Edelrid Raptor Rope

I've been climbing for a few months and I'm looking into purchasing my first rope. I intend to climb both sport and top rope. The people I climb with have always used to same rope for both. The Edelrid Raptor 9,7 mm (also sold as the Edelrid anniversary rope) has caught my attention. Would this be an appropriate rope? On the packaging it says that it is "perfect" for sport but "not recommended" for top roping. I'm curious why that would be the case.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

It probably has high core:sheath material ratio which is good for catching a ton of falls with little abrasion from the rope rubbing against the rock (think overhanging sport routes). It won't be as resistant to abrasion which will happen from the rope running over an edge, which is common for TRing. If you want a good rope for both sport and TR i'd suggest a mammut tusk.

There are many parameters to take in account: number of spindles (more spindles = softer catches for a price of abrasion resistance), sheath proportion (less sheath/core proportion = softer catches for a price of abrasion resistance), how tight is the sheath (looser sheath = handier rope for a price of abrasion resistance and faster flattening), sheath design (2 on 1 design resists abrasion better for a price of sheath slippage).

Also it should be taken in account that direct comparison of numerical values of very different ropes is senseless (e.g., 36% of sheath mass of 10.5mm rope is not to be compared with 41% of sheath mass of 9.1mm rope, it is not that hmmm... strange as comparing 5% ABV with 8.75% local taxes, but close to).

Modern ropes are designed with respect to dozens parameters. They are all good and they are all good when using more or less close to the scenario they were constructed for.

Personally I read manufacturer's recommendation. If they say "this is a rope for sending your the hardest project" it is definitely not the best "my the first rope". If they say "this rope is created with the softest possible catch in mind", it is not for top roping. If they say "this rope is created to last long" it is not ultralight rope for moving fast and light.

For your first rope, get whatever is cheapest. It will get beat up toproping, and then you'll have a better idea of what you want for your second rope.

heres the basic first rope advice i usually give folks ...

beginner rope advice ...

- get around a 10mm +/- 0.2mm (the UIAA allowed variation on rope "diameter")

- better yet look at the weight/metre ... something between 60-70 g/m, more on the higher end for durability ... its a more accurate measurement

- you dont need dry treated ... while the treatment might help the rope last slightly longer, it will wear off in around 100 pitches of heavy use ... especially if you are hangdogging and TRing

- you dont need duodess or bi-pattern ... youll pay $$$$ for it and as a beginner you should practice finding the middle the old fashion way, from both ends ... cause one of these days youll be on someone elses rope, assume the middle is accurate and not realize its been chopped ... learn the basic skills before the fancy gear

- if you do want a middle mark ... it is MUCH easier to see a black middle mark with those fancy bright color ropes, also when rapping its easier to see if those bright coloured ropes are on the ground especially as it gets dark ... i never buy dark coloured ropes anymore

- you should not spend $$$$$ on fancy ropes ... you will trash your first rope within a few seasons ... get something cheap and durable

- if a 60m is on an extreme sale then get a 60, else if its only a bit more get a 70m ... ropes that take constant whippers often wear out from the ends first, you can chop the rope and still have a 60m .... also on multi the extra 10m can make some rope stretcher raps safer ... check people who actually climb in your area as to if a 70m is required or better for the climbs ... also remember that a rope shrinks with use and washes

thats the basics ... now the more "advanced" stuff

- if you are using a grigri, smart or other assisted locking device get a supple rope ... known supple ropes include beal, tendon, sterling, some edelrids, etc ... this is something that **is not in most descriptions** ... only talking to people who actually use the ropes extensively will tell you this ... thicker maxims and mammuts are known as stiff ropes in comparison to the previous brands, they will work fine in assisted locking devices if thin enough, or when new enough, but ropes tend to get stiffer with age and tend to be a biatch to feed (forcing folks to use the "quick feed" method of belaying a gri gri for normal belaying which carries its own risks)

- ask yourself whether you are more likely to get hurt hitting a ledge or getting spiked by a hard catch in the type of climbing you are doing ... if the former get a low stretch/higher impact rope like a maxim or mammut ... if the latter get a higher stretch/lower impact rope such as beal ... also remember that for TRing lower stretch may be better as the difference between a beal vs maxim on static stretch alone on a 60m climb (10% vs. 5%) is ~9 feet ... which can mean a broken ankle

- if you are doing climbs where abrasion is the main concern for rope wear then get something with a high sheath % ... if its from going flat from too many falls, get one rated for a high number of UIAA falls (some redditors will undoubtably protest that it does not matter, it does, but to prevent senseless arguments ill simply post up mammuts view on the matter below, they know a thing or two about ropes)

highinfatuation.com/blog/st…

- if climbing trad a softer catching low impact rope may be beneficial for marginal gear ... again to prevent senseless arguments ill simply post the beal numbers, which is based off CAI (italian alpine club research) models

beal-planet.com/2014/anglai…

and finally talk to folks with practical use and who owns different types of ropes ... guides, route developers, folks who climb daily, etc ...

while quite a few people can give you an opinion of the rope or two they may have owned ... not all that many can give you a comparison between several different current brands and models and which they use extensively


;)

I appreciate all the responses.

While the Edelrid Raptor wouldn't be the cheapest route, it seems to be near a lot of the suggestions presented. Definitely a lot to consider.

Again, thanks to all

I actually own this rope. It's still going strong after... at least a year. I forget when I actually started using it.

I'd say it's not my favorite rope, because it has an incredibly stiff hand and I prefer a softer feel. The bi-pattern is also pretty faint, so you have to pay attention when you're looking for the halfway point.

On the plus side, it is a good in-between diameter that's not crazy skinny, but also not so fat it takes up all the space in your pack and weighs a ton. It seems to hold up pretty well, but that's just my experience. There's nothing about this rope that I really hate, just a few minor things that aren't really a big deal. You can also find it on sale, which is a huge upside.

Rope wear depends a little on how it's made and a lot more on how you use it. I use mine often, but usually on steep sport routes, where there's little contact between the rope and the rock. Therefore, your experience could be completely different from mine.

Along the "buy what's cheapest" line of thinking, steapandcheap has several deals on ropes at the moment:
steepandcheap.com/gear-cach…