Recommendations for a first rope

What recommendations would you have for a first rope to be used for light sport and trad climbing? Length, diameter, dry or not, price range, lightly used vs. new?
Thanks!

Any of the mammut 9.5-10.0 ropes are awesome.

This is a question that will have a million right answers. Most manufactures make a nice rope these days. I would suggest looking for something around 9.8 as it will be able to take a beating and last.

I'm sure there's a shit ton of other threads that cover this also.

outdoorgearlab.com/Climbing…

The Mammut Infinity was my first rope and still my favorite.

I would not get anything under a 9.8 for a first rope. Even a 9.8 if you use it alot will get alot of sheath damage that could scare you into buying a new rope before you should. I have seen people replace ropes that were perfectly fine just because a little wear on the sheath scared them.

ViperScale wrote:I would not get anything under a 9.8 for a first rope. Even a 9.8 if you use it alot will get alot of sheath damage that could scare you into buying a new rope before you should. I have seen people replace ropes that were perfectly fine just because a little wear on the sheath scared them.

I could second this with some noticeable sheath damage on my 9.8
That being said I love my 9.8 its my personal preference, but I find the size to be perfect.

An American or British rope 9.8 - 10.2, 70 meters.

I like the Bluewater Lighting Pro, 9.7, 32% dynamic elongation, 60m length, bi-color.

60m and bicolor are must haves.

I bought a wet rope, but have never challenged it, so now stick to dry ropes. I don't ice climb and I don't climb in the rain.

Who says it's lightly used? Unless you know and trust the person you are buying from get new.

Logan Anderson wrote:light sport

I don't grok that term.

I like thee Beal Yuji. It's cheap but is really nice.

Mammut Infinity is a great price, the Edelrid Anniversary rope is quite stretchy which can be nice

The blue water lightning pro 9.7 was my first rope too (and still in use). Mine is 70m which is much longer than we need for most climbs and it can be a little bit of a hassle. None the less its better than your rope being to short; we have needed every foot of it on a few occasions. I don't have personal experience with other dynamic ropes yet but this one has been holding up great for my wife and me.

We did get it in double dry but I don't think we'll be alpine climbing anytime soon.

I would get a rope on sale for your first rope. Get the cheapest one you can find. Your first rope is going to be consumed very quickly, and you can get used to that fact much easier when you didn't spend a ton of money on it. Then, when you experience climbing with friend's ropes, you can decide what your next rope will be.

Stich wrote:I would get a rope on sale for your first rope. Get the cheapest one you can find. Your first rope is going to be consumed very quickly, and you can get used to that fact much easier when you didn't spend a ton of money on it. Then, when you experience climbing with friend's ropes, you can decide what your next rope will be.

+1

Also, get a rope 9.8 or thicker. Don't worry about bi-color, just use a marker to mark the middle of your rope. Don't worry about dry treatment unless you plan on ice climbing. The major decision is to determine if you need 60 or 70 meter rope. In most cases you can get along with a 60, but if your local crag has a lot of 35 meter climbs, a 70 might be worth it.

Maybe others can back me up on this purchace anytime a new climber says "I'm going to buy a rope". The people that have been climbing for years usually tell them to save their money or buy something more useful since you will be climbing with other experienced/geared folks anyway. Just have a good time and learn stuff. I had been climbing for a couple of years before I bought anything besides a harness shoes and chalk bag. If your more experienced buddy has the rack and the rope he will want you to carry one of those items anyway. So unless money is no object or you are lacking a geared buddy I would say buy something else like a real nice pack or something along those lines.

Absolutely get a rope on sale. Don't get something you don't see yourself using every time you climb. For instance, if all you're going to do is toprope I wouldn't recommend breaking the bank on a top of the line rope. Take length into account, again, most beginners usually do Sigler pitch or toprope, so do not spend the extra money for a 80+ meter rope.
Happy climbing!

gription wrote:Maybe others can back me up on this purchace anytime a new climber says "I'm going to buy a rope". The people that have been climbing for years usually tell them to save their money or buy something more useful since you will be climbing with other experienced/geared folks anyway. Just have a good time and learn stuff. I had been climbing for a couple of years before I bought anything besides a harness shoes and chalk bag. If your more experienced buddy has the rack and the rope he will want you to carry one of those items anyway. So unless money is no object or you are lacking a geared buddy I would say buy something else like a real nice pack or something along those lines.

I disagree with this. Although as a new climber you might not have the skills to be fully independent from a more experienced, rope-owning climber, it's nice to have your own cord.

I have a n00b friend who recently bought a rope even though he doesn't really lead yet...when we climb together it's nice not to have to put pitches i.e. wear on my rope. Since unlike cams ropes wear out, if you're being mentored / rope gunned by someone, it's a nice thing to bring to the table.

I've had sterling, trango, mammut, and blue water ropes, and I can say I like my Mammut Eternity 9.8 the most, its supple, stretchy, and durable.

Watch Sierra Trading Post. Make sure you are on their mailing list. When a rope appears wait for a 30%, 35%, or maybe even a 40% off coupon. Then buy a rope. It may be a couple years old, but it will be cheap enough that you won't feel bad when you use it and abuse it. I bought an Edelrid for less than $100 and it is still going strong after 3 summers of climbing.

who gives a shit. if it is your first rope you won't know the difference between a great rope or a not so great. I got a sterling 10mm or maybe 10.2 for like 120 bucks. 60 meters. That'll do. Don't buy a used rope. It's your life who the hell knows what the previous owner did

No brainer, the Mammut Infinity Classic. $150 brand new 70M. No dry treatment but that isn't a deal breaker in my book. 9.5mm feels like butter in your hands. It goes on sale often too.

Looks like Mammut 9.5 70 to 60 m is the top rated,,, I need a rope too and I'm just doing bouldering now but I will try my first long way soon..