Looking at 70M dry mammut rope

[JackF]

I've been looking around at ropes a bit and have decided on a 70m Dry. Probably 9.5mm and of the duodess variety. Although, Mammut has something called Triosafe which is a way to identify the middle and about 7m from each end. If this is a braid change then OK but if its some type of marker that will wear off, then no thanks.

 

Primarily for ice climbing here in Colorado. 70m might be overkill but I can only choose once if if I spear the rope with a crampon, I'll just cut it off but that will mess up the whole Triosafe thing but who cares.

 

The rope I've been looking at is the mammut Infinty 9.5mm in the Challenge series. Such marketing with the series and everything. 70m Duodess or the Triosafe/Triodess.

 

Any words for or against? Seems like prices in the US are much higher than in other places that sell Mammut ropes.

 

Is there an english version of the Barrabes site. I just don't have the patience to sit there and try to figure things out.

 

Thanks

[Camilo]

If you go to the upper right corner of barrabes, there's a "setup" button where you can choose language.

[John Frieh]

Mammut ropes generally have higher impact forces than other ropes on the market... not a big deal if you are sport climbing but if you are climbing where pro is questionable (ice) you want the lowest impact force available. I would say look at Blue Water, Beal or PMI... I have owned twins or halfs from all 3 and have been happy.

[Dechristo]

I'm a fan of Blue Water; their ropes seem to handle better. I ice climb with a pair of 8.5 X 60's and love them.

 

One of 'em took a sheath shot on the last climb in the Wadds... I think Syudla did it when I wasn't lookin' but I can't prove it.

[JackF]

Seems like many climbing shops in the Denver area like Mammut ropes. makes you wonder if they make more $ from the sale than say a PMI.

 

The reason I was also drawn to the Mammut rope line is you can pretty much get anything you want: 9.5x70, dry, duodess. Not many other companies offer a similar product. I did find an Edelweiss Ultralight ARC 9.9, 70m, Bicolor. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks for the input-its nice to chat about something before you fork over $200.

[NYC007]

GO WITH THE BEAL ICE LINES, THEY CAN BE USED AS TWINS OR DOUBLES

[JackF]

Since I climb with my wife mostly, the simplicity of a single rope would be, well, much simpler. I will look into them though. Maybe the wife will change her mind.

[John Frieh]

GO WITH THE BEAL ICE LINES, THEY CAN BE USED AS TWINS OR DOUBLES

 

Beal stopped endorsing this in 2003. They no longer certify/test the ice lines as half and twin.

[John Frieh]

Are you only climbing ice with these or alpine rock also?

 

Generally the mark up on technical gear is 42% for just about everyone... I doubt shops make more on one company vs another.

 

Looking around it seems just about everyone makes duodess (or whatever you want to call it) in dry 70 lenghts... or at least PMI, bluewater, and beal do.

[JackF]

This rope will be primarily ice only usage.

 

I'll have to look into the other makers. Tough to find a thorough listing of rope stats from different manufacturers on one list.

 

I'll keep looking

[pu]

I have been climbing on mammut ropes for awhile. I dig them. Triodess is currently a black marking on the rope and not a braid change. My triodess has been holding up fine. As far as impact force goes, I would take a look at the numbers for yourself. I was comparing an infinity 9.5 to a Beal the other day and the mammut had lower kn's.

 

However, as far as BW goes. I have owned two different BW ropes and the damn things were so kinky from factory to retirement that they wouldn't have been suitable for a rope mat.

[John Frieh]

This rope will be primarily ice only usage.

 

I'll have to look into the other makers. Tough to find a thorough listing of rope stats from different manufacturers on one list.

 

I'll keep looking

 

Mtntools.com has an excellent head to head rope comparison page... Their stock in ropes at times can be iffy (I would caution you against back ordering from them). I looked at the page and it seems mammut has higher impact forces… hmmm.

 

The other thing you should look at is g/meter… though diameter is generally a good guide to how much a rope will weight some companies will offer a super skinny rope, say 9.7, but if you check the g/meter you see that it weights as much as other companies 10.5 ropes… Maxim was notorious for this… they offered a 9.7 and would tout how great the rope was as it could handle twice as many maximum falls as other companies offering in the same diameter but if you checked the g/meter you saw the thing was nothing more than a 10.5 posing as a skinny rope. Take home message: make sure your skinny rope actually matches in weight.

 

As you are only doing ice I would get something in the 7.7 - 8.6 range in either half or twin if weight is a big issue (alpine/multipitch) and if it is not (ice cragging) get something beefier (8.5-9.7) for longevity. If you think you might do some alpine rock get something at the range of 8.5... smaller diameter ropes (8.1 or smaller) tend to get super fuzzy super fast if you drag them up a lot of rock or your partner jugs them... (then again a smaller rope diameter might deter them from jugging).

 

And ropes twisting is generally due to the belay device… not the weave…

 

Hope this helps.

[tomtom]

70M Dry Mammut ropes were on sale this past weekend at Feathered Friends.