I'm looking into getting a new rope and am trying to sort out all the options.

First, does dry treatment make that much of a difference if I'm not doing any ice wet alpine climbing?

I want something durable (UIAA 8 or 9 falls) but not too heavy.

Preferably bicolor

I'm not burly enough to legitimize getting a super high performance, super expensive sport climbing rope, but some recommendations on ropes that are great for trad, sport, and lots of multipitch would be welcome.

Thanks!

I think you can get bogged down overanalyzing all the specs on a rope. You want a rope with an 8 or 9 falls rating and bicolor? There you go, just buy it!

My experience is that dry ropes slide a little easier through your belay device and pro, at least for a little while. Other than that, not sure there is much to be gained unless you are doing alpine or ice.

I really like this rope.
www.e-omc.com/catalog/products/7696/Mammut-Infinity-Duodess->>>

Dry treatment has more benefits than just being hydrophobic. It has a better feel to it and is also much more durable(something that is of importance to you apparently).

A bipattern rope, although nice to have are a grip of money. I second the mammut infinity or the mammut supersafe for even more all-around goodness...

Fall rating probably shouldn't matter too much, if I understand correctly, however, I always find myself gravitating to those ropes with a rating of 10+ falls. I like 9.8-10mm 70m bi-pattern ropes. I find middle marks to be ok, but they can be hard to see after some wear --- after a year plus, I can barely makeout the one on my edelrid boa, but it can be found. Plus, after a while, you develop a feel for when you've pulled halfway through.

Dry coating probably doesn't matter, unless you have a specific use that requires it.

I have like all the ropes I have owned, and they have all held up well: Beal, Bluewater, Maxim, New England, & Edelrid. I suspect my bluewater 60m rope was a little short, but I think that just varies. I'm digging the New England 9.9mm 70m bi-pattern glider.

Just pull the trigger once you find a good deal(say 20% off msrp).

And read some reviews - do some googling for any rope before you buy, but like others say, dont worry about it too much.

bluewater lightning pro. the only rope you'll ever need.

Megan

I would suggest climbing with a number of different people and there ropes . . .

I have a New England Glider Bi-Pattern 9.9mm x 70m Dry-Core and love it! It has a tighter woven sheath IMO gives it nice handling ext.ext.

Happy sending

9.7-10mm 70m non dry, non bi patern basic rope ...

www.gearexpress.biz/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_>>>

Megan, there's a common misconception about the correlation between UIAA falls and the durability of ropes. Generally what allows a rope to last for more falls in UIAA tests is being softer/stretchier. This is also what will make a rope less durable over a given period of time. Take for example a Metolius Monster 10.2 (not the gym variety). It has UIAA falls rated for something ridiculous like 12/13 falls. But, it is pretty stretchy and very soft... which is fine. Unless you're climbing rough granite slabs, then dragging the rope up a few pitches will make a noticeable difference in the sheath. By a few, I mean a few dozen or so.

My advice would be to focus on what you REALLY need. Length, dry treated or not, bicolor/pattern or not, and weight/diameter. All UIAA rated dynamic ropes will be fine to climb on. It is unlikely that anyone will ever come close to putting the rope through similar rigors as a UIAA drop test and survive. Get everything you need and nothing you don't and take into consideration what kind of routes you'll be climbing the most. Find the rope you want and then scour the interweb for the best deal on it. Good luck finding a rope that's right for you.

Anything by Sterling


or the Petzl Nomad

Sterling Evolution Velocity

I love my Petzl Xion (10.1 mm) which I got last year.

I've used it for sport leading and for top roping - last year I did top roping on it 2-3 times a week.

I think one of the big factors in my liking it was the dry coating. The rope started out extremely manageable - very bendy and stretchy, running easily through an ATC. It didn't tangle easily, and didn't leave black marks on your hands when belaying with it.

After about a summer of use, however, it began to accumulate dirt - presumably oxide from running over carabiners. So now I get the black streaks on the palms of my hands when handling it. And it has become more tangly and less manageable. The surface of the rope was almost waxy for the first year, but by now it's gotten much more rough; I think that means the external dry coat is mostly gone. I finally caved in and washed it (cold water in the bath tub). That helped some but it's still slightly dirty.

I suspect that the dry coat is what made it so manageable and kept it clean for such a long time, but I could be wrong. I might try other ropes, but I do like the Xion. Whatever I get next, I would go for the dry coat.

FWIW the Xion has a middle marker, and I find it very easy to see. A bicolored or bipatterned rope is tempting. But you do have to be careful about that. I was climbing with someone who thought he was using my rope (it was not mine, but the color was similar), and he thought he'd seen the middle mark, but it just turned out to be some dirt. Fortunately this did not result in injury or death, but it could have (he nearly rapped off the ends of the rope). If you think this can be prevented by using a bicolored rope, even those can be trimmed unevenly. Nothing replaces manually verifying you've got the middle of the rope.

I prefer PMI, they have a special oxytocin release factor for my female partners; which is a bonus

check out www.justropes.com, they usually have some great deals. Google justropes coupons and see if you can find an additional discount.

they were very fast and friendly when I bought a rope through them last month.

"I think you can get bogged down overanalyzing all the specs on a rope. You want a rope with an 8 or 9 falls rating and bicolor? There you go, just buy it!"...


Ditto...

I love my mammut supersafe 10.2 and my petzl xion 10.1. But if I had to pick one I would go with the mammut.

Here are a couple of good resources:

eveningsends.com/2012/02/how-to-choose-a-climbing-rope/
www.outdoorgearlab.com/Climbing-Rope-Reviews

Personally, I use either Mammut or Sterling ropes. I like using 9.5 - 9.8 mm diameter ropes for sport or trad climbing.

Thank you all for your input. I actually have a deal where I can get 50% off MSRP but only on Bluewater, Edelweiss and Mammut ropes. So knowing I'm getting a damn good deal, among these options which would you recommend?

I have a Bluewater Pulse 9.9 60m non dry and I love it. It has a tight sheath and is a little wiry, but it clips easy and maintains its shape pretty well. Durable too. Good elongation; gives pretty soft catches even if you catch your belayer by surprise.

Not dental floss at 9.9, but pretty light for its diameter- 62 gpm I think. It gets my vote out of the three, but I haven't had any experience with the other two so they're worth checking out. Good luck.

It's thinner than you were looking for, but if you get a mammut deal, check out the Infinity. 9.5mm, 8-9uiaa falls, light (58g/m), and plenty durable. Best rope i've had so far, great for long routes.

Go with the mammut I had one blue water and it was a pos.

I too have a (relavatively new) Bluewater Pulse 9.9 70m non-dry. Handles nice but still a little 'kinky'. It has a tight sheath and looks like it will wear well. Very light for a 9.9 (I have a 70m).
To the OP, since you get a deep discount on Mammut, go with Mammut. The Galaxy 10mm was my first 60m rope. I had to retire it because of number of seasons used, not due to wear or lumpiness.