Rope with high sheath percentage

Howdy: I have been using a Sterling Marathon 10.4, but it doesn't really work well with my new Microtrax solo TR setup, it is too thick and the Micro's don't feed as smoothly as I would like (I weight the end with a H2O bottle).

My thought was to just get the Marathon Pro 10.1, but does anybody else know of some thick sheath ropes that won't fuzz up like the Marathon? I don't feel like checking every website for sheath percent. I have used Beal, Cousin and Mammut ropes, but none of them struck me as "BURLY", know what I mean?

BTW, I don't care about number of falls, weight, color etc...just raw durability(sheath percent). With the Trax setup, you never really fall anyway, more sag onto the rope, even when you actually fall.

Thanks ahead of time

The most durable ropes for TR soloing will be static. Regardless of sheath percent, dynamic ropes will rub edges more because they stretch and rebound when weighted. Other factors to consider, but for durability alone that's what I'd recommend.

Getting a dry treated rope can help with the fuzz. Look for ropes with a tighter weave. 

you could also consider a unicore rope (sheath bonded to core) like the PMI erratic:

https://pmirope.com/unicore-technology/
http://shop.pmirope.com/8-9mm-dynamic-rope-erratic-laser-orange-dry-60m-dr089na060d

The also have a static version with unicore technology, but it's probably too thick for your application:

http://shop.pmirope.com/11mm-extreme-pro-coyote-white-orange-61m-pr110e2061uc?returnurl=%2frope%2fstatic-rope%2fextreme-pro

So the microtrax doesn't work well with a 10.4, so I am after a 9.5-9.9mm dynamic rope with a thick sheath. there is a special on a beal gym rope for $78 (40m), which is perfect length for where I will use it.

I will check out the PMI

MAXIM ropes last forever

I have an Edelweiss Curve ARC that is so burly it seems to be almost entirely sheath. It's one of those unicore ropes mentioned above.

...the Beal Diablo unicore rope was the best 200 buck rope tarp and bag I’ve ever bought! Replacement from distributor wasn’t much better. Stay away!

Buck Rio wrote: So the microtrax doesn't work well with a 10.4, so I am after a 9.5-9.9mm dynamic rope with a thick sheath. there is a special on a beal gym rope for $78 (40m), which is perfect length for where I will use it.

I will check out the PMI

I use the Micro Traxion with an 11mm semi-static rope (New England KMIII) for TR solo.  Works great.

I use a micro trax on an 11.4mm full static and it also works great

Josh Landis wrote: I use a micro trax on an 11.4mm full static and it also works great

That has not been my experience with the rope I have.  I have to manually pull the rope through the devices, or load it with so much weight (water bottles or coiled rope) at the bottom it becomes impossible to retrieve without it snagging on something. I climb in a pretty busted up area. Petzl says up to 11mm rope, i find that hard to believe. Kind of like my 0 degrees bag, it'll keep you alive to zero, but you won't be sleeping...

I may be my rope has "grown" a bit. It is a Sterling Marathon 10.6? The ends have long since been trimmed off, and I don't remember exactly what it said when new. 

Buck Rio wrote:

That has not been my experience with the rope I have.  I have to manually pull the rope through the devices, or load it with so much weight (water bottles or coiled rope) at the bottom it becomes impossible to retrieve without it snagging on something. I climb in a pretty busted up area. Petzl says up to 11mm rope, i find that hard to believe. Kind of like my 0 degrees bag, it'll keep you alive to zero, but you won't be sleeping...

I may be my rope has "grown" a bit. It is a Sterling Marathon 10.6? The ends have long since been trimmed off, and I don't remember exactly what it said when new. 

I always weight my TR solo rope with either a water bottle or coil and it has never gotten snagged, but my water bottle is pretty dented... Sounds like a flaw in your system. The only time I’ve ever noticed device drag is when I paired a micro trax with a shunt.

Josh Landis wrote:

I always weight my TR solo rope with either a water bottle or coil and it has never gotten snagged, but my water bottle is pretty dented... Sounds like a flaw in your system. The only time I’ve ever noticed device drag is when I paired a micro trax with a shunt.

What I meant was when I am trying to pull my rope, with a bunch of coiled rope on the end, up the cliff at the end of the day, it has the propensity to snag in cracks and rock horns etc. The area I climb is less than vertical and it is impossible to get a clear path up, and a big clot of rope or water bottles just makes it worse.

One water bottle usually is OK, but when I add two, or 25m of coiled rope, it becomes difficult to pull because it isn't a smooth slab or an overhang.

Buck Rio wrote:

What I meant was when I am trying to pull my rope, with a bunch of coiled rope on the end, up the cliff at the end of the day, it has the propensity to snag in cracks and rock horns etc. 

Why are you pulling up the rope at the end of the day?  Walking off or rappelling?  If rappelling, pre-rig the rope on the anchors for a rappel BEFORE you fix the rope for solo TR.  Then when you're done your solo TR you just unfix the rope, attach your rappel device, and go.  I don't have a picture to show this config, but if you think about how to accomplish this I'm sure you'll get it.

baldclimber wrote:

Why are you pulling up the rope at the end of the day?  Walking off or rappelling?  If rappelling, pre-rig the rope on the anchors for a rappel BEFORE you fix the rope for solo TR.  Then when you're done your solo TR you just unfix the rope, attach your rappel device, and go.  I don't have a picture to show this config, but if you think about how to accomplish this I'm sure you'll get it.

