Skinny Rope Recommendations Please

I'm retiring my 9.1 Beal Joker after 3 full seasons. I only used it for sport redpoint attempts (and, to be fair, working sessions after failed redpoint attempts) and had to chop the ends 4x (2x for core shots, 2x for extreme fuzziness and softness) so I need a new one. There are a lot of new lightweight ropes out there and I was going to try another, hopefully more durable, skinny rope. I'm fine with how these below rated ropes work in GriGris and Cinches but am interested in the hand and sheath durability.

Was wondering if anyone had any good or bad experience with:

Sterling Nano 9.2 ($150 for 60M at Alpenglow!)
Mammut Serenity 8.9
the new Bluewater Icon 9.1 (this looks pretty good and $189 for a 70M at backcountry)
Edelweiss Performance 9.2
Millet Absolute Pro 9

Thanks!

I liked the 9.2 nano much better than I liked the joker for handing and wear. My experience with Bluewater and Millet (in particular) these days would have me inclined to try those though. My last bluewater 9.4 was right up there with my old Millet 9.5 as the best two ropes I've owned. Years of life as workhorse ropes. I can not be sure this translates to skinnier ropes though.

I've been watching for deals on the Nano or Serenity. Maybe the Joker. I've read all good things about these. The Serenity is pretty sexy at 6.8 lbs for a 60m. Haven't actually used any of them tho.

get a 10 mm and stop blaming your rope for not sending.

I currently use the joker like you were using, but for alpine rather than sport climbing. personally I'd add the Maxim Airliner to the list, 9.1 same weight as the joker and so far showing to be a whole lot tougher of a sheath, probably the toughest skinny sheath on the market.

todd w wrote:get a 10 mm and stop blaming your rope for not sending.

Thank you for your wisdom and useful information.

1990 called and said: "10.2, are you crazy? Go buy an 11mm you idiot." I remember my first ropes in the 80's. My 11mm and my "skinny" 10.5. I don't think 10mm ropes came around as singles until about 1996. I recall my first 9.8 in perhaps 2002. It felt skinny at the time. My standard bearer for the last 5 years has been a 9.4. (Bluewater Dominator)

Sometimes it's not about the send, it's about the bad knees and the long hike.

todd w wrote:get a 10 mm and stop blaming your rope for not sending.

Right! why would you buy groceries at the store? get a knife and a loin cloth and hunt them on food or scrape them from the dirt! Heathens.

Another vote for the bluewater. my 9.7 and 9.4 are awesome, can only assume their skinnier ropes maintain the trend.

I've used Serenity ropes for a while. Really like them. Water-resistance is good, handling also good. Need a belay/rappell device that can handle smaller ropes.

Tony B wrote: Sometimes it's not about the send, it's about the bad knees and the long hike.

Second that.

Kai Larson wrote:I've used Serenity ropes for a while. Really like them. Water-resistance is good, handling also good. Need a belay/rappell device that can handle smaller ropes.

Reverso works well with my half ropes.

Chris Miller wrote: Reverso works well with my half ropes.

The 'Reversino' works even better.
The DMM 'Bugette' is my favorite small device though.

The Millet Absolute Pro 9 is a great rope, though it feels about the same in diameter as the Sterling 9.2 Nano. I'd go with either of those, especially for the durability aspect.

You consider the 9.2mm Mammut. It doesn't weigh that much more, works better with a GriGri/Cinch, and is little more durable.

Some minimal use on my Serenity. Sweet rope. Not sure how well it will hold up to harder use. Enjoyed it in the alpine this fall.

Climbed on a friend's Sterling. Nice rope as well.

Getting a lot of use out of the Mammut SuperSafe - hard sport abuse - fatter, heavier rope - but that's a different concept.

I've been using a Serenity for alpine and trad for the last year and I've been very happy with it, it handles like a dream and isn't showing any real signs of wear yet. I've generally had very good experiences with Mammut ropes in the past, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a Serenity or perhaps the 9.2mm Revelation if I were in your shoes.

Jake Jones wrote:Another vote for Bluewater. I don't have one on the skinny side, my thinnest is 9.9 but it's awesome. It's been dragged across rough slab, fallen on repeatedly, top-roped on, and generally abused for the past year and it looks and feels brand new.

+1 for the lightening

Agree w John w that nano is durable for how skinny it is. Blue waters handle like butter tho. Depends on priority. But my edelweiss is a great mix of both qualities.

Smarty Ports/Shants wrote:... I've had really good experiences with all their ropes other than the 9.7s, which are still decent ropes for what I use them for.

Out of curiosity what issues have you had with your 9.7? mine has been a workhorse, and for the money probably my favorite rope I've ever owned.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

I couldn't get too much info on the Maxim Airliner unfortunately - which is a shame b/c I like their ropes despite the high impact rating.

Looks like the best deals (counting credits) right now are the Sterling Nano 80M for $200 or the Serenity 70M for $180.

Had a new nano and core shot it in a week climbing sierra alpine granite other than that I liked the feel of the rope just not that durable. Also core shot a blue water 9.4 dominator pulling it on a rappel in red rocks, had been a great rope up until that point
So far the most durable thinner ropes I have used would be the mammut infinity, and the sterling 9.8 velocity. Both have good feel are light enough and seem to last much longer than the really thin lines.

Best advice is to encourage your climbing partners to buy the really thin lines and climb on their ropes.

it is pretty hard finding much info on the airliner, I know Liberty Mountian is the source of supply on it. but I have seen a couple reviews from climbers finding it to be a really tough skinny with maxims/NE's soft catch and without the excess stretch of most skinnys, some are even TRing on it and claiming it to hold up quite nicely