First outdoor rope ideas?

Hello, I am just starting to get into outdoor climbing and have been looking into outdoor ropes. What is y’all’s opinion on dry/non-dry rope (is it worth the extra money)? Any suggested ropes that have lasted a very long time at a half decent price?

Get a cheap mammut or edelrid 9.8mm 70m rope, non-dry. Unless you plan to climb in the rain or climb ice, this will do you for a couple years.

I always get dry ropes because the data shows they lost longer. I have a 9.5 mammut alpine that I use for literally everything ice, rock, glacier (not really recommended) Make sure to clean them occasionally though. Dry’s not totally necessary if you’re just using them for climbing rock in fair weather.

If you’re not concerned about weight there are a ton of options. 60m rope somewhere between 9-10mm will work.  Sign up with American Alpine Club to get some discounts if you’re gonna buy a bunch of new gear like rope and draws etc (plus they do good things). I’m not a big fan of anything that’s too dynamic like the bd 9.9 rope but it’ll give you a nice catch if/when you fall.

The 9.5 crag classic by mammut is a good safe bet but honestly read the reviews online and ask people around the crag what they use.

9.5 to 9.8 will geterdone. Don't stress a dry unless you plan to hit ice. By the time you are ready for a dry, you will learn the tricks for getting one around $100 and change. You just can't pick your color. Good luck!

I second the 9.5 crag classic by mammut:

Orange 70m on sale now.

I found a good rope on sale, but the 70m option is $45 more than the 60m version. Is 70m worth the extra money?

Honestly 60m is good enough for almost everything. I’ve got to the end of a 60m rope maybe once in the years I’ve been climbing. Over time you’ll have different ropes for different projects. The route description will say if you need anything longer. 

The one Dave posted is literally perfect. 70m will get you up and down confidently. 

David Burridge wrote:

I second the 9.5 crag classic by mammut:

Orange 70mm on sale now.

I third the 9.5 crag classic by mammut. You probably don't need the 70m it's an extra 580 grams over the 60m. But it could save you from having to knot block and tie your shoelaces together one day. If you're just extra diligent to check the guide book and make sure you can safely lower and always tie stopper knots you'll be fine with the 60m.

I've been climbing on an Edelrid Tommy Caldwell 9.6 rope for a while, it's proven to be super durable and it's one of my favorite handling ropes I've ever used.  It's relatively light on a grams/meter basis.  Pick rope length based on where you climb regularly, there is a ton of stuff around me that necessitates a 70 and even some routes where an 80 is needed for single rope rappels, so I went with an 80.  But I'd recommend buying the shortest rope you can get away with, the extra 10 or 20 meters of length really weighs down on long approaches.  Really, any 9.5-9.9ish rope from a major manufacturer is going to work well as an all-rounder, mammut crag classic, black diamond 9.6, beal booster, sterling velocity, petzl contact, any of these will do well so I'd just shop around for whichever one you can get the best deal on.  Watch out for weird off-brand ropes, I've used a few that handled like shit (they were partners' gym ropes, bought cheap).  

If you can afford it get the dry rope as Jack Walter said data has shown that they last significantly longer. If money is tight I would skip the dry as the rope will probably last you a few years without it, at which point you will hopefully have more money for the next one. 

Mammut crag is classic, I have always been able to get good deals on the blue water lightning pro 9.7. 

I would also go bigger with your first rope, it will last longer and you will probably wear harder on your first as you learn the tricks to climbing outside. 

And, if you are anywhere near buying a new washing machine, agitatorless washers are great for rope cleaning!

H.

Luke Graham wrote:

I found a good rope on sale, but the 70m option is $45 more than the 60m version. Is 70m worth the extra money?

Check the areas you plan to climb at. Out West. A 70 is handy and well worth the 45$. Out East, it is more often extra weight. If you can easily afford it, get it and forget it.

The extra length is worth it also because when the ends of your rope become damaged or worn out, you can chop off the damaged bit and still have a rope longer than 60m.

The ends get worn much faster than the middle. 

Once a rope is less than 60m it is significantly less useful and you can get into trouble much more often unless you climb at shorter crags.

Also recommend the Mammut 9.5 dry treated. My 60m is now around 50m but still looks and feels new after 7-8 years and many many many pitches. 

Mammunyt crag we care, recently purchased and couldn't be happier.  Also I believe you'll want the 70.  I'm addition you won't be on crazy approaches and length and durability will be more important. 

I’m surprised I haven’t seen any love for blue water ropes yet!
move climbed on blue water ropes for years and loved them. They are not as “nice” as the bigger brands, but I haven’t died yet, and they handle just as well as I could expect. Get a 70m for sure, doesn’t need to be dry unless you’re ice climbing. Make sure it’s bipatterned. I will probably never buy a single color rope again. Knowing “which end” is very nice.