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Single Rope for Alpine Climbing/Nano Reviews?

Original Post
ben climbski · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 0

Hello,
I'm looking for a slim (~9mm) rope for long alpine climbs with long approaches. I have used Sterling cords and have been pretty impressed with the Nano but the price tag is a bit tough to swallow. Anyone out there who has more experience with the rope options in this size range have an argument for/against spending the extra $?
Thanks

BoulderCharles · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 95

This is definitely a personal risk/reward preference but I tend to shy away from thinner ropes in the alpine. Loose rock is common so I want the extra sheath just in case I knock off a rock and it hits the rope. For me, it's worth the extra pound or two to climb on a 9.8 than a 9.0.

ben climbski · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 0

Thanks for the input, Charles.

rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265

i think my alpine rope is a 9.4... also use doubles on occasion. Depedns on the objective. i like just having a single most of the time.

Edit: So i have the sterling 9.4 ion 2 fusion. primarily used it on Sierra grantie and at red rocks thus far. still looking brand new but cant truly say because i dont get out that much anymore. Handles great, not too thin, not too heavy.

ben climbski · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 0

Thanks guys. I have two dragonflys that I use on occasion but generally prefer a single line for the objectives I have in mind. More interested in specific reviews of thin single lines for use in alpine settings. All input is appreciated though! Keep the suggestions coming.

DevinLane · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 265

Mammut Serenity, 8.7 @70m. Durable (for size) and light. It's been my work horse for alpine climbs

Tim Zander · · Breckenridge, CO · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 30

I have the nano. I don't have a boatload of use on it, but like it ice climbing and multipitch. Love the weight

john strand · · southern colo · Joined May 2008 · Points: 1,640

I'm kinda looking for a similar line..around a 9.2 or so. I have always used Mammut, but damn the Serenity is $$$

Jon Hartmann · · Ojai, CA · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,766

I'm using the mammut serenity 8.7 (70meter) for all of my alpine climbs. I just climbed Red Dihedral last weekend and am going to do Dark Star next weekend. It works great, rope drag is minimized which is important on wandering routes. I'm not really expecting to fall on alpine routes anyway but if I did it would probably be a bit unnerving because the rope stretch will be so long. I also use it for long Yosemite climbs 5.10 and below where I know I'm not going to fall (much) and I'd rather have a lightweight rope. I don't see any reason for doubles since most alpine climbs are walk offs with minimal rappels so 2 ropes seems overkill unless retreating is possible. The sheath is still intact and I'm happy with my purchase. It sure is worth the $ to me just to have less weight in my pack on the approaches. You won't remember the cost of the rope but you sure will remember how much weight is on your shoulders by the end of the trip.

Arthur · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 136

Depending on the objective I'm often just using my 8.1 Beal Iceline 70m, folded in half used as a twin. This gives me about 35m of rope between my partner and I for short spurts of technical climbing when we want to pitch it out, but more often for just simulclimbing at that length (or shorter). Still get a 35m rap, less weight, and works for the type of climbing we are interested in. Used that method on the Cirque traverse in the Winds this weekend.

coldfinger · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 55

The Nano in its 9.2 is one of the best ropes ever made.

Time will tell about the 9.0 but I can't help but think it is sweet.

Andrew Mayer · · Driggs, ID · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 131

I haven't pulled the trigger yet on one but the 9mm Catalyst from Trango seems to get good reviews. Plus its triple certified (single, half, twin) so you've got alot of options with it. I think that will be my next skinny alpine rope.

jmeizis · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 230

Just finished climbing a bunch of stuff in the Cascades and RMNP with Beal's Opera, an 8.5mm single. No complaints yet. Had to bail off something in the Cascades last year and core shotted a brand new Nano. No complaints with the one from the previous year of climbing though.

I think you have to accept less durability with skinnier ropes but I've tried a lot of ropes and manufacturers over the years. With few exceptions there aren't really any bad ones.

As for Doubles vs. Singles it really depends on what and where you're doing most of your climbing.

Michael Schneiter · · Glenwood Springs, CO · Joined Apr 2002 · Points: 10,406
Andrew Mayer wrote:I haven't pulled the trigger yet on one but the 9mm Catalyst from Trango seems to get good reviews. Plus its triple certified (single, half, twin) so you've got alot of options with it. I think that will be my next skinny alpine rope.
+1 for the Catalyst. Great rope. I've also used the Nano in the alpine and thought it was great and seemed to hold up well.
bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

If yr on a climb where a fall is a "i wont fall but just in case" situation a single mammut genesis has more sheath material than a mammut serenity .... And itll hold a fall just fine

Mammut themselves say that a single genesis is more durable abrasion wise than a serenity

For instance, our Genesis 8.5mm half ropes are designed for ice and alpine climbing. Climbers rarely fall in these situations but they do subject their ropes to incredible abrasion and they need them to be very cut-resistant. With these ropes we consider a high number of test falls held to be of relatively less importance, so we sacrifice the falls-held rating—which reflects to a large degree how long a rope will last under repeated hard falls—in order to build a rope that will be ultra-durable under very harsh abrasion conditions and will be more difficult to scrape through to the core. We do this in part by altering the tension the rope is braided under, the pattern of the braid, chemical treatments that are thermally applied during the heat-treating process, etc—but we also use a relatively thin core and a very thick sheath, because that helps the rope to be as durable as possible under these types of situations.

