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Does anybody own this rope - New England Maxim Apex

Original Post
Sean Cee · · Chicago, IL · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 5

Would like to hear opinions on it as it is on sale at rei right now and I need a new rope for sport and trad multipitch. Havent been able to find any reviews on it.

New England Maxim Apex

Eric Mountford · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 0

I have a New England Maxim. Not the apex but another. Good rope, a little stiff to the touch but long wearing. Heavy in the 70m though and a bit of a pain to coil.

For a trad rope I would go with a 70m, thinner, non dry though. I find myself using the 70m a lot for longer raps and for stretching out lead pitches. And I don't personally see the need for a dry rope unless you'll be ice climbing as well. You can't climb wet rock, and climbers almost always head for home if it's threatening rain, so you don't need a dry rope. Bicolor is handy though.

For my money I would check out Roca ropes like this one.

fixehardware.com/shop/ropes…

Their a Spanish rope and not well known here in the US but Fixe often has them on sale and their good ropes. I have one. It handles well, lasts a long time, and is light for it's length.

Just my two cents.

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

All my ropes are dry, and I think they make a better rope as far as water, dirt etc are concerned. My .02

rogerbenton · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 210

I have a couple maxim ropes, 60M bi-color, 10.2.
They are great workhorse trad and top rope cords.
Maybe a little stiff at first but they limber up quickly.
Hard to beat the price too, I think I paid around $110 a pop.

Sean Cee · · Chicago, IL · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 5

Thanks for the info guys. Those Roca ropes look cool. No dry treatment thought? I tend to go with dry as I heard it helps keep dirt out. Still looking around but good to hear positive experiences with Maxim ropes.

20 kN · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,346

Dont be concerned with dry treatments for rock climbing. They wont last long enough to matter. With heavy use, dry treatments will last about three weeks on rock, possibly less if used on sandstone.

John Ryan · · Poncha Springs, CO · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 170

I bought a New England 10.5 mm Apex in 2008. I loved this rope - it was durable, and had a soft handle to it. I used it for about 3 years when it withheld a fall nearing FF2. This resulted in some damage to the core so I retired the rope. Great rope. Since then I have owned mainly Maxim Glider's 9.9mm. It is a stiff weird rope but I love to clip and belay with it. It has a very tight weave on it, that seems to lend itself to damage more so than ropes with more loose weaves. This is counter to what the manufacturer says, but that has been my experience with several of the Gliders. I still love it though and keep buying it.

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425
20 kN wrote:Dont be concerned with dry treatments for rock climbing. They wont last long enough to matter. With heavy use, dry treatments will last about three weeks on rock, possibly less if used on sandstone.
Unless they are double dry which includes the core. Cheaper ones only do the sheath.
Rockbanned brett · · Plattsburgh, Ny · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 215

Yep, I've got it... got it in 2x's dry... it's a workhorse. had it for going on 2 yrs. use it intermittently. the dry treatement is pretty awesome, and it doesn't show a bit of wear as of yet... Good rope indeed. think I paid like $225 for mine...

Sean Cee · · Chicago, IL · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 5

In the details section of the listing it claims it has dry treatment on the core. It doesnt say anything about the sheath. Im thinking Im going to pull the trigger and buy it today. Thanks for the feedback!

Rockbanned brett · · Plattsburgh, Ny · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 215
Sean Cee wrote:In the details section of the listing it claims it has dry treatment on the core. It doesnt say anything about the sheath. Im thinking Im going to pull the trigger and buy it today. Thanks for the feedback!
Dry = sheath dry treatment.
2x's Dry = Core and Sheath treatment.

I don't think you'll be disappointed dude. Their a good rope. I've got 2 NE ropes, the apex and some other one I don't know the name of, maybe a glider?. Both are really good ropes. The glider is a Dry, it's not the best at shedding water in winter, but the 2x's Dry on the apex is about the best I've come across. next to my Beal Tiger which is Golden Dry. You can drop that thing in a bucket of water for an hour, and when you drag it out, give it a shake it'll be bone dry... :-)
bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

3 things about maxim ropes in general

- they tend to get stiff after some use

- they are probably one of the most durable ropes on the market

- they often give harder catches on lead falls they are all around 9.5 kn while sterlings and many mammuts are ~ 8.5 kn, and beals are ~ 7.5 kn ... conversely they stretch the least out of any major rope brand i believe which is useful on ledgy climbs

ive used my partners who always seem to have em a ton ... however ive moved more towards softer catching ropes personally

;)

20 kN · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,346
Scott McMahon wrote: Unless they are double dry which includes the core. Cheaper ones only do the sheath.
Correct, the double dry versions are better. But even so, I am not convinced the treatment is worth the extra cost. I have not seen any evidence to prove a double dry coating extends the life of the rope enough to warrant the extra cost.
Rockbanned brett · · Plattsburgh, Ny · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 215
20 kN wrote: Correct, the double dry versions are better. But even so, I am not convinced the treatment is worth the extra cost. I have not seen any evidence to prove a double dry coating extends the life of the rope enough to warrant the extra cost.
regular conditions, i.e. rain here and there, or just rock, probably not... But when its for ice, and mixed climbing, you'll definitely see the difference dude. Not as much for the rope life, but for soaking up water and freezing solid. If it's just for rock, nah, no big thing...
20 kN · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,346
Rockbanned wrote: regular conditions, i.e. rain here and there, or just rock, probably not... But when its for ice, and mixed climbing, you'll definitely see the difference dude. Not as much for the rope life, but for soaking up water and freezing solid. If it's just for rock, nah, no big thing...
I agree, handling a frozen noodle while ice climbing sucks. But I was only talking about rock climbing. I know it's useful for ice, and ice does not wear the coating off nearly as fast either.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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