Gym Rope Advice

I'm in the process of ordering new ropes for the indoor climbing facility that I work at and was wondering if you guys have any recommendations as to ropes you really like. We will be ordering both gym rope for the climbing wall and a 60m outdoor dry treated rope for trips. Considerations include durability, longevity, and the ability to withstand abuse, and price. Ropes need to be between 10-11mm in diameter for use with the original Petzl GriGri. Brands should be either Sterling Rope, New England Ropes, Bluewater Ropes, or Edelrid.

We haven't really liked any of the gym ropes we have purchased in the past, so any and all help is appreciated. Thanks!!!

New England Ropes' Maxim Chalklike 10.2 is the way to go if you're looking for longevity, they're super durable and hold their shape for a very long time. My one complaint would be that they can get kind of stiff later in their life, that's just the price you pay for the durability i guess.

Sterling's Rock Gym 10.4 is my favorite gym rope in terms of handling, they're a pleasure to belay with compared to many stiffer gym ropes. The drawback with these is their lifespan..you definitely get your money's worth, they just don't compare to the chalkline in terms of longevity.

Hope this helps

Evan nails it. Sterling strikes the best compromise between handling and durability. New England makes the most durable ropes, but they are stiff. For outdoor institutional use, take a look at Sterling's Marathon ropes. They are amazing.

I used half of a 7.8 once.... not bad actually.

Give a call to Rock'n and Jam'n in Thornton, CO they did a pretty comprehensive test on a lot of ropes for their gym last year. They beat up quite a few and can tell you which ones they liked best.

You guys rock! The New England Ropes Chalkline 10.2 and Sterling's Rock Gym 10.4 were two of the ropes I was looking at, but I don't really have any way to compare them and online reviews focus mostly on outdoor climbing ropes, not ones designed for the gym. This feedback is so helpful!