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Ideal mm size for rope (and brand/model recommendations)
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When I used to only do glacier travel I bought a Beal 8.5mm rope that's rated for twin/half/single. So ideally I thought it's an ultralight rope that I can use as a single if I ever branch out to class 5 climbing. But it is only 50 meters. |
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The mammut revelation 9.2 is my recommendation. It feels like a 9.4 though, which makes it durable, and it's still really light. |
Thatcher wrote:Usually I trust outdoorgearlab for much of my purchasesLOL! anyways I'd go with a 9.8 mm, seems light a good balance between weight and durability |
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Not a fan of OGL eh? I feel like for clothing, tents, etc they do a pretty good job. Haven't really relied on them for climbing. |
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Sterling Evolution velocity Dry 60m 9.8mm BiColor |
Joel Allen wrote:Sterling Evolution velocity Dry 60m 9.8mm BiColor sterlingrope.com/c/climbing…My Mammut 9.2 has been more durable than my velocity 9.8 so far... |
Leif E wrote: My Mammut 9.2 has been more durable than my velocity 9.8 so far...Yep, I'm not a fan of the durability of the velocity, but then again, I'm not a fan of the cable like feel of every Mammut rope I've ever climbed on. Generally speaking, for a workhorse rope that isn't too incredibly thick, 9.6 to 10.0 ropes seem to be the ticket. There are outliers like the Mammut that Leif mentioned, or thicker Beals which always seem to feel thinner than their rated diameter. Just find a good price on a rope in that diameter range with all the features that you want. |
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Mammut infinity dry 9.5. Problem solved. It handles well, is fairly light, and is tough as nails for its diameter. IMO it's the perfect jack of all trades as far as ropes go. |
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What grades will you be climbing and will you be TRing alot |
Leif E wrote: My Mammut 9.2 has been more durable than my velocity 9.8 so far...I've also been much happier with my Mammut, an Infinity 9.5, than my previous Velocity 9.8 as well. Mammut makes a very high quality rope for sure. Also, I want to be sure I'm understanding right, you're not leading on a single half rope are you? That'd be pretty edgy. |
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Not leading on a half rope. My current Beal 8.5 is rated for half or single. But still too thin for my comfort level. |
Thatcher wrote:Not leading on a half rope. My current Beal 8.5 is rated for half or single. But still too thin for my comfort level. I'm mostly leading 5.8. Doing some TR of harder stuff as I grow as a climber. I'm hoping to find my way into leading 5.10s at some point. I'm more about bagging moderate alpine peaks than hanging on 5.12-14s at the crag. But since I'm still a beginner I'm spending lots of time at the crag just pushing myself. I use a Reverso. Most of my partners use either that or the BD Guide.get a 9.8mm - 10mm ... the cragging grades you climbing dont merit a skinny rope ... TR kills thinner (lighter) ropes pretty fast if yr hangdogging ... lower grades tend to be lower angle with more features ... which means more abrasion wear on the rope find something thats cheap, non dry, non duodess ... for a reverso you dont need anything thats super supple either in fact a skinny thin dry $$$$ rope may well be worse for folks who use tube devices ... as quite a few of them are quite slick and easier to lose control what you need is a basic cheap no thrills rope for beginners thats all there is ... heres the basic rope advice i usually give folks ... beginner rope advice ... - get around a 10mm +/- 0.2mm (the UIAA allowed variation on rope "diameter") - better yet look at the weight/metre ... something between 60-70 g/m, more on the higher end for durability ... its a more accurate measurement - you dont need dry treated ... while the treatment might help the rope last slightly longer, it will wear off in around 100 pitches of heavy use ... especially if you are hangdogging and TRing - you dont need duodess or bi-pattern ... youll pay $$$$ for it and as a beginner you should practice finding the middle the old fashion way, from both ends ... cause one of these days youll be on someone elses rope, assume the middle is accurate and not realize its been chopped ... learn the basic skills before the fancy gear - if you do want a middle mark ... it is MUCH easier to see a black middle mark with those fancy bright color ropes, also when rapping its easier to see if those bright coloured ropes are on the ground especially as it gets dark ... i never buy dark coloured ropes anymore - you should not spend $$$$$ on fancy ropes ... you will trash your first rope within a few seasons ... get something cheap and durable - if a 60m is on an extreme sale then get a 60, else if its only a bit more get a 70m ... ropes that take constant whippers often wear out from the ends first, you can chop the rope and still have a 60m .... also on multi the extra 10m can make some rope stretcher raps safer ... check people who actually climb in your area as to if a 70m is required or better for the climbs ... also remember that a rope shrinks with use and washes thats the basics ... now the more "advanced" stuff - if you are using a grigri, smart or other assisted locking device get a supple rope ... known supple ropes include beal, tendon, sterling, some edelrids, etc ... this is something that **is not in most descriptions** ... only talking