ropes

im buying a new rope and am curious what everyone loves, hates, would buy again, would not buy again. any feedback really
thanks
matt

ive been thinking mammut serenity/infinity/revelation, petzl nomad, metolius monster, beal stinger.....i climb a lot, mostly trad where i am taking falls on a regular basis. i want something that will last a while.

Blue water lightning pro 9.7

PMI spire 10.2

I have been a long time fan of Mammut ropes; I simply can't say enough good about how well they hold up. Back in the dirtbag days of 1990 I bought (my first rope) a 50m Mammut that held up very well for 3 seasons (yea, yeah.. i know) between shelf road, turkey rock and garden of the gods climbing. I still have that rope for historical purposes and it looks and handles almost like a new line.

The Eternity(10.0) or Infinity(9.5) both look like excellent ropes. I currently have a Edelweiss On Sight 9.9mm which has been a fantastic rope so far. Very stiff out of the bag but has loosened up nicely with some use.

The Monster ropes are the best lines I've ever used. The 9.8 is a solid work horse(for cragging and general multi-pitch, I haven't used it on big wall or aid), with great handling, stellar dry treatment, and above average durability. The 9.1(or whatever the skinny line is), performs great as well. It's very supple and the dry treatment still kicks after a ton of climbing in the desert and other dirty/sandy climbing areas. The 9.1 is noticably less durable than the 9.8 but I expected that and think we should all expect that from the skinny lines. On both of my current monster ropes the middle marker thread deal wore out within a couple weeks of rock climbing. It's cool when it's new but won't last. Don't expect it to.

The Monster ropes are a bit expensive, but so are most of the major brands primo ropes now. But mine and my partners lives hang on it everytime we head out so I don't frett it too much. Better to have something you trust and enjoy than some PoS which makes you want to just sit at home or worse yet, go bouldering.

Jake

Bi color/pattern is a must for me.

I have really liked my Sterling Evolution 10.2 and my Maxim Glider 10.2. For me, stiffer ropes like these seem to be more managable.

I had an Eidelweiss 9.9 and I did not like it too much but it was inexpensive. It gets tangled easier and is not as durable as the other two mentioned.

I've had very good experience with Mammut ropes in terms of handling and durability.

Not So Famous Old Dude wrote:I've had very good experience with Mammut ropes in terms of handling and durability.

I have used Mammut ropes for years with fine results: excellent handling and very durable. Worth the $$ IMO.

Mammut ropes -- I have owned several and wouldn't go to any other rope -- excellent quality.

I am a huge supporter of Mammut ropes.

I used to have the SuperSafe (10.2). This rope is a workhorse and after many years mine still looks like its only a season old. I retired it out only because of age. I replaced it with the Eternity (10) and I honestly am not as happy as I was hoping. I find the rope twists on me a lot, even after countless flakes both out climbing and sitting on the couch trying to work it out. I also am finding that it shows wear more quickly than I hoped. Yes we have been climbing on it a lot, but it is deff. showing more wear than I expected at this point.

Hope this helps some.

P.S. If you plan to use a reverso in the auto locking set up for belaying up seconds\thirds, get a thinner than 10 mm rope. Your arms, back and belay rest will be happy you did.

Preferences on model and diameter are very personal. All of us have our favs. However, in the past few years, I have come to love and require 70 meter lengths. I would not buy one shorter.

Stu

so i just bought a edelweiss onsight arc 9.9mil 70m bi pattern on sale at bent gate.....ill let everyone know how it works out.
thanks for all the feedback!
matt

Stu, how is your Booster 9.7 working out for you? Did you make it back to the black? Greg

Jon Cheifitz wrote:I replaced it with the Eternity (10) and I honestly am not as happy as I was hoping. I find the rope twists on me a lot, even after countless flakes both out climbing and sitting on the couch trying to work it out. I also am finding that it shows wear more quickly than I hoped.

A few friends have had good success with Mammut ropes, and it's one of those brands that I've almost bought on several occasions. I regret not sticking with Sterling.

I had the same unexplainable twisting with my Mammut 9.2mm Revelation. This is after 20 days of climbing and careful flaking. Since coming off its spool, it has only seen a mountaineer's coil, but it twists as if coiled by a newbie.

I thought it might be due to it's thinness, but I've never experienced twisting with any doubles I've owned. I'm experiencing a bit more sheath wear than I'd expect, but suspect this is what you get when you ask for a rope that thin.

The twisting is however unbearable. Assuming this to be a common characteristic with Mammuts (this year, at least) I suspect it is a hiccup from a very fine company. Still, this is driving me so nutty, that I'm on the verge of putting down some hard earned do-rei-me on a Sterling Marathon/Biathalon. Sterlings have a great balance of soft handling and great durability.

I have a pair of PMI doubles which I like, but can't speak to their singles however.

Cheers,
Thom

Greg,

Made it back to the Black, had to hide in the shade, Escape Artist, with Lightning Bolt Crack finish. Also went to the Elephant's Perch and climbed two great long routes, Astro-Elephant and The Fine Line. Then up to Canmore and climbed the 21 pitch sport route on Chinaman's Peak. Overall, the Booster has performed as well as any rope I've used in the past 30 years! Thanks for the great deal.

Stu

I just purchased a Serenity and used it this past month in the Alps. I love it. It may be one of the best ropes I've ever owned. My various partners agreed. It has a very manageable feel to it. It knots real well, it's light, and I dig the orange color.

Matt Sedor wrote:so i just bought a edelweiss onsight arc 9.9mil 70m bi pattern on sale at bent gate..... matt

I bought the same rope earlier this year. It's a 60 though. The problem I keep having with it is the core getting pulled out from the sheath or vise-versa. I had the ends trimmed a while back but it's already done it again. I'll probably buy something else next time.

Allen Hill wrote:I just purchased a Serenity and used it this past month in the Alps. I love it. It may be one of the best ropes I've ever owned. My various partners agreed. It has a very manageable feel to it. It knots real well, it's light, and I dig the orange color.

Thanks for posting this Allen. I've been seriously thinking about going back and getting one for a 2nd rope.

john, what do you not like about your edelweiss ropes?
anyone else having problems with edelwiess ropes?

This same trip I took along a single Edelweiss 8mm Discover. We beat the shit out of it on five classic routes ( Festy Ridge, Mittrellegi Ridge, the standard route on the Jungfrau...ect.) and it held up real well for what it's worth. And I dig the cool purple color.

Same here... no problems at all with my Edelweiss. It's holding up very well.