Does anybody still climb with a 50m rope?

I love having less rope to handle, quicker belay station handoffs.  I feel like blasting short pitches is sometimes a bit faster than trying to run a full 60 or 70m pitch. This is more of an alpine climbing strategy as well. And I have started to just bring 55m of static cord for a tag line. Anybody else doing this? 

Do doubles (50m) count?

Ken Nichols.

Last time I saw Malcolm at Neptune, he was trying to convince me to start climbing on a 40m rope for certain areas. 40m rope + Beal Escaper = pretty light setup for >50% of climbing most people do. 

I know some people in the Cirque (Winds) try to go as light as possible on the rope and chop down to just under 50m IIRC (like 48m or something). Less to carry in. I’m glad I had the full 60m of my 8.7mm. I’d rather go a little skinnier than a little shorter.

Just need to wait for this next generation of ropes that have aramid braided in for cut resistance. I think Edelrid has one that I want to try out. 

If I can be very certain a 30m rap won’t be needed, I go with a 50. 

Maybe it’s location specific, but many of the alpine climbs in CO need at least a 60m to reach the standard belays...but then again many of the classics are also walk offs.

I don't know anyone that still climbs with a 50m.  I can't even think of the last time I saw one.  Single ropes are so light these days that the weight savings isn't that big of a deal.  The only time I have used a shorter rope is guiding some easy alpine routes that are 4th with some easy 5th class like the cable route or kieners on longs peak but I didn't buy those ropes.  I would just get a lightweight 60 m and then you have more rope to rappel

Sam Root wrote:

I love having less rope to handle, quicker belay station handoffs.  I feel like blasting short pitches is sometimes a bit faster than trying to run a full 60 or 70m pitch. This is more of an alpine climbing strategy as well. And I have started to just bring 55m of static cord for a tag line. Anybody else doing this? 

You don't LINK PITCHES? How dare you.

All the cool kids link pitches. And simul-rap, too!

I think it depends on where you climb. 75% of the time I go out I only bring a 40m because I know nothing is long enough to require a longer rope. 

For alpine/ice climbing my setup is one 50 meters Beal Opera that I pair with 50 meters Beal Gully if I need to rappel down more that 25 meters.
In the mountains I never had an issue with this length.

Sport crags or sport multipitch are different, a longer rope is, most often that not, needed. 

I use a 40m rope outdoors in the Frankenjura, need a 60m in the gym though.....

I've been tempted to go even shorter than 50, but a little worried about the leader-injured-with-more-than-half-rope-out possibility.

Totally Climb dependent. My 50m half ropes only weigh 8 1/2 pounds for the pair. Sometimes a good option for Alpine climbs. 

I love 40 and 50 m ropes. My big reason for using them so much is that I mainly rope solo, so I am carrying all the gear. The benefits of weight savings are magnified when the gear isn't split with your partner.

My use cases for short ropes are generally one of the following:

-rope soloing a route I have climbed before and know optimum rope length

-going to a short crag

-alpine climbing, whether solo or with a partner (very route dependent)

-TRS at a top-access crag

-anytime I need rappels between 35 and 50 m, and the pitches are short on the way up as well

Short ropes are way faster in my opinion, in the cases where they are a valid option. I absolutely love not having to pull up an extra 20 m of rope at every belay, all day long. I'd much rather carry an Escaper and some extra tat.

Charles DuPont wrote:

I think it depends on where you climb. 75% of the time I go out I only bring a 40m because I know nothing is long enough to require a longer rope. 

That King’s Bluff life, I know it well. It’s funny when your gym has higher walls than the nearest outdoor crag

Steve House uses 50m ropes in the alpine so on the approach you aren't carrying more weight which is useful when climbing something like Nanga Parbat.

Bryce Dahlgren wrote:

Steve House uses 50m ropes in the alpine so on the approach you aren't carrying more weight which is useful when climbing something like Nanga Parbat.

I heard that if the pitch is any longer than 50, he just solos 

I love my 70m. And my 70m tagline.

I kind of want a 40m. I have a 30m but I feel like it’s too short at times.