The approach is from the top, there is no exit below, think "Sea Cliff" 

Most routes start well above the water. A stuck rope mean descending and re-ascending the fixed rope. It is a PITA.

Here are the specs for the Beal I was eying up, 40m rope:

Tech Specs
Type
single
Diameter
9.8 mm
Static Elongation
8 %
Dynamic Elongation
36 %
Impact Force
7.5 kN
UIAA Falls
8-9
Center Mark
yes, Black Limit
Sheath Mass
34 %
Claimed Weight
61 g/m

Buck Rio wrote: So the microtrax doesn't work well with a 10.4, so I am after a 9.5-9.9mm dynamic rope with a thick sheath. there is a special on a beal gym rope for $78 (40m), which is perfect length for where I will use it.

I will check out the PMI

A normal beal dynamic rope is the LAST thing I would ever consider using for TR solo. I have a 9.5 zenith for cragging, the stretch makes for great lead catches, but it's flat out ridiculous with much rope out. Working out a 30m route on TR I fell two bolt lengths with no slack in the rope, simply stretch.

You can get a "semi static" rope that is low stretch, it will still be safe to fall near the anchor and not saw itself and/or destroy the sheath from the excessive stretch of repeated falls. Beal spelenium or edelweiss speleo are good examples. I have a 100m speleo for TR solo. 

Nick Drake wrote:

A normal beal dynamic rope is the LAST thing I would ever consider using for TR solo. I have a 9.5 zenith for cragging, the stretch makes for great lead catches, but it's flat out ridiculous with much rope out. Working out a 30m route on TR I fell two bolt lengths with no slack in the rope, simply stretch.

You can get a "semi static" rope that is low stretch, it will still be safe to fall near the anchor and not saw itself and/or destroy the sheath from the excessive stretch of repeated falls. Beal spelenium or edelweiss speleo are good examples. I have a 100m speleo for TR solo. 

Wow, 100m rope? I laugh because that would be a dream in MN, have a whole 100m to climb. The longest climb here is probably 30m.  

So my rope solo rope does double duty: for me solo, and as a top rope with a partner. I don't really want a static rope for just the solo application. I generally prefer having a partner, but do not want to climb on someone else's schedule.

My motivation to not fall goes way up when I KNOW I am going to lose a bunch of altitude from rope stretch. So your comment actually cemented the deal...I climb at three place regular: North Shore Superior, Taylors Falls and Devil's Lake.  Mostly TF because I can do it after work. It is a shitty little crag with hardly any good routes. A stretchy rope that is only 40m long is perfect, as long as it has a thick sheath.

The North Shore can be trickier, because there are some routes where a fall at the crux may leave you hanging in space, and you'd have to ascend the rope.

Buck Rio wrote:

Wow, 100m rope? I laugh because that would be a dream in MN, have a whole 100m to climb. The longest climb here is probably 30m.  

So my rope solo rope does double duty: for me solo, and as a top rope with a partner. I don't really want a static rope for just the solo application. I generally prefer having a partner, but do not want to climb on someone else's schedule.

My motivation to not fall goes way up when I KNOW I am going to lose a bunch of altitude from rope stretch. So your comment actually cemented the deal...I climb at three place regular: North Shore Superior, Taylors Falls and Devil's Lake.  Mostly TF because I can do it after work. It is a shitty little crag with hardly any good routes. A stretchy rope that is only 40m long is perfect, as long as it has a thick sheath.

The North Shore can be trickier, because there are some routes where a fall at the crux may leave you hanging in space, and you'd have to ascend the rope.

That 100m gets me 3 pitches at a time for the upper town wall at index, but man when lugging it up the approach I really question if I need to do that many pitches at once :) That speleo rope does have 3.6% elongation at 80kg, so it's not fully dynamic but it's very safe for TR falls.

For shorter 30m routes I can see using a dynamic rope, I didn't experience too terrible of stretch using my old edelrid boa for 25m at a time. I did take a fall on that rope up here, https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/107240960, ended up hanging in space. Lots of shenanigans. 

Hey don't know if this is true but I read somewhere that to find a rope with a high sheath percentage is too look for ropes with low fall numbers..cause to get high fall numbers you need relatively higher percentage of core

Buck Rio wrote: So my rope solo rope does double duty: for me solo, and as a top rope with a partner. I don't really want a static rope for just the solo application.
My motivation to not fall goes way up when I KNOW I am going to lose a bunch of altitude from rope stretch.

I understand from your previous comment that you don't want to weight the bottom of the rope when solo TR'ing.  That means the rope itself has to be narrow, heavy, and smooth enough to auto-feed through your Micro Traxion.  

Since the rope could be used for both solo TR and regular TR I would consider a 3/8" (10mm) KM-III semi-static rope ("low elongation" in the CE specs).  Tight and highly abrasion resistant polyester sheath, smooth running, and incredibly durable, certified to EN 1891 type A ( <6kN impact force @ 100Kg w/FF 0.3).  Safe to use for top-roping.

Most ropes from a company have the same core. It may be different these days but my understanding is that the difference between a 9.8 and a 10.5 is all sheath.