Some of our ultra-thin single ropes like the Serenity 8.9mm have a relatively thin sheath because even with all the tricks we can muster we still need a certain amount of core in order to pass the UIAA test for a single rope—in this case we use a thinner sheath to achieve a very low weight and thin diameter, but we do thins knowing that this is a very specialized rope that is only appropriate under very specific circumstances. In these cases they are used by very experienced climbers for hard sport climbs or alpine routes where they are willing to sacrifice a level of abrasion resistance in exchange for lighter weight—this is why we recommend that people do not use any of these very thin single ropes for workout climbing or toproping. People also need to recognize that even though these are single ropes, and even though the diameter is larger than our Genesis half ropes, under conditions where the main danger is cutting or abrasion the thicker rope might actually be LESS durable and have a lower safety margin.


highinfatuation.com/blog/st…

And as a bonus u can use em as doubles in a set

This is of course against "must be absolutely safe no exceptions" practice as youll be leading on a single half rope ...

;)

ben climbski · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 0

Some great responses coming through, thanks guys! I'm not hearing any strong arguments for the Nano vs. other ropes in that size range but the price differential is quite high.

Looking at these skinny singles has got me wondering about another thing: I see that some of these ropes are rated as twins and halves in addition to singles. It would seem that any rope that qualifies as a single would pass as a twin or a half. Am I missing something? Is there anything about the UIAA requirements that would prevent most singles from being sold as half and twin lines as well? Or is this just a way of marketing these skinny singles as a more versatile line?

Arthur · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 136

Greenben,

The reason that some singles can't be used as twins or doubles is because they can't get the impact forces low enough in that configuration. 12kN is the standard for a single rope, 8 kN for a double using a 55kg mass if I am reading it correctly. Theoretically you could use a single (not rated as a twin or double) in that configuration just know that you will have impact forces in excess of those allowed by the UIAA standard for a twin or half.

My main rope I use is the Petzl Volta, as it is a single, twin, or half. However in the scenario I mentioned earlier in the thread I use the 8.1mm Beal Ice Line if I know I will not be needing any single strand use on the objective.

Eli Buzzell · · noco · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 5,506
john strand wrote:I'm kinda looking for a similar line..around a 9.2 or so. I have always used Mammut, but damn the Serenity is $$$
Hey John (and others), I picked up a Mammut 9.2 70m for 150$ pretty recently. I thought it was a great deal, and I definitely like the rope. I assume it will be onsale again at some point.

( backcountry.com/mammut-reve…)
Sirius · · Oakland, CA · Joined Nov 2003 · Points: 660

I use the Marathon Half 8.8. Got it on sale from CampSaver for roughly $120 this spring. No regrets so far. Last use was on the Snake Dike - much nicer carrying that than a 10.2 for the approach.

Jon H · · PC, UT · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 118

I have a brand new 80 meter Nano 9.2 for sale in B&S if anyone is interested

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115
bearbreeder wrote:If yr on a climb where a fall is a "i wont fall but just in case" situation a single mammut genesis has more sheath material than a mammut serenity .... And itll hold a fall just fine Mammut themselves say that a single genesis is more durable abrasion wise than a serenity .... And as a bonus u can use em as doubles in a set This is of course against "must be absolutely safe no exceptions" practice as youll be leading on a single half rope ... ;)
+100

I used to have a set of Mammut Genesis half ropes (60 m, dry), and I loved using just one of them as an alpine "single" rope. So much lighter and less bulky than a real* single rope, but still thick enough to provide confidence and durability. I even used to use that system sometimes on long non-alpine routes where I wanted to go light. A climbing partner of mine once took a 40 footer (on overhanging rock too, not just some slab slide) while using just a "single" Genesis; no issues whatsoever. I have total faith in that rope.

  • Granted, that was about 8 years ago, before the latest crop of super-skinny single ropes. Now that you can get a 8.7 single, I guess youcould just go with that if you feel better having an "official" single rope. I can't imagine why anyone would lug a 9.8 on a 3 hour approach in the mountains, for a route you're not going to fall on anyway.

Nowadays I have a 9.2 Edelweiss Performance that I'm pretty happy with. I also recently got a 7.9 twin rope, mainly for tagline use on non-alpine long routes. I have a vague idea that I may use it in the future as a super-sketch "single" for easy alpine applications...I'll see about that...
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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