Help me buy my new rope! (let's talk about ropes)

You want the Maxim 9.9. I can't remember the name. Dry treated.

Thank you all for your contributions--I have a lot more to think about now! I was happy with my 70m BlueWater 10.3 previously, and didn't think the weight to be unbearable, but the sheath was wearing a little bit faster than I'd have liked. On the other hand, the wearing of the sheath wasn't unreasonable for rope that went through many of the abuses (multi-pitch trad, sport and hangdogging, indian creek...)

I have a few thoughts/questions/comments, but not the time at this moment to organize them. I'll post back later when I have...

//jc

CRAP! I should have read this thread before I bought my dragonflies. I guess we will see this up coming winter how they perform.

Can you clarify why hangdogging is hard on a rope? It seems any rope on the market should take a hang no problem. Are you implying you fell first?
Paraphrasing from the care guide that came with my Mammut rope - The UIAA falls refers to the number of factor one falls you can expect your rope to handle. Your rope should be able to handle hundreds of small sport falls.

of the ropes you're considering, i've had the Petzl Nomad and a Mammut, although not that model. i prefer the handling of the Mammut. the Petzl kinks more than other ropes when used with a tube-style belay device and is downright frustrating with a gri-gri. the petzl does have a softer catch, though.

ccross wrote:Can you clarify why hangdogging is hard on a rope? It seems any rope on the market should take a hang no problem. Are you implying you fell first? Paraphrasing from the care guide that came with my Mammut rope - The UIAA falls refers to the number of factor one falls you can expect your rope to handle. Your rope should be able to handle hundreds of small sport falls.

The UIAA rating is stating how many factor falls the rope has been tested to withstand while still meeting strength specifications. IN practice, factor falls are almost never created.

You are right that any climbing rope should be able to handle 100's of hangdogs or small falls. That said, any falls/weighting of the rope have a cumulative effect that wears the rope. Ropes are most often retired due to this repeated wear rather that meeting the number of factor falls.

The most wear gets placed on a rope when it is weighted as opposed to just running through biners etc. Trad climbing, I might see 0-5 falls a year. Sport climbing sees 5 good whips a day and dozens of hangs. So, the more falls you plan on taking, the burlier you want you rope. My thin trad rope looks pretty good after 2 seasons. My beefier sport/gym rope is thrashed and full of flat spots by the end of 1.

Cheers

Justin, If you liked your 10.3 Slimline Elite why not get the 9.8 version? It's a great rope for most applications.

The Infinity is a great rope, but at 9.1 kN for an impact force you better not plan of falling on a lot of thin pro with this rope. If you don't fall much this rope will last longer than the others due to it's high % sheath construction.

The Slimline elite has a higher than average sheath %, but has close to the lowest impact force rating(in it's class) at 7.3 kN. These ropes used to be marketed by Yates as the Big Wall and Speed Wall ropes.

Kevin Stricker wrote:Justin, If you liked your 10.3 Slimline Elite why not get the 9.8 version? It's a great rope for most applications.

You know, that's actually an option that I've been strongly considering; although I hadn't posted it or yet amended my list. BlueWater makes a good rope, and the 9.7mm Lightning is light enough for some longer routes and approaches, but burly enough to withstand some abuse too.

Thanks for confirming it.

I'm getting closer to a decision, I hope. They all still seem to be fine candidates, but I've narrowed it down to the Mammut Infinity, Sterling Velocity, or BlueWater Lightning. The final decision will probably be made via who has which rope in stock for the best price, since they're all pretty close substitutes.

I might as well throw in my two $0.02.

I have climbed on many ropes and owned a few different brands that you have listed, by far, my favorite rope is from Edelrid, which seems to be little known in the US. Granted, I have really never encountered a rope that I absolutely hate.

edelridna.com/index.php?tar…;product_id=13

They are a little pricey, but my first Edelrid is still holding up well. I like the feel of it over other ropes, it glides though my GriGri easier for lead belaying on sport.

