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General Climbing Discussion

Author

Climbing ropes

Megan

4-Apr-2003
3:10:45 PM

I've just been wandering around a few gearstores contemplating buying my first rope. I've found an Edelrid Skyline (10.5mm, 50m) on sale, but I'm just wondering if anyone had an opinion on the rope, or the brand? Also, it's not a dry rope, but I don't really know how important that is for someone who tries to avoid climbing in the rain. And just in general, whether there were any ropes people particularly recommended (I would be using it for a mixture of trad/gym/sport climbing).

nmonteith

4-Apr-2003
3:37:47 PM

Don't bother about the dry treatment. It is only useful in wet/sub zero temps when rope freeze can be a problem.

Joe

4-Apr-2003
4:24:19 PM

60 metres is very handy. Especially as you can cut 10 metres off the ends if they get too trashed and you've still got 50 metres left.

joemor

4-Apr-2003
6:14:39 PM

cheep and uiaa approved generally signifies a good rope.

joe

kieranl

6-Apr-2003
9:21:11 PM

I agree with Joe that cheap and UIAA approved is a good start. I'd stick with 50m for your first rope. Longer lengths are heavier and more expensive.
In thirty years of climbing I have not had to cut an end off a rope because it was badly worn. Ropes can get bad cuts at any point and 60m or 70m ropes are as likely to get cuts in the middle as they are at the ends. I retire my ropes when they are worn.
Go conservative for your first rope, learn from it and use the experience on your second rope
Kieran.

Paulie

7-Apr-2003
8:27:54 AM

I reckon 60 metres is awesome...the extra 10 is not that much harder to handle and it enables you to abseil that bit extra...for example 3 days ago, we did a 3 ptitch 120 mtr ice route ("Shades of Beauty - WI5" on the Icefields Parkway for those who may know the route). we only needed to rap from the chains at the top to 1/2 way then make a V-Thread to rap the remaining 60 mtrs...in the crap wet ice we had, the extra 10 metres came in very handy and meant that we only needed to make one thread and leave only one piece of cord behind. We were using twin 8mm btw.

On the subject of ropes, Mammut is coming out with a 10mm that holds (if I remember rightly) 3-4 more falls than their 10.5mm.

Dalai

7-Apr-2003
10:25:21 AM

UIAA is a necessity, 10.5 mm is a good comprimise with weight and wear and 60 metres is worth the extra expense.
If you will be primarily using the rope for gym or sport, the first 4 or 5 metres get quite a workout. As long as the rest of the rope is still okay, you can trim 5 metres of rope from each end and have a rope which can still be used on most cliffs safely.
Most dry treatments are only an external coating at the end of the ropes construction and are soon wear off through general use and not worth worrying about.

kieranl

8-Apr-2003
10:56:00 PM

You are getting a certain amount of contradictory advice from a bunch of people you don't know (myself included). My advice is to take us all on board but take us all with a pinch of salt. We don't know you so we don't know what you really need.
Take the advice that people have given here but, more importantly, talk to your peers and mentors; they know you. They may, or may not, be as informed and experienced as the contributors to this forum but they know you.
I don't climb on a single rope. I climb on double 9mm x 50m ropes. I have one 9mm ropes and the people that I climb with have their own 9mm ropes. I don't own a single rope and haven't for about 20 years. I wouldn't recommend this arrangement for you, it's too complex for starting out.

shiltz

9-Apr-2003
8:30:04 AM

My first rope was a cheap 11mm 50m job that was on sale. It was perfect for me at the time. In fact it lasted me for 4 years. I used it for leading and top-roping everywhere from Arapiles to Werribee Gorge, to the Grampians and Nowra. If it is your first rope then the a cheap robust rope is just what you need.

Megan

9-Apr-2003
2:34:23 PM

Thanks guys for being so helpful. I ended up buying the rope (and getting an extra 10% off while I was at it!), as I think it'll definitely do the job as a first rope - it didn't have the advantage of the extra length, but it was cheap and robust. Now all I have to do is decide where to test it over the Easter/Anzac Day week of public holidays.... (while resisting the urge to go out and spend my rent money buying a rack.....)

Paulie

10-Apr-2003
5:40:14 AM

(while resisting the urge to go out and spend my rent money buying a rack.....)

Never resist the urge to spend money on your rack ;) Have a great Easter! :)

IdratherbeclimbingM9

11-Apr-2003
4:28:52 PM

You won't go wrong with your Edelrid purchase, as they make excellent value for dollar ropes.
I have purchased a number of brands of ropes, over many years of climbing and reviewed the market each time. More than once I have bought Edelrid and been well pleased with the product.

There are 12 messages in this topic.