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Climbing rope questions.

Original Post
Phum1986 · · conway, Ar · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 70

So I have plenty of fat ropes (10.5mm). Looking to get something with a smaller diameter. I would like something 9.8mm or less. The fat ropes are great but don't feed all that well through the gri gri (short roping my climber on clips) plus they are heavy. That being said, what's a solid rope 9.8mm or less, good price, brand, and what kind of UIAA rating should I be looking for? I'm sure the $250 ropes out there are find but looking for something closer to my budget. Any suggestions? My area doesn't have any multi pitch climbs so should I go for 60M or just go for the 70M in the rare occasion I would need it? Thanks MP

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349
justropes.com/

Also:

SuperTopo has a "Price Finder" section that you might find helpful.(Located on the right side of the page)

supertopo.com/climbing/foru…
Superclimber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 1,310
ebay.com/itm/Edelweiss-Rock…
Edelweiss Rocklight 9.8 on sale on Ebay. I used one of these for a couple years.
Superclimber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 1,310

Oh and just to be a smart ass, you could try belaying with an ATC;)

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

Shit Chris...

that's a GOOD find...

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

something to think about ...

dont get fixated on the "diameter" ... i can name plenty of 9.8/9.9 mm ropes that are stiffer than some 10/10.2 mm ropes ... it all depends on how the rope is built to handle ... and the handling can change over the life of the rope, some get stiffer with age, others dont ...

the other thing is that some manufacturers ropes seem to be "wider" than their rating suggests ... generally mammut ropes are one notch up ... for example my mammut infinity is as thick if not thicker than a beal 9.7mm ... and as thick as an elderid python 10mm when i owned one ... yet it was more durable and stiffer despite its 9.5mm rating

go into a store and play with as many ropes as you can, generally the better it handles (less stiff), the better itll feed through a gri gri ... and try using as many different ropes of your partners as you can just so you can get a feel of the differences (and to save your ropes for the gnarl=P)

if yr sport climbing id get a 70m if you can get a good price simply becaue chopping the ends is not uncommon after enought falls ...

Larry S · · Easton, PA · Joined May 2010 · Points: 872

Discussion on the Mammut Infinity here - that's my suggestion - mountainproject.com/v/mammu…

If you never use all of a 60, i'd save your $ and the weight and stick w/ the 60. I like my 70's for linking pitches and long rappels. In addition, i can (and have) chopped the ends of the rope as they get worn out and still have a good length of rope left.

Phum1986 · · conway, Ar · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 70

Thanks for the feedback.

@chris: I definitely have thought about the ATC switch. I have plenty. But hen I find myself with a $100 paperweight(gri gri). Ha. I appreciate the words of wisdom.

JJNS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 531

Edelweiss energy 9.5

Brian Croce · · san diego, CA · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 60

Blue Water Double Dry Lightning Pro 9.7 60 or 70m

Rob WardenSpaceLizard · · las Vegans, the cosmic void · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 130

I can attest to the Boa being an awesome rope. I won one in a raffle and though it was going to blow. not the case at all

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065
John Wilder wrote:Edelrid Boa, 9.8mm 60m standard entry rope, retails at $150 year round. Handles well enough and you can even buy it at REI. If you wanna go fancy, the bi-color version is $190.
i owned the python which is the boas bigger brother ... it lasted a week before i took it back to MEC ... no TRing or anything crazy ... the sheath was coming apart badly ...

as a reference ive done much worse things on my current ropes from TR gangbangs to big sport whippers ... etc ... and theyve lasted much longer and looked better even after months of daily use ... and im not the only one with this issue i know of with the Boa/Python series

i suspect it has something to do with the relative loose weave of the sheath ...

it does handle like a dream though ;)
Jason Halladay · · Los Alamos, NM · Joined Oct 2005 · Points: 15,153
John Wilder wrote:Edelrid Boa, 9.8mm 60m standard entry rope, retails at $150 year round. Handles well enough and you can even buy it at REI. If you wanna go fancy, the bi-color version is $190.
Another strong nod for the Boa. We used one all year last year, roughly three times a week sport climbing, and that rope held strong and felt great the entire time. We often chuckled about it being classified as a "entry level" rope but being better than many of our supposed high-end ropes.
If you want to go smaller, I've been really happy with the Mammut Infinity 9.5.
Nick Pavlichek · · Athens, GA · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 0

You say $250 is too much, but what is your budget? $150?