I do prefer the 10.x mm ropes, I just feel they last longer. I have absolutely no evidence or proof on that. :-)

Ice and I don't mix well, hence why I live in Southern Arizona, so I have never done that. My Edelrid has been my main "work horse" for both sport and trad, and it's coming up on time for retirement:

roperugs.com/

Edelrid makes many different types of ropes into the 9.x mm range too.

Also to note, most people when they get on my rope always complement it.

John...

I earlier put in a vote for an edelwiess, but recently two of my friends got the Sterling Velocity 9.8, and I have to say it's one of best looking ropes I've ever seen. Theirs seem to be holding up pretty well thus far.

Kevin Stricker wrote:Justin, If you liked your 10.3 Slimline Elite why not get the 9.8 version? It's a great rope for most applications. The Infinity is a great rope, but at 9.1 kN for an impact force you better not plan of falling on a lot of thin pro with this rope. If you don't fall much this rope will last longer than the others due to it's high % sheath construction. The Slimline elite has a higher than average sheath %, but has close to the lowest impact force rating(in it's class) at 7.3 kN. These ropes used to be marketed by Yates as the Big Wall and Speed Wall ropes.

Just to clarify, when you say the "9.8mm version" you mean the Lightning Pro, right? I can't find a "SlimLine Elite" that is any diameter other than 10.3mm, even on BW's website.

Nobody plans on falling on a 3kN RP or #0000 microcam, but it happens. Not to me yet, but can't say it never will. Why bother placing small gear if it wouldn't hold anyway?

Good question Justin, if they got rid of it it must have been recently as I had one last year and I have a friend still climbing on one. See if Yates still has some listed on their site.(edit: just checked and it looks like they don't carry it either...too bad)

My last two ropes have been Lightning Pro's, which I like as well as the 9.8 Slimline. So if they did stop production I don't think you would regret buying the Pro.

Allright Justin, here it goes.

CHEAP and LONG! 70 meters and none of that extra money "dry-crap". Judging from your profile, if your rope is wet, you made a mistake. Go for the best deal you can finagle, at anyplace you can finagle it and call it good. All this roundabout, ass-grabbing, rope God crap info is crap. Get the best you can afford and start climbing, like climbers do.

If we need another long winded "here's what I think you should buy" thread, man up and start it. Just don't take this for 3 pages of advice crap route.

SERIOUSLY, if you walk into any store that sells rope, and start yammering about the 2 or 3 pages of personal (not yours) info you have regarding every little detail so you can send your projy-wojy rope stuff. Your rope might show up with poop on it. (Back me up on this one Russ).

P.S.- Buy MAXIM, they love Pugs.........

any rope that can resist my im-petulance-resulting-in-use-of-belay-knife is a good rope.

That, and one that gets you back on terra firma at a rate of speed less than gravity.

Or, one that's near a bottle of scotch; that's good too

Buff Johnson wrote:any rope that can resist my im-petulance-resulting-in-use-of-belay-knife is a good rope.

So that's how you deal with dream weavers eh?

Hank Caylor wrote:Allright Justin, here it goes. CHEAP and LONG! 70 meters and none of that extra money "dry-crap". Judging from your profile, if your rope is wet, you made a mistake. Go for the best deal you can finagle, at anyplace you can finagle it and call it good. All this roundabout, ass-grabbing, rope God crap info is crap. Get the best you can afford and start climbing, like climbers do. If we need another long winded "here's what I think you should buy" thread, man up and start it. Just don't take this for 3 pages of advice crap route. SERIOUSLY, if you walk into any store that sells rope, and start yammering about the 2 or 3 pages of personal (not yours) info you have regarding every little detail so you can send your projy-wojy rope stuff. Your rope might show up with poop on it. (Back me up on this one Russ). P.S.- Buy MAXIM, they love Pugs.........

and...

The thread has become what I fully expected it to be. I'm not asking for anyone to make the decision for me; I just wanted a few insights. I asked for it, and that's what I got. Yours included. Thank you (really, as in not sarcastic.)

