2024 Rope Discussion

My 9.4 Xeros bipattern is expensive but such a bitchen rope. Feeds amazing and the most resistant to fuzziness I’ve found. Also the treatment doesn’t get that sticky feeling I get with other ropes, mammut included.

When it eventually gives up the ghost I’ll probably get the 9.2 version. Although the 8.9 Swift protect does have my eye.

My Beal 8.4 Unicore is the bees knees for alpine climbing I have found. Light as heck and I feel pretty confident in its ability to save me. Raps well with a jul.

Ross Goldberg wrote:

My 9.4 Xeros bipattern is expensive but such a bitchen rope. Feeds amazing and the most resistant to fuzziness I’ve found. Also the treatment doesn’t get that sticky feeling I get with other ropes, mammut included.

When it eventually gives up the ghost I’ll probably get the 9.2 version. Although the 8.9 Swift protect does have my eye.

My Beal 8.4 Unicore is the bees knees for alpine climbing I have found. Light as heck and I feel pretty confident in its ability to save me. Raps well with a jul.

I got the Xero dry but plain weave on deep discount. Like it so far but would have loved a bi-color.

Really regret not buying either a Canary or Swift Protect during black friday last year...   

yukonjack wrote:

no love for the sterling Ion R 9.4 mm?

That’s one of my least favorite ropes. I use it at work extensively. It pulls through a belay device worse than any other. Durable sure, I suppose.

I’ve used multiple of them long enough to retire them starting from brand new in the plastic.

I don’t like Sterling ropes. Haven’t found any I like. 

Anyone have thoughts on the Petzl Volta? Looking at something in the low 9s for multi pitch days and redpoint burns. Also in the running—the Maxim Airliner, Sterling Aero, the Beal, what—Joker I think? The 9.1, whatever that’s called  

Numbers on the Volta look good to me and I can get a decent price on one. Wish for the multi pitch use case that it was available in a bi-pattern, but that’s not a deal breaker. 

Alex Fletcher wrote:

That’s one of my least favorite ropes. I use it at work extensively. It pulls through a belay device worse than any other. Durable sure, I suppose.

I’ve used multiple of them long enough to retire them starting from brand new in the plastic.

I don’t like Sterling ropes. Haven’t found any I like. 

I agree with this. People seem to really like the Ion R. I thought it handled like steel cable. I was surprised because I'd previously used a Sterling Slim Gym which handled incredibly well. I'm not very excited on Sterling ropes after this. I also thought it kinked badly.

To the person earlier mentioning Bluewater, I have a Lightning Pro 9.7 mm dry. It handles great. It doesn't feel heavy at 9.7 mm. Good catches. But I don't think it has held up well. I've almost chopped it below 60 m from its original 70 m in about a year outside.

Slim Pickens wrote:

 the Beal, what—Joker I think? The 9.1, whatever that’s called  

I had one, the regular model, not the soft. Good cord for its intended application, you just have to be aware of the stretch. In that approximate diameter, I would still prefer the Swift Protect.

Edelrid Boa 9.8. Lasts forever.

Slim Pickens wrote:

Anyone have thoughts on the Petzl Volta? Looking at something in the low 9s for multi pitch days and redpoint burns. Also in the running—the Maxim Airliner, Sterling Aero, the Beal, what—Joker I think? The 9.1, whatever that’s called  

Numbers on the Volta look good to me and I can get a decent price on one. Wish for the multi pitch use case that it was available in a bi-pattern, but that’s not a deal breaker. 

Petzl Volta is a good rope. Handles great. Good catches. Good sport climbing rope. Some people have durability concerns.

K Dub wrote:

Petzl Volta is a good rope. Handles great. Good catches. Good sport climbing rope. Some people have durability concerns.

I had one and it pales compared to the Beal Stinger except handling. Only lasted a season and was very fat and heavy for a 9.2. Got fuzzy after 1 trip to the Red. The stinger is very skinny for a 9.4, skinnier than the 9.2 Volta for sure, but does not handle as good and does get kinked a bit in comparison. Both give equally soft catches but the Stinger is rated for more falls. Beal feeds much smoother as drags less on wondering routes.

For anyone who cares to keep up - I was able to buy an 80m 9.8 Fixe Foixarda (girlfriend liked the red) for $170 total from Epic. Crazy crazy deal. I was sold on the durability, the g/m, and Dynamic Elong %. Also that price is hard to beat. May consider getting a thinner / higher performance rope for send season. For the time being, just tired of wearing through my ropes in a season. 

Thank you for all the input everyone! Happy sending!! 

Caleb BR wrote:

It's interesting that so many here like their mammut ropes. My friends and I have had several mammuts that we all hate. 

I agree. I wouldn’t say I hate them, that’s a strong word but they wear super fast. I went through a few, but they were cheap compared to some other options. Maybe because I climb a lot of granite? My pre 2020 Mammut ropes were great quality and durable.

