in, thereby saving the rubber on my outdoor shoes for when I'm on actual rock. Ditto for ropes. Indoors, or for navigating the learning curve, the cheaper the better.

Having owned both the Tusk and Infinity, I would absolutely pay the extra money for the latter.

john strand wrote:There have been ads for Edelweiss 9.8 here for around US $110, don't know about UK pricing though

Agree, get a cheaper rope for a starter', maybe a 10.something,but easily under 140 bucks if you shop around. Top rope on it, beat it up, take your starting lead falls galore , and when you've mastered your outdoor rock technique, go for a better $$ rope in a season or two.

I've owned SIX Infinitys over the past six years, so yes I feel it's worth the extra money... Unless you're a beginning climber.

My other favorite rope is Mammut's lesser-known pricepoint rope the Climax. Amazing handling rope for the money!

eveningsends.com/2012/02/re…

And since you're planning to eventually use it outside make sure you buy a 70 meter.

Bearbreeder: Yard sale?

Not that it hasn't been said already but I absolutely love my infinity.

Buy a rope that's on sale, quit worrying about it, and go have fun. All the newer ropes are skinny compared to not that many years ago. When I started 11mm diameter and 45m long was pretty standard - then 10.5 and 50 meters - now things just keep advancing. How fat your rope is won't affect 99% of the climbers out there anyway. Spend your money on gasoline to go climb more.

I got a Tusk as my first rope. I've been happy with it, and I'm glad I went with a thick(ish) dry-treated rope. I would even say IF I wasn't hiking in to some of my climbs now, a 10.2mm would have been nice.

When you're new, the extra durability and dry-treatment is nice. Skinny ropes can't take as many falls, and you're going to wear them out faster. As it's your first rope, chances are you aren't yet an expert at protecting your rope, so you'll even be putting extra wear on it. For example, I know in the beginning I was not very good about extending the anchor just right for TR.

So, the Tusk is not delicious silky honey like some of the nice skinny ropes these days, but I'm glad I got a 9.8mm.