I fully agree with your assessment of my "climbing profile"; notice that "dry treated" was never one of my requirements. If I'm getting wet, or my rope is getting wet, then I am precisely where I don't want to be. I don't ice climb, and I get the hell off the rock as soon as possible when the rain hits (hopefully I see the storms coming and finish or bail before that becomes an issue.) The ropes I've selected for candidacy happen to have dry treatment, but they're not candidates because of that. Yes I'd like to alpine climb at some point, but when that point comes I also realize that it will likely be time for a purpose-specific rope.

I don't really do projects. Not that I never will, but I don't spend the climbing day hang-dogging. I'd rather spend it climbing stuff that challenges me, but that I can also have fun on.

Pugs? Are those like the ugly-ass boots that some women like to wear? Or are you talking about dogs? My vote is for pancakes with extra butter and extra extra maple syrup, and none of that synthAuntJemima crap.

If you want some more wordy info check out this post and make sure to read the comments for some other people's experiences.

dreaminvertical.wordpress.c…

As mentioned in the blog I really like the Mammut Infinity but John (vegastradguy) is right that it is more of a 9.7 than a 9.5.

I too have a Sterling Ion which is much thinner. I like it but it is really kinky. It literally ties its self in knots.

Has anyone played with the Mammut Revelation 9.2? Sounds like a really nice skinny rope for long trad routes.

Cheers,

Luke

caughtinside wrote:EDIT to add: It is my opinion that all rope kinks and twists are caused by user error, either an offset redirect or an offset anchor setup. Not to say anyone is dumb by doing this, I do it all the time and my rope picks up kinks and twists, I just deal with it and work them out.

Agreed on the the quality of Sterlings. My biggest regret was not being a repeat purchaser.

I replaced my Sterling two years ago with a 9.2mm x 70m Mammut Revelation Bicolor.

I have not been able to eliminate the kinking in this Mammut in TWO years. This is the first rope I've owned in over 20 years of climbing with which I've had this problem.

Cheers,
Thom Mackris

Justin Cantrall wrote:I know this horse gets beaten to death frequently. I've read a lot of posts, searched plenty, and have shopped around a bit. Before I fire, I want to be as sure as possible that I'll hit my mark; so I'm calling on you to help me identify my target. I am taking the coriolis effect into account at this range... umm, now I'm mixing metaphors a little bit too much now. :) //jc

Well, what was the decision?

I just went out and bought a new 70m Edelrid Eagle yesterday:

edelridna.com/index.php?tar…;product_id=12

My old rope is just about done. :-(

I wound up buying the Sterling Evolution Velocity 9.8. I chose to go with the philosophies that:

• I probably won't notice a huge difference in the softness of a catch; 1.n kN is probably not going to mean the difference between blowing gear and having it hold. I really should (and do) rig my gear to hold a whipper, even when it's small gear. If it's not bomber, then I don't bother.
• I didn't want to go super-thin since I will setup a toprope for a single partner and I to do a couple laps on here and there; I also want to have confidence that my rope won't instantly sever if it does happen to go over a sharp edge.
• Sterling has an overwhelmingly positive reputation as a rope manufacturer; and has a reputation for long lasting ropes. All manufacturers have dissatisfied parties, but Sterling, anecdotally, seems to have more satisfied customers than dissatisfied or indifferent.
• I found it for a pretty good price. This was Hank's philosophy: light, long and cheap! And it's ultimately what it came down to: price. Everything stops at the buck.

I took it out for some climbing yesterday and got both multipitch trad and hard (for me) sport. I didn't have to hangdog on it, but I did break its cherry with a short five-footer. Nice, stretchy soft catch. :) So far, I really like it. It handles well, although it kinks a bit more than I'd like, but I think that will go away as I break it in. Or maybe it won't since I like to setup belay redirects. Time will tell. It's light and easy to clip. I can't wait to get on some long routes and link pitches!

Oh, and it's Pink. Not just pink, but Pink. Now I just gotta get some flourescent green spandex, and I'll be rockin' the rock 90s style. :)