Andy Wiesner wrote:

I'm on my second Edelrid TC 9.6 now (the one that many here seem to dislike). It's my workhorse. I like the lower price, I haven't had any problems feeding through gri/atc, and the faint bi-pattern is a non-issue for me. The weird green color does lack sex appeal.  

Moved away from the Mammut 9.5 because of repeated sheath issues, but that's just me. 

Like Fritz and others I love the Beal Unicore ropes (Opera for beefy double/twin, parties of three, or single alpine, Stinger for sending, Tiger for walls) but at the Gunks (where OP climbs), where full 70m top-roping is not uncommon, we sometimes like to link rope-stretching pitches off the ground, and lead falls happen in ledgy terrain, the Beal ropes are too stretchy (static elongation of 9.5% vs. 6% / 7.4% for Mammut / Edelrid; dynamic elongation of 37% vs. 30% / 31% for Mammut / Edelrid ).  

Returning to this topic to reverse my prior view in support of the green Edelrid TC 9.6. My second one is now toast after a few months of pretty heavy use. 

Have moved on to the Edelrid Eagle Lite Protect in the 9.5 diameter, with Aramid in the core and a trippy weave pattern that changes color based on something I'm not sure I quite understand. 

In addition to its psychedelic properties, it has an unusual benefit of low static elongation of 4.7% (compared to 7.4% green Edelrid TC 9.6 and 6% for the Mammut Crag 9.5) making it very nice for top-roping long pitches with dicey starts (which I seem to do a fair amount of here at the Gunks) while having moderate dynamic elongation of 32% (compared to 31% green Edelrid TC 9.6 and 30% for the Mammut Crag 9.5). I wonder how they pulled that off?

Andy Wiesner wrote:

Returning to this topic to reverse my prior view in support of the green Edelrid TC 9.6. My second one is now toast after a few months of pretty heavy use. 

Have moved on to the Edelrid Eagle Lite Protect in the 9.5 diameter, with Aramid in the core and a trippy weave pattern that changes color based on something I'm not sure I quite understand. 

In addition to its psychedelic properties, it has an unusual benefit of low static elongation of 4.7% (compared to 7.4% green Edelrid TC 9.6 and 6% for the Mammut Crag 9.5) making it very nice for top-roping long pitches with dicey starts (which I seem to do a fair amount of here at the Gunks) while having moderate dynamic elongation of 32% (compared to 31% green Edelrid TC 9.6 and 30% for the Mammut Crag 9.5). I wonder how they pulled that off?

I dunno but I can tell you I cut through an eagle lite protect sheath aramid and all in Fremont canyon, only rope that ever happened to me on :)

Jared E wrote:

I dunno but I can tell you I cut through an eagle lite protect sheath aramid and all in Fremont canyon, only rope that ever happened to me on :)

Let's hear the story!

F r i t z wrote:

Let's hear the story!

Nothing incredible. Blocked rappel, no obvious edges or pendulums, pulled the rope down to find this

Wow. Was that part in the knot? 

Andy Wiesner wrote:

Wow. Was that part in the knot? 

Nope

Jared E wrote:

Nope

Quite the mystery. 

This gives rise to another thought. The anecdotal experience of sheath damage, like yours, Jared, or the experience I cited earlier with Mammut and the green Edelrid TC ropes I've owned, is probably a mistaken basis for evaluation, especially when the cause of the sheath damage is unknown. Something tore the sheath in that photo, and for all we know the rope may have out-performed under conditions that could have caused another rope to fail catastrophically. 

To Andy's point - Unfortunately, we all have to use an N of 1 experience. I was just reading (by reading I do mean watching YouTube videos) how there is not yet an abrasion standard for ropes. Mammut seems to be working on this problem for their Alpine cords that are very exposed to sheath shearing potential. That being said, Thank God we are discussing how rad our super safe enough ropes are and not taking about who broke their back taking a 3-foot whipper on static hemp line. 

Also for anyone who cares - I have had my new rope out for a few sessions, and I do love it. It has been really awesome having the extra rope to link multi-pitches, skip a rap or two, and have zero cause for concern at my crag. It is, however, a lot of rope! The Fixie product seems to be excellent, and I am looking forward to seeing how it ages. 

Trevor Jones wrote:

 It has been really awesome having the extra rope to link multi-pitches, skip a rap or two, and have zero cause for concern at my crag. It is, however, a lot of rope!  

What raps can you skip at the Gunks with an 80?  Someone told me Ursula. Can you do Double Crack with one rope? 

Also what belays can you skip that you couldn't before with a 70? I generally run pitches together whenever I can. The only times I've come up short is Limelight by about 10ft and Strictly into the Ceiling by a lot.

Trying to decide between 60, 70, 80 for my next rope. Primarily climbing at the Gunks too.