AMGA "guide rope" recommendations

several months ago I got my wife a 100' 10mm static rope to use for her AMGA guide course, which requires a rope of this nature for setting up anchors with (no debates here, it's their system...). I found a decently priced one by the foot, but it's really not working out ideally - while not too stiff to knot, it's not great. It also gets twisted quite easily when doing the "guide coil". PITA!

If anyone has suggestions for a good, flexible static rope in the 9.5-10.5 range, I'd be grateful to hear them.

I use the Sterling HTP static ropes while guiding. It's polyester as opposed to most nylon ropes. They claim lower water absorption, low elongation, and high abrasion resistance. All of which I appreciate for building anchors. Handles well.

What type of guiding are you talking about here? There are only a few applications for the use of a 100' static rope outside the single-pitch environment. If the static rope doesn't kiwi well then you should just butterfly it.

And for what it's worth I use Bluewater static ropes.

David Lyons wrote:several months ago I got my wife a 100' 10mm static rope to use for her AMGA guide course, which requires a rope of this nature for setting up anchors with (no debates here, it's their system...). I found a decently priced one by the foot, but it's really not working out ideally - while not too stiff to knot, it's not great. It also gets twisted quite easily when doing the "guide coil". PITA! If anyone has suggestions for a good, flexible static rope in the 9.5-10.5 range, I'd be grateful to hear them.

Hey David,

Sounds like you need a rope for the short roping part of her course. Correct? When I did my guides course it was recommended to bring something in the 9mm range and it was okay for it to be any old rope. Most of us in the course dug up an old retired 9.5mm, chopped it to 100 feet and used one for the course and sold the other one to someone who needed it for $20.

If that's the application you need it for then that's the solution.

Also, on the twisting... it might be more about how you are handling the rope than the actual rope itself. There are some subtle nuances to handling that coil and it's easy to blunder them.

There is no AMGA course for which you need 30 m of static.

SPI I'm guessing.

Thanks for the replies.

The AMGA SPI course does in fact require a 100' static. Or 30M if you prefer. It's for single-pitch guiding ie. Tr-ing stuff all day.
(Not here to start another lengthy debate on how to Tr a climb. I'd rather use some much-more-compact webbing to get the job done.. but it's the AMGA method, so when doing their course, gotta do it)

The 10mil cord is really stiff, and hasn't gotten noticably more flexible during several months of occasional use. I thought in fact that I bought a Sterling HTP - got it on sale by the foot at a sporting-goods store when browsing, haven't gotten back to check on the brand...it's just really stiff and annoying to coil/uncoil.

Maybe a few cycles of washing will soften it up? It probably sat on the spool in the store for a while before I came along, I reckon.

A wee note to clarify: I do have a lengthy association with ropes and handling them, from caving and climbing for several years, so I think I've gotten the jist of how to coil em up alright. This particular cord is one that "behaves badly" when you try and flake/coil it. I'd rather reserve it for short pits and find something with a nice soft handling(but needs to be static..)

I think the line that all the guides around here use is the 9.5mm New England Ropes static line. When I took my SPI it worked really well. It was easy to use, and not too stiff.

Since I took my course, I picked up a spool of Monster 9mm static line, and cut off a 120' length for TR anchor setup. That left me with 200+' for a haul line or whatever else I want to use it for. I have complete faith that the 9mm is bombproof, but I will probably eventually pick up a spool of the 10mm just to meet the recommendation.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that if you showed up for an SPI course without 30m of static, the instructor wouldn't make you run out and buy some.

Yes Tico, you are probably right. Have you done the SPI course before?

The brutal fact is, I have purchased a rope. It kinda sucks. I am hoping for some input as to a good static rope that has soft handling characteristics.

Do you have any input on this topic?

Hey David, I finished my spi last spring. I love using the set-up rope they teach for top rope anchors. I learned a lot from the course as a whole, I'd be happy to answer any questions, you can email me at piconeray at gmail dot com.

As for the rope, I use the mammut a 10mm static. It handles better than a lot of dynamic ropes I've used. Ill post a link later. I also bought it in 50m instead of 30. I found the extra length comes in handy almost anywhere. You'd be surprised how fast the rope can get used up, 100ft isn't all that much.

Good luck!

mammut.ch/en/productDetail/…

This is the static line I mentioned above.

I have never taken an SPI course. Taught one once. Don't recall using any static. I have an ancient 9mm bluewater I use as a haulline for walls, but I don't think I've ever kiwi'd it.

Looking at the SPI gear list, I'd go with a skinnier "semi-static" gymline (sterling makes a nice one, as does bluewater), since it could also work well for TR/TR solo setups. I think they sell them in 30m whacks.

Thanks Raul P! That's very useful info. I think I'll invest in one, make the wife much happier... And myself too!