Mammut makes great ropes but the WORST middle marks

I love Mammut ropes and own 4 of them I’m really happy with… but the black middle marks on any Mammut rope are guaranteed to wear off completely in like… <5 pitches. It’s unbelievable how quickly they disappear. What’s the deal? They should include a marker to fix the middle marks with every rope purchase

I dunno, my BD rope lost its middle mark just about as quick, might have you beat there.

Greg Miller wrote:

I dunno, my BD rope lost its middle mark just about as quick, might have you beat there.

I wish there was a more objective way to measure this as I subjectively feel like the Mammut ones are unusually bad, especially compared to how good the actual ropes are.

Get a sharpie fabric marker. Bluewater ropes have told me this was safe and recommended it, I can't imagine it will hurt any other brand. My current rope changes pattern halfway but the sharpie fabric marker comes out dark black and holds up. One marker will outlast a few ropes. 

Will N wrote:

I wish there was a more objective way to measure this as I subjectively feel like the Mammut ones are unusually bad, especially compared to how good the actual ropes are.

Hehe yeah. On that note, I would also not recommend the BD green 9.4 dry for durability, it has picked up a lot of scary-looking nicks in the sheath way too quickly.

Greg Miller wrote:

Hehe yeah. On that note, I would also not recommend the BD green 9.4 dry for durability, it has picked up a lot of scary-looking nicks in the sheath way too quickly.

OTOH I have 18 months on mine (yes, same green dry model) and it's held up as well as any rope I've ever had.

I used normal sharpies and didn't die.

learned from the Canadian guiding community: use a darning needle to weave high-visibility waterproof yarn (fly fishermen use it for strike indicators) through the sheath at midpoint of rope.  leaving loops of yarn at each pass yields a day-glow "golf-ball" that also works in the dark, because you can feel it.  feeds easily through all the belay brakes that I'm familiar with.    Doesn't last very long, but easy to renew when it gets feeble.   Bonus - if you mark your ropes this way you can have a howling laugh every time somebody shrieks:    "omygod! your rope!?!"

-Haireball

Just use a sharpie. If it was bad for your ropes, many people wouldve died by now. 

Curt Haire wrote:

learned from the Canadian guiding community: use a darning needle to weave high-visibility waterproof yarn (fly fishermen use it for strike indicators) through the sheath at midpoint of rope.  leaving loops of yarn at each pass yields a day-glow "golf-ball" that also works in the dark, because you can feel it.  feeds easily through all the belay brakes that I'm familiar with.    Doesn't last very long, but easy to renew when it gets feeble.   Bonus - if you mark your ropes this way you can have a howling laugh every time somebody shrieks:    "omygod! your rope!?!"

-Haireball

Dental floss sewn back and forth then trim the loops to leave a couple inches of 1/8” “fur”

You feel it as well as see it when belayingas mentioned.

my mammut is still going strong after six years and i can find it’s center fine but it’s a bipattern. heh 

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/120262154/sharpie-mid-mark#ForumMessage-120262566

Beal rope marker =   

This is what Sterling recommended when I asked them.

"We recommend using a Trace Element Certified Sharpie to mark the middle of your rope. Beal and Black Diamond also make a marker that will not harm your rope."

I have used the Beal rope marker on two Mammut ropes and they’re still going strong. Was nervous to do it at first and contacted Mammut directly, but they would not offer any specific recommendations on what to use. (Lame… come on guys just tell us what you use at the factory & sell that same pen) but I get it from a liability point of view, the concern is they don’t know what other companies are putting in their markers. My local climbing shop said it was ok to use Beal’s marker on other brands, something to the effect that all ropes are made of essentially the “same” material so if it works for one brand it should be ok for others, also you are marking the sheath not the core of the rope.  Anyway I have re-marked several ropes and climbed on them a bunch with no negative effects to report.  Next rope will probably be a bi-pattern, cheap insurance for the extra margin of  safety 

+1 for Beal rope marker a.k.a. Tiflex Endorsing Ink.

Graphite in alcohol?

Still on my first bottle - 10 years, probably. Perfectly  matches factory markings. My routine is to usually re-mark after washing and drying the rope.

Can stiffen the sheath a little by filling in between threads, which at least mechanically weakens some (over an edge fall?). But hey, it’s the middle of the rope.

Yay for resurrected threads!

needle and some bright color thread. Stick a few bits looped through and you have a very easy middle mark to see AND feel. It doesnt mess with belaying, goes right through device(s).

Fancy version on solid color rope:

Another vote for the Beal rope marker.  However, as mentioned by Bill, it does stiffen the sheath a bit.  So it is best to mark with a few narrow bands rather than one continuous long band.

Hello,

The stiffness of the Beal Rope Marker can be considered a positive feature, especially in low light situations. Or as a tactile warning when lead belaying.

Thank you

Fishy Boi wrote:

Hello,

The stiffness of the Beal Rope Marker can be considered a positive feature, especially in low light situations. Or as a tactile warning when lead belaying.

Thank you

Agreed, and you get that benefit with a few narrow bands.  My suggestion was to avoid making a single long band, which I found not to run smoothly through carabiners and belay devices.

Hello,

Having long marking bands is useful on thinner ropes where shorter bands might not be felt. The beal rope marker will soften up with use, so after climbing on it for awhile long bands may still be felt but not stop you from belaying

For a solution that does not give much of a tactile sensation, Black Diamond makes a marker pen. 

Thank you