What length alpine rope to buy?

I’m finally ready to buy my first set of twin ropes but am debating what length to get. I find that I rarely stretch out a single pitch to my full 70m rope length but often want more than a 70m for rappels. I’m mostly climbing alpine routes, trying to stay light and fast. Any thoughts? Any brand suggestions? 

Apple Pie wrote:

I’m finally ready to buy my first set of twin ropes but am debating what length to get. I find that I rarely stretch out a single pitch to my full 70m rope length but often want more than a 70m for rappels. I’m mostly climbing alpine routes, trying to stay light and fast. Any thoughts? Any brand suggestions? 

60 meter ropes are the way to go imo. The only time I like 70 meter double ropes is ice climbing.

Apple Pie wrote:

I’m finally ready to buy my first set of twin ropes

Consider half ropes, or double rated half/twins, not dedicated twins.

https://blog.weighmyrack.com/rope-types-explained/

I've climbed on both 60m and 70m for twins, can't think of any time we ever really needed the extra 10m, and most of the time it's just more rope to untangle.  I'd say go with 60m unless you can come up with a good reason / specific routes where you would benefit from 70m (maybe long routes or linking multiple pitches?) Have had good luck with Mammut ropes

I second Kyle Tarry's suggestion. Half ropes give little bits of flexibility that can be really useful. But it also depends a lot on what kind of alpine routes you are doing. The ideal length also depends on route type and where.

Since I have a lot of down time, but also am on call 24/7 most days, I have read lots of trip reports for climbs on my summer to do list. Kyle could correct me on this, but based on what I have read, in the PNW there seems to be a following for alpine climbing even pretty big routes, like Mt Stuart N ridge (even the complete N ridge IV 5.9) with short ropes, 40m. I know from experience that similar kinds of routes in the Canadian Rockies go very nicely with short ropes. Some may object to this, but one of the tactics I have used is when you get to a pitch you really don't want to lead wearing a pack,  you can lead on a single half rope and haul the pack(s) with the other. I have also done it leading on both, but pulling one up, then throwing it back down for hauling. I have also used the 1st method on Yosemite IADs, with 50m ropes. 

My choice for this summer is an 80m bi pattern,  which gives the option of long pitches on 50-55 deg icefields. I read an account of 2 guys on Mt Edith Cavell N face that took a 70m bi pattern,  who used it double on the rock  and mixed climbing, but single up high in a snow/ice gully and the summit snow field.  

How much pro do you want to haul? How much runout are you comfortable with? How hard will you climb?

70 meters can take a lot of pro if you sew it up.

My recommendation: 

- a skinny 70m (or even 80) triple rated bipattern for your standard routes. For alpine routes with short pitches you can tie in the middle with a bowline on a bight and use it as short halfies

- then, two 60 halfies for reasons mentioned above

Jared E wrote:

My recommendation: 

- a skinny 70m (or even 80) triple rated bipattern for your standard routes. For alpine routes with short pitches you can tie in the middle with a bowline on a bight and use it as short halfies

- then, two 60 halfies for reasons mentioned above

Second this. A skinny bipattern 70m is extremely versatile. Can stretch it on long ice/snow pitches and double up on harder pitches or when you might need to haul. The only time it's less ideal is on routes with lots of rappels -- because taglines generally suck in comparison to two ropes -- and really big routes where you want the redundancy of two ropes.

A skinny bipattern 70m with a tag and then two 60m half/twins is my preferred rope setup these days for both ice and alpine. Now if only Mammut would make that Core Protect of theirs in a skinny bipattern 70m...