Che · · grnd junction, co · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 0

Two suggestions -

1.) Get a 70M rope especially if you are on a budget. The ends will wear out faster, so with a 70M you can chop the ends and get more time out of your rope. When you go to chopping the rope, it is always good to double check the rest of the rope for soft spots.

2.) Stick with a Gri Gri, it has saved the lives of a few people I know as a belayer can get knocked out by falling rocks, leader falls, etc.

Tomtomtomtom · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 0
John Wilder wrote:Full disclosure- I did work for Edelrid for a short time, but no longer do so. Not sure why that matters on a thread like this, but whatever. The python and cobra both suck, the Boa doesn't, don't know why. Don't much care. For a full price rope, the Boa is hard to beat. I've been happy with the performance of mine. If you care that much about price, get the cheapest rope you can.
Hi, you got an opinion on the heron 9.8mm and the viper 9.6mm? I have a heron and my buddy has the viper, we use it mostly for single pitch sport, often multipitch sport/trad. We're european so lots of rainy/moist days, thats why i wanted a dry rope. My rope has stopped quite some small lead falls without any problem, but after one moderate fall on alpine granite, i have this spot where the mantle is pretty damn scuffed, more than i would expect from a rope thats been used for less than one season... I specifically chose this rope because its stated it can take 8 uiaa falls, more than most other models, thinking it would last. Bad purchase or overworried?
J Roatch · · Leavenworth, WA · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 162

Beal 10.2 feeds well, is flexible, and seems to be pretty darn durable. Doesn't feel as girthie as other 10.2's I've used

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065
People who are comparing two ropes of similar diameters can usually see this in the test results—Mammut publishes the % of each ropes weight that is sheath so that people can judge for themselves what rope they will be happiest with. If you fall a lot, choose a rope with a high fall rating; if you don’t fall that much then choose a ropes with a thicker sheath (and if the manufacturer doesn’t publish that info call them and ask for it!). If you climb both abrasive rock and you fall alot, then think about how you wore out your last rope—if it went flat 10 or 15 feet from the ends, then get the rope with the high fall rating for the size and if the rope just fuzzed up to the point it felt sketchy or fat or lost its dry treatment, then concentrate on a rope with a thick sheath and a compact weave.


highinfatuation.com/blog/st…
bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

it makes sense if you think about it ... in theory a rope with a very high number of falls ... ie the beal flyer II (11 falls) will likely last longer in terms of big sports whippers than one with say 5-6 falls ...

on the other hand the one with the higher sheath % will likely last longer for trad or TRing where its lower angle with more abrasion

i used to think it didnt matter ... until i started climbing overhanging sport and taking a lot of whippers ... many of them 30+ footers, often 5-10+ times a day ... ive noticed that ropes with a higher fall rating do seem to last somewhat longer before getting funny spots

not that mammut has anything to gain by saying so either as many of their ropes dont has as high a fall rating as the competition

but who knows ... it could be all zombie elephant propaganda ;)

Loren Trager · · Flagstaff, AZ · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 165

Most 9.8mm ropes can handle 4-6 falls, but I just read that the Metolius Monster 9.8mm can handle 9 falls (as opposed to the Boa's 5 falls)! I was looking for a new rope recently, and decided to get the Beal Edlinger II 10.2mm x 70m (which can take 8 falls) for $140 from alpenglowgear.com. All Beal ropes have dry-treatment, which makes them a little slicker through belay devices, and this rope's sheath and core are attached, which prevents slippage and makes it safer. I decided that bicolor ropes aren't worth the additional $50, because I can always mark the middle and 5m from each end with a nylon-safe marker. Dry-treatment shouldn't be a deciding factor if you're just rock climbing single-pitch crags. When comparing ropes on a budget, first decide on your mandatory width and length (for you, it seems 9.8mm x 70m), then just calculate price/#falls for each one. Beal seems to have some of the best prices based on number of falls.

michaeltarne · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 120

Gear Express has the 60m Edelweiss Energy 9.5 for cheap. Do that.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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