to people who actually use the ropes extensively will tell you this ... thicker maxims and mammuts are known as stiff ropes in comparison to the previous brands, they will work fine in assisted locking devices if thin enough, or when new enough, but ropes tend to get stiffer with age and tend to be a biatch to feed (forcing folks to use the "quick feed" method of belaying a gri gri for normal belaying which carries its own risks) - ask yourself whether you are more likely to get hurt hitting a ledge or getting spiked by a hard catch in the type of climbing you are doing ... if the former get a low stretch/higher impact rope like a maxim or mammut ... if the latter get a higher stretch/lower impact rope such as beal ... also remember that for TRing lower stretch may be better as the difference between a beal vs maxim on static stretch alone on a 60m climb (10% vs. 5%) is ~9 feet ... which can mean a broken ankle - if you are doing climbs where abrasion is the main concern for rope wear then get something with a high sheath % ... if its from going flat from too many falls, get one rated for a high number of UIAA falls (some redditors will undoubtably protest that it does not matter, it does, but to prevent senseless arguments ill simply post up mammuts view on the matter below, they know a thing or two about ropes) highinfatuation.com/blog/st… - if climbing trad a softer catching low impact rope may be beneficial for marginal gear ... again to prevent senseless arguments ill simply post the beal numbers, which is based off CAI (italian alpine club research) models bealplanet.com/sport/anglai… and finally talk to folks with practical use and who owns different types of ropes ... guides, route developers, folks who climb daily, etc ... while quite a few people can give you an opinion of the rope or two they may have owned ... not all that many can give you a comparison between several different current brands and models and which they use extensively ;) |
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Thanks for the well-thought out advice. I think I'll definitely need a dry rope. A huge percentage of my rope use will still be glacier and alpine ice. |
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Limited knowledge but I've enjoyed using Bluewater ropes. The 9.9mm Pulse and 10.2mm Eliminator seem to fit the bill (I have used both). They're available with and without bi-pattern (I rub'a'dub sharpied my middle marks), with or without dry coating, and in 60m or 70m. I'm sure there are other ropes out there just as good, but I thought I'd throw them into the ring. |
Thatcher wrote:Thanks for the well-thought out advice. I think I'll definitely need a dry rope. A huge percentage of my rope use will still be glacier and alpine ice. Also I'm thinking on the thinner-ish side because so much of my climbing involves long approaches and overnights. So I'm thinking light in terms of pack weight, not just rope weight when climbing.get 2 ropes then .... - a ~10mm non dry cheap one for cragging that you can destroy ... - a 9.2-9.5 mm $$$$ dry one for alpine/long multi using a dry rope all the time will result in the rope sheath no longer being "dry" in 100-200 pitches ... especially TRing on it at moderate grades ... keep that $$$$ dry rope in tip top condition for when it matters its hilarious at the crag to see folks climbing low angle moderates claiming how great their $$$$ thin dry ropes are .. if youre in canuckistan this is the 80 maple syrup dollahs rope that i use all the time lacordee.com/en/climbing/te… its been whipped on over and over again, been up many a long multi, been TRed to hell, used as fixed lines, etc ... itll get a bit stiff around 700 pitches and by 1000 pitches itll be fuzzy like a bear, which is when i start using them for TR soloing i go through a rope every year or so to the point of retiring from lead ... thats around 200+ climbing days outside ;) |
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Good idea about just getting two. I originally wanted to stick with one, but you make a good point about the wear on the coating. |
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I always wonder to myself when I see great big guys climbing with a skinny rope on short easy routes. |
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Now I'm looking for a cheap rope. Anyone have experience with this: |
Thatcher wrote:Thoughts?If there were the ideal mm size for the rope nobody would produce another. Although we have a selection of rope diameters on market. Thus there is no such a thing as the ideal mm size for the rope. QED |
Pavel Burov wrote: If there were the ideal mm size for the rope nobody would produce another. Although we have a selection of rope diameters on market. Thus there is no such a thing as the ideal mm size for the rope. QEDYou're so helpful. Thanks. Read other comments in this thread. You'll see that every other poster knew that I was asking for their personal opinions and preferences based on the type of climbing and situation that I described. It's pretty clear that I don't have some naive belief that there is one mm to rule them all. Again, thanks for your positive help and contribution to Mountain Project. The community is so grateful for your insight. |
Mathias wrote:Limited knowledge but I've enjoyed using Bluewater ropes. The 9.9mm Pulse and 10.2mm Eliminator seem to fit the bill (I have used both). They're available with and without bi-pattern (I rub'a'dub sharpied my middle marks), with or without dry coating, and in 60m or 70m. I'm sure there are other ropes out there just as good, but I thought I'd throw them into the ring.I'll second Mathias Bluewater Eliminator |
