Good trad ropes?

Just received enough $$$$ to buy a new rope and have not purchased one in awhile. Anyone want to help me out on what the good trad ropes are now. My last rope was a 70m Beal Flyer II and it wore out quicker than any rope I've ever owned. I am thinking of 60m this time around. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.

I'm pretty sold on Mammut ropes; mine have been very durable. Have you considered doubles?

JL

I like edelweiss, they seem to last a long time, but they don't always handle the best, I prefer longevity to handling though. And personally, I would go with the 60m. My thought is how often do I really need the 70m? and the rest of the time I am just carrying and coiling more than I need. But they are nice to have for those certain routes and raps. I let my friends buy them though.

In my experience, Blue Water ropes wear out pretty fast... but they are cheap. Which leads to perhaps a better discussion. You can buy two cheap ropes for almost the same price as one nice one. I usually go cheap, unless the nice ones are on serious sale. It just depends on the type of climbing you are doing really. If you are going to thrash a rope and you know it, then pay more for something that will hold up. Cheap ropes work great for cragging, but abuse them (jugging, rough edges, etc.) and they'll fall apart.

I've always liked Edelrid ropes, creamy feel, handle well.
Beal is my current fave, they already have mid marks on the ropes, or you can purchase the bi-colored ropes too. Love their 9.3 - 9.7
sizes. Check the web out, google on cheap ropes and you should be
able to find a bargain somewhere. Good luck!

I started a similar thread, may help.

mountainproject.com/v/climb…

The Esprit ropes don't have the "creamy" feel of , well, any other rope. They are the most durable ropes i've ever climbed with though. I always felt good around edges with them. They are stiff like cables when handling, but if you get a 9.1 then you are sure to have a nice soft catch. Definitely not the rope for everyone, but if you are a tradster, who occasionally does some aid, or jugging, and is cheap, then I'd recommend the Esprit 9.7 .

I'm more than happy with my PMI Spire (10.2); water treatment, hand, and durability are better than most I've handled, and I love the available bi-pattern sheath. However, PMI's are a bit pricy and tend to weigh 1 to 2 grams more per meter than most comparable ropes. I will definately buy another, though, and am pretty stoked to try out their 9.7 when its time to get a skinny.

Gotta say I love my sterling marathons. Nothing like aset of duals to handle most all your needs.

i've liked bluewater, and sterling ropes.
trying a beal right now

I echo the warning that Beal ropes wear out much quicker than any others. I've had the most success with Mammuts, but they are pricey.

If you have to go cheap, I'd go with an Edelweiss. I've used an Edelweiss 10.5 for a sport-cragging rope and it's held up well. I would imagine, though, if you're looking for a trad rope, you'll be much more abusive to it than a regular sport cragging rope.

Despite what others are saying, I really love my Beal Flyer. I've been trad and sport climbing on it all last season, and no complaints. It still handles well, cleaned up great after a soak, and has a good dynamic stretch.

I also recently picked up a set of PMI doubles, and I'm totally sold on doubles. Sorting them out at belays is worth the ability to link pitches for me, especially in Eldo (and don't forget about alpine raps.) Unless I know a route to be straightforward, I'll bring the doubles from now on.

I'd put my money on 60m doubles.

John J. Glime wrote:I like edelweiss, they seem to last a long time, but they don't always handle the best, I prefer longevity to handling though. And personally, I would go with the 60m. My thought is how often do I really need the 70m? and the rest of the time I am just carrying and coiling more than I need. But they are nice to have for those certain routes and raps. I let my friends buy them though. In my experience, Blue Water ropes wear out pretty fast... but they are cheap. Which leads to perhaps a better discussion. You can buy two cheap ropes for almost the same price as one nice one. I usually go cheap, unless the nice ones are on serious sale. It just depends on the type of climbing you are doing really. If you are going to thrash a rope and you know it, then pay more for something that will hold up. Cheap ropes work great for cragging, but abuse them (jugging, rough edges, etc.) and they'll fall apart.

This is my exact experience. You can get a nice 9.9-ish 70m bi-color edelweiss for the price of a nice bluewater 60m single color that will wear out in half a season. Its sad when I trust my cheaper 3 season old edelweiss over the expensive one-season BW.

Nate Oakes wrote:I echo the warning that Beal ropes wear out much quicker than any others. I've had the most success with Mammuts, but they are pricey.

I third this, on both fronts.

I have the 9.4 double-dry Beal and it's sheath is fraying in spots. I've used that rope < 15 days on alpine type routes, and nothing too abusive.

Also be aware that Beals define the softest end of the spectrum, with typically the most stretch. That can be good or bad a) softest fall b) most likely to deck.

Anyone heard of Mammut Supersafe? I was checking it out and it seems pretty great.

I am 195lbs also so I dont know if I want to go below 10mm

I would definitely recommend the mammut supersafe. I weigh 230 and have dragged that rope over more sharp edges than i care to remember. The only downside is that it is heavy. Mammut claims that it is 10.2 mm but it seems to be the fattest 10.2 rope i have ever seen. If your looking for durability though, it will definitely fulfill the qualifications

Alpine Carl wrote:I'm more than happy with my PMI Spire (10.2); water treatment, hand, and durability are better than most I've handled, and I love the available bi-pattern sheath. However, PMI's are a bit pricy and tend to weigh 1 to 2 grams more per meter than most comparable ropes. I will definately buy another, though, and am pretty stoked to try out their 9.7 when its time to get a skinny.

I think you will find their ropes just get better and better with use. This is one case where you get the value you pay for.

Jimn Seiler wrote:Anyone heard of Mammut Supersafe? I was checking it out and it seems pretty great. I am 195lbs also so I dont know if I want to go below 10mm

Jimn, I have the Supersafe, but only have a few laps on it. It handles very nicely, and is well marked (including at 15' from the ends for rappelling). One of the few single ropes rated for a sharp edge.

On the environmental side, it has the sharp edge resistance due to teflon coated core threads... good for climber, not-so-good for the environment (manufacture of teflon, that is). Then again, the process for making gore-tex pretty much uses the same toxic/carcinogenic chemicals.

For cragging, I don't see any significant advantages of sub-10mm ropes, unless you're climbing really hard routes. I do see the safety advantages, tho.

Hey, what about the 'supporting American Jobs' aspect of this, as raised in the BD-China thread?!?! Mammut isn't a US company.... the shame, Jimn :)

Just had to throw a little irony in there for those fervently against BD cams being 'offshored' ;)

I have the 70m Petzl Nomad (the 9.8mm diameter). Has a dry coating, handles real nice, and has markings for the middle and 6m from the ends. The 70m allows me to do a lot of 3-rap decents in 2 raps.

Avery Nelson wrote:Hey, what about the 'supporting American Jobs' aspect of this, as raised in the BD-China thread?!?! Mammut isn't a US company.... the shame, Jimn :) Just had to throw a little irony in there for those fervently against BD cams being 'offshored' ;)

It's funny you mention that. In another thread I started on another site I asked why there wasn't many USA companies making ropes. I found New England, PMI, and, Bluewater, of those I didn't find a lot of good reviews. Some for each but nothing great.

As far as BD goes, I wouldn't have been so pissed if the cost was to be lowered for the consumer however, they are just padding their pockets even further and being hypocrites for everything they stood for in my eyes.

Maybe I should stay with the US companies so I am not a hypocrite too :)

So of the US companies who do you think is the best? I owned a New England rope and it was a tank. Heavy, but a tank. I still use it for topropes.

You forgot Sterling.