Rope Recommendations

There are so many brands out there its so hard to choose a rope now. Was wondering what recommendations everyone has. My most recent rope was a BD 9.9 nondry. I mostly sport climb, but have been recently getting into trad (as of right now only have done single pitch trad). So looking for a rope that will be able to do both styles. 

There's no sport or Trad dedicated rope. I have found good deals on blue water ropes so I have gotten mostly those. They have lasted well that is don't think I would spend twice as much on a sterling or maxim or similar. Have also really liked my mammut ropes.

Connor Dobson wrote: There's no sport or Trad dedicated rope. I have found good deals on blue water ropes so I have gotten mostly those. They have lasted well that is don't think I would spend twice as much on a sterling or maxim or similar. Have also really liked my mammut ropes.

Mammut was one brand I was looking at. Everything I have used from them seems top quality while staying affordable. Thanks. 

I have bought 3 Mammut Infinity 9.5s and really like them. My outdoor rope is a 70m dry and my gym rope is a 40m with no coatings. 

If you are mostly sport climbing, any rope will do. My sport ropes get thrashed so I buy them on the thicker side...9.5 - 10.1, and on sale, always 70m, most sport routes can be lowered from a 70.

My trad ropes I go a little thinner, because I will have to hump that shit in, along with water, food, rack etc...

Sport ropes are: BD 9.4(climbs like a 10mm) / Beal Karma 9.8 / Sterling Marathon Bi 10.1(Super burly rope, 2 thumbs up).

Trad ropes are: Sterling Fusion Ion R 9.4 / Mammut Infinity Protect 9.5 / A couple of half ropes I inherited in the ~8.5mm range, think they are Maxim.

I have a couple older ropes I use to TR solo on, and a couple static lines and a gym rope that is 40m.

My advice is to go with either Mammut or Sterling.  Never had a bad rope from either of those brands. Not saying other brands aren't as good, I just have never had a bad rope from either of those two brands. I had a Blue Water I hated, and a Maxim I gave away after only a couple pitches.

Another vote for Mammut. Currently rock the infinity 9.5 and it's such a pleasure to tie in and clip with, and it's reasonably priced.

Sterling for me was so-so, and I had a god awful Beal rope, forget which.

Connor Dobson wrote: There's no sport or Trad dedicated rope. 

Really? I was taught that you can't use red or orange ropes for trad.

j/k

The problem with threads like this one (or "Which re-soler should I use") is that eventually you will get every brand mentioned, and at least one person will say to avoid them while someone else says they're the one to buy.

I think the question is: what do you value in a rope?
-Do you want a stretchier rope becasue your belayer sucks and never gives you a soft catch? (Roca, Beal, etc [lower impact force/higher static elongation])
-Do you want a less stretchy rope becasue you want to minimize fall distance? (Mammut, Sterling, etc. [higher impact force/lower static elongation])
-Are you falling a ton becasue you're projecting? (Higher number of UIAA falls, 8-9+ is great)
-Are you Top Roping more than lead climbing? (Larger diameter, 10mm+)
-Do you climb on slab all day and beat up the sheath by dragging it across edges and the rock face? (Sheath treatment like Mammut Protect)

Most people just look for deals and eventually you find what you like through your own purchases. My favorites personally are the Mammut Infinity/Eternity Dry/Protect, and the Roca Rainbow. The Mammut and Roca are the opposite ends of the spectrum, but I like them for different reasons.

If you're not sure what you want in a rope specifically, and you're overwhelmed by the options, I would just go for the best all around rope on the market: Sterling Evolution Helix 9.5

Alright, that might just be my opinion, but I've had several and it's a damn good rope.

I have a brand new in package 70m infinity dry I’ll sell you for $215 shipped. Let me know if you want pics.

I like mammut as well and I would say unless you get a good deal on one, don’t bother with getting a dry rope. Coating will wear off pretty quick and in my experience I can get a non-dry rope for about half the cost and the dry treatment doesn’t make your rope last twice as long. 

Z Winters wrote: If you're not sure what you want in a rope specifically, and you're overwhelmed by the options, I would just go for the best all around rope on the market: Sterling Evolution Helix 9.5

Alright, that might just be my opinion, but I've had several and it's a damn good rope.

Sterling is the best. 

This is my favorite all around/cragging rope. https://sterlingrope.com/store/climb/ropes/dynamic/performance/vr9-98-mm beefy, durable, good handling pretty reasonable price. Only downside is that it's not available dry treated. I liked the BD 9.1 dry pretty well, and use the Sterling Nano IX for for ice and bigger multi-pitch climbing.

Yea mammut sounds like the popular choice. Anyone have much experience with Tendon ropes? I like that the tendon master came in a 9.7 so it's an in-between of a 9.5 and 9.9. 

Austin G wrote: Yea mammut sounds like the popular choice. Anyone have much experience with Tendon ropes? I like that the tendon master came in a 9.7 so it's an in-between of a 9.5 and 9.9. 

Tendons are fine ropes made by Lanax  in the Czech Rep.

I have climbed on exactly one and I didn't die.

mammut...

Ma Ja wrote:
-Are you falling a ton becasue you're projecting? (Higher number of UIAA falls, 8-9+ is great)

I am pretty sure that's not how it works. UIAA is a >FF1 falls with static belay. I don't think it translates to how many falls you can have on a rope before it gets squishy.

-Do you climb on slab all day and beat up the sheath by dragging it across edges and the rock face? (Sheath treatment like Mammut Protect)

You are more likely to fuck up your shear by it running over edges while it's weighted not from leading slab so this probably isn't the best example either. 

Otherwise yeah get chonky, heavy sheath ropes for TR and certain ropes will handle differently. 

Connor Dobson wrote: I am pretty sure that's not how it works. UIAA is a >FF1 falls with static belay. I don't think it translates to how many falls you can have on a rope before it gets squishy.

That's how it works

Love my sterlings and few true dirtbags I know swear by them but I'm just a gumby so there

Austin G wrote: Yea mammut sounds like the popular choice. Anyone have much experience with Tendon ropes? I like that the tendon master came in a 9.7 so it's an in-between of a 9.5 and 9.9. 

That diameter that the manufacturer reports is somewhat squishy. They hang a weight off the rope and then measure it. My Black Diamond 9.4 feels much bigger than my Beal 9.8....a mm or two doesn't make much difference.

A really good first choice for a rope is the Sterling Marathon 10.1.  It handles like a much thinner rope through a Grigri, but has a burly sheath. Much better on rappels than my 9.5 Mammut, which has a dry treatment and screams through an ATC if you aren't careful.

Ma Ja wrote:

That's how it works

https://sterlingrope.com/journal/232-fall-rating-really-mean 

Not sure which statement you're referring to when you say "That's How it works" but a lot of people have misconceptions around UIAA falls, and what they mean. The number of falls a rope is rated to has almost nothing to do with the ropes performance, or the number of real world falls the rope will take.