buying new rope

[goldenchild]

So I need to replace my rope. Will be climbing mostly in Squamish and sometimes in Cheak Canyon. Will be leading 5.7 to 5.10s. Sometimes TR hard stuff. Will be climbing single pitches to multi-pitches on the Chief.

 

I walked into MEC and the guys advise I get something like these:

Beal booster 9.7

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detai...D=1145319171979

 

Edelrid livewire 9.8

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detai...D=1145319171979

 

Edelrid Fat Rock slim 10MM

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detai...D=1145319171981

 

I'm wandering for a guy like me, who would be only leading lower grades should be afraid of skinnier rope that there recommending? Or, should I be looking for a rope that's 10.2 to 10.5. My first rope, which is still the one I'm using is a 10.5 mm.

[Squid]

Stay away from the Beal- those wear out very quickly.

 

The fatter rope won't hold you back at the 5.7-5.10 range, will last longer, and cost less.

[JosephH]

I like the Mammut Supersafe 10.2 - a very tough, but very supple rope...

[Jens]

A life motto for ropes that my mentor taught me in the 80's:

"buy cheap and buy often"

_______________________

also steer clear of blue water cords- They blow

[goldenchild]

any opinion on Maxim ropes?

[G-spotter]

yes. they suck!

[pup_on_the_mountain]

I have a Maxim 9.8 mm 60 m dry rope. This was my first rope

and an all-purpose one as well (rock,glacier,ice). I really

love it - it handles pretty well, and used to be pretty

dry for a good length of time. It has lost some of the dry

properties due to increased use though.

[dbconlin]

My first rope was a Maxim 10.5 - it got flat through most of its length pretty soon after I started using it, but I kept on and it took some lead falls and seemed fine. I retired it a couple of years ago. Probably wouldn't buy again.

[G-spotter]

The one Maxim rope I bought had the sheath detach from the core. It grew a 2 foot long foreskin on one end while on the other end 2 feet of core stuck out.

 

For less than thirty bucks more I could have got an Edelrid or Mammut that would have lasted twice as long.

[catbirdseat]

I have a Maxim rope with a single pic cover and its abrasion resistence is terrible. Maybe the double pic models are better. I don't know.

[MattStan]

Having used every notable (and some not so notable) brand of rope on the market, I go first for Mammut, second for Sterling. Don't hesitate to go down to 9.8 as far as durability goes. And I second Jens' advice about buy cheap, buy often.

[goldenchild]

I like the Mammut Supersafe 10.2 - a very tough, but very supple rope...

 

I'm considering the Supersafe or Mammut's 10.5 Duodess, Superdry.

I've read that the Supersafe is Triosafe meaning there's marking halfway and 5 meters from the ends. Did you find that these markings wear over time?

[PBRstreetgang]

I like Mammut

[dbconlin]

i've been very happy with my mammut double ropes...

[sexual_chocolate]

if you plunk down fat cash on a super safe, the sheath is prolly gonna wear down just about as fast as with some cheapo rope.

 

i used a beal 9.7 non-dry for 3 straight years on everything from alpine to sport, and still sometimes use it. best part is i picked it up for 100.

 

if i were you, i'd pick up the cheapest 10 mil you can find, and make sure your biners are smooth and clean (old biners that get chunky eat rope. i just got on a route with permadraws, didn't check one, and it shredded on my new 9.4 sheath: sucky.)

 

But, having said that, you like most will lay out cash for the one with the best advertising shtick and the one that looks the coolest, which is fine cuz it'll work like any other.

[JayB]

I like mammut ropes the best, but usually just buy something in the 10mil range that's cheap, and rotate through a bit more quickly.

[J_Kirby]

I haven't found that to be the case. My 10.2 Supersafe has lasted a lot longer without fuzzing than any Bluewater, Edelweis or Sterling ropes I've used. I guess if you want to compare apples and apples, my two Mammuts, the 10.2 and a 10.5 have both been used for cragging in basically the same general areas over the years and the Supersafe has performed much better. Not sure if its worth the extra money or not, but I sure like it.

[goldenchild]

J Kirby,

Thanks. For obvious reasons, I really like the duodess feature of the Mammut ropes. But the Supersafe doesn't have this. Has the dye they use for the middle marker run out for you?

My other option is the Mammut flash 10.5 duodess

[MattStan]

About the only thing that'll happen to the dye is that it'll be obscured over time by the ubiquitous "rope gack." If you take time to gently clean it every so often, problem solved. I've seen a Mammut Revelation go through hell and back and still retain its markings. Just remember, whether it's dyed markers or a dual-weave, it's still always best to pull both ends through equally through the anchors. The first time you forget that you cut 10 feet of your Duodess may be the last time ...

[billcoe]

J Kirby,

Thanks. For obvious reasons, I really like the duodess feature of the Mammut ropes. But the Supersafe doesn't have this. Has the dye they use for the middle marker run out for you?

My other option is the Mammut flash 10.5 duodess

 

Goldenshower: I like the duodess too, but it's spendy. I noticed that 2 of the ropes you listed were Edelrid ropes. I've always like the handling properties of them, but won't buy another one until they FUCKING DYE THE MIDDLE INSTEAD OF PUTTING A FLIMSY PIECE OF CRAP TAPE THERE THAT LASTS FOR 2.5 RAPS.

 

It is more than conveinance, lots of accidents happen cause somebody got tired or distracted and missed it.

 

I'm 100 percent serious. Guess you could buy the Bluewater rope marker and do that as well.

 

But that's me.

 

FYI, 2 points. I think Lanex ropes are the very best I've ever used. Ever. Metolius is marketing them as monster ropes and they cost more than I want to pay currently.

 

 

Next) REI.com has a sale rope I am unfamiliar with: = $109 for a PMI brand 60 meter. Cheaper than the US 138.15 for the last Edelrid rope you mentioned and very similar specs.

rope sale

 

I almost always buy the sale rope, my last one was a Mammut 10.2 at REI that came WITH a rope bag for $100. I'd look hard at this one unless the freight ate up the savings.

 

Good luck, make sure it has a good middle mark:

[J_Kirby]

Hey Goldenchild, I didn't opt for the duodess on my supersafe. I figured for the money it would have some sort of durable middle mark. Guess Mammut was a little too cheap for that, because the standard Supersafes only had a tiny 1" Mammut logo at the midpoint when I bought mine. If I get another it'd be a triodess. Different weaves at the mid 10' and at each end. Much more stupid proof.

[goldenchild]

J_Kirby

I actually emailed Mammut. The Supersafe has a triosafe not triodess feature now. This means they have a black dye for the middle marker and for 5 M from each end. This replaces the triodess.

Thanks for your posts.

[billcoe]

Anyone want the 9.2 x 70M Maxim

 

EMS has it: $125.00

 

LINK

[Cobra_Commander]

Isn't Eastern Mountain Sports owned by Trinidad Ice Skating Inc.?

[Cobra_Commander]

or maybe it was Midwest Mountaineering.