I'm in the market for a new rope (almost exclusively multipitch trad and sport climbing) and REI will have the following two ropes on sale in a couple of days:

Petzl Zephyr 10.3mm x 60m Dry Rope
Petzl Nomad 9.8mm x 60m Dry Rope

Does anybody have experience with either of these ropes or can otherwise offer any useful opinions?

BTW, spare me the lectures on the perceived evils of REI...

had the nomad 9.8. great rope, great color. only lasted 3 months. core shot on both ends and fuzzy throughout. but that was climbing 4-6 days a week, and many falls. still would recommend it if you get a good price on it.

can I lecture you on the warm fuzzies of PMI??

We've also thoroughly enjoyed our 9.8 Petzl. It's been a great rope, feeds well, seems to wear well, etc.

There have been a number of reports on the web of the sheaths of petzl zephyrs falling apart under minimal use. Search around some other sites and you will find them.

My Nomad seems to show unusual wear given the amount of time I've had it (not long). Plus, it's stiff as a wire. I am definately not satisfied with it.

Yeah, check out rockclimbing.com on the Zephyr...seems to fall apart quickly, and no response from Petzl on the issue.

I have climbed on both ropes they seem to be OK I have not put them through their paces to retirement though. The Obvious would be the 9.8 would be lighter with less rope drag, A real plus when linking pitches. The 10.3 more durable. My understanding was that Petzl ropes are made by Rivory Joanny-Please someone in the know correct me if I am wrong. Rivory Joanny makes some unique ropes, Braided core being one of the most unique.
I really like Petzl's 9.4mm the best.
I would shoot for a 70 Meter instead of a 60 Meter- But that is a personal choice


REI= Return Every Item-- great return policy. As a former manager their this one gets abused a lot...

That's actually a good point that Sunny-D points out...buy the rope, if it doesn't perform or hold up as long as you think it should..just return it. I've heard the same about the Petzl ropes that they seem to not last as long as say Beal or Sterling but hey, if you get it at a deal go ahead and go for it!

It's a well kept "secret" by those that know rigging safety, PMI is the shit.

If there was one rope to use for bondage.. I mean the trouble with gear reviews is that they don't take product performance over time & also don't analyze materials used in a product -- "hey, a sporty climb, new rope, how does it feel? Ah, two stars out of five." -- well that must mean the rope is crap then, right??

Sunny-D, Rivory-Joanny went out of business about 5 years ago. The looms for the webbing were sold to Techni-Sangles and the braiders went to Millet who also bought the assets of Cousin. Millet is one of the brands owned by the LaFuma group which also owns La Chameau, LaFuma, Oxbow and Ober. They also bought One Sport but killed the brand.

Millet ropes are a blend of the R-J and the Cousin technologies. I may be wrong on this but I think that Petzl is contracting with Millet to make their ropes. They are clearly different than Millet ropes but I believe that's where they're made.
Mal

Thanks for the information. At the time years ago when you could by Rivory Joanny here in the states I knew they were great ropes.

We used to distribute them. Those braided cores were the schitz. Don't know if any of the Millet ropes use that technology any more. Too bad.
Mal

I have the 9.8 70m. It's really nice for multipitch: it's the right diameter, the right length, and the right feel. They work really well through an ATC Guide for repells, and will let you do 3 pitch repells in 2.

I've been using mine for about 2 years, but not very frequent use. I was fortunate to get on the rock twice a month during summer months. I refrained from using it in the gym as I really didn't want to shorten its life.

The only issue I had was that the tips began to separate- core from sheath. Probably a poor cut job. I just took a lighter to it and fixed that problem, and it hasn't reoccured.

Esprit ropes anyone?

I was shopping for a new rope a few months ago in a shop in Utah. One of the sales guys had a new petzel rope of his own. He got a few core shots after only a few months of use. He spoke to the rep and the rep admitted they are having some problems with one of their new ropes. I believe it was the 9.8. Put the great return policy asside. Your not buying window coverings or diner ware. Your buying critical life saving equipment. Or, give the receipt to a friend so they can return your rope and get a few bucks after you hit the deck cause you were waiting for a rope on sale! And then take your car to the cheepest brake repair person out there too!

PS I own several petzel biners and a petzel harness. they are great and time tested... their ropes...not yet?

Update on my rope purchase:

I ended up buying a PMI Spire Half and Half (10.2 X 60). $180 from REI with my 20% member discount. Philosophically, as kevinhansen put it, I really wanted the workhorse that will last several seasons. And I really like the weave change in the sheath, although I've heard that the patterns are not as easy to distinguish as one might like.

Thanks for all the input.

My ataches grooved through in exactly the same way. Now they hold my shoes together. They are a great shape and size, and they have keylocks. A little spendy for the ddurability, though.