Half Rope Recommendation

[jdog]

I am looking at buying a set of half ropes and was curious if people had any recommendations. I was looking at the Mammut Genesis 8.5mm or the Petzl Dragonfly 8.2mm. Not sure about these really small diameter ropes.

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[billcoe]

Metolius Monster 7.8mm are the lightest double ropes on the market. I have a set and don't have a bad word to say about them.

 

I especially love the little tufts that mark the middle and end distance, you can feel it in the dark, both the middle and like @30' from the end.

[DanielHarro]

I have to Beal Ice Lines and I have had great luck with them!! I recomend the 70m Golden Dry.

[Farrgo]

The Metolius Monsters are listed as doubles, but the metolius website shows data for using them as doubles and as twins? Are they dually rated?

[jmace]

Ihave had a few sets of the Mammut Genesis 8.5's..no complaints will buy em again..the smaller diameter ones are nice but the 8.5s are good for a single on moderate terrain so they have dual purposes.

[DRep]

The dragonfly's feed very nice. I personally have the Beal Ice lines 8.1 and am very happy with them. The treatment is awesome.

[96avs01]

Ihave had a few sets of the Mammut Genesis 8.5's..no complaints will buy em again..the smaller diameter ones are nice but the 8.5s are good for a single on moderate terrain so they have dual purposes.

 

x2

[Hendershot]

Do you guys always try to pair one half ropes with an identical one? Having not used a half rope system yet, I was thinking of having one at 8.5 and another at 8 mm. Am I off base?

[billcoe]

The Metolius Monsters are listed as doubles, but the metolius website shows data for using them as doubles and as twins? Are they dually rated?

 

Yes they are. I think I fell in love with em. On a long route you need to rap, like Crimson Chrysalis or Dream of Wild Turkeys in Vegas, it's the schizz.

 

Even a route like Epinephrine it's cheap insurance, should something arise like a fall and an injury (ran into some fellas rapping as we were heading up the nose who had slammed into one of the Penjis trying to do it fast in a day and had a bum leg).

 

It can get ugly doing half rope raps and leaving all the extra gear to do so. I've never had to do so yet, but as I age and get weak......

 

Sorry Hendershot, wasn't ignoring you, but I don't know the answer to your question so I was just gonna shut up and see what gets said by others by way of a reply to your inquiry. I can say I do not remember seeing anyone doing that, but don't know why not.

Edited November 23, 2007 by billcoe

[Hendershot]

First I bought the Joker (9.1 rated as single, half & twin). Then did more research and saw the advantages of a half rope system an bought am 8mm, thinking it would pair up as a half with the joker, but haven't tried it yet.

[Maxtrax]

You always want to have a matched pair of ropes when using twin style (both ropes running through each piece of gear), and although I couldn't tell you exactly why you would want to do the same with halves, I personally wouldn't climb on mismatched ropes.

 

The reason for having matched rope with twins is that if they are mismatched they will elongate at a different rate and that differential will cause friction between the two ropes where they run together at placements and can cause abrasion to the sheath, or in extreme examples burning/melting and significant damage to the integrity of the ropes.

 

With halves if they are mismatched one rope will stretch less, thus putting more of the force from a fall on that rope and whatever piece of gear it is attached too and thus weakening the entire system, so although you could probably get away with it, I still wouldn't climb on mismatched half ropes.

 

It's a little late so I might not be 100% clear, so ask any more questions you might have, I'll try to answer.

 

Also, those Metolious 7.8mm half/twin ropes look awesome and I definitely want to try them out, but right now my favorite skinny cords are the Mammut Phoenix 8mm x 60m half ropes.

Edited November 24, 2007 by Maxtrax

[mike1]

I picked these cords up last year and really like them: Edelweiss Sharp 8.5. These sharp ropes use to be fairly stiff and hard to handle, but I thought these were supple and had no problems with them. Are they safer? I think so. I think they just might be the best ropes out there! Ya, that's right, I said it.

[mattp]

To each his own: I vastly preferred the stiffer previous model sold by Edelweiss: the Stratos. My Sharpes tangle up constantly and the sheath is not attached to the core. I thought the Stratos was a much better rope and I wish they still made them. It was a little heavier because an 8.5 now replaces the 9mm, but I'm willing to carry the extra weight for a rope I like better.

 

As to the question of whether it is "OK" to climb with two different ropes, I think the hazard of mismatched ropes is probably a bit overstated in Max's post. I suppose it depends what you are going to try to do with them but for general cragging and normal alpine rock climbs I don't think you are that much more likely to see two mismatched ropes shread each other than two matched ones that may cross each other or run over an edge or whatever as is likely to happen even if you try to be careful about it. I'm sure it has happened that two mismatched ropes have contributed to a scary or even disastrous incident, and I'd rather climb on a matched pair. I would not back away from a pitch or even really do very much different based on the fact that the ropes were mismatched alone.

 

Be careful rapelling with mis-matched ropes, though. If one stretches more than the other, they can saw on a the anchor and that can be a particularly bad thing if it is sling witout a rap ring.

[jhamaker]

I've used my 60Mx8.3? Beal Icelines to death the last few yrs.

 

Negatives: I've experienced sheath slippage w/ heavy people rapping and trying to prussick.

Sheath is already showing abraided/cut strands.

When new and slick w/ Silicon, I had to buy a smaller rope belay/rappel device. ATC's and Reversos were too fast. I even had one fellow rap too fast and hit the ground. Now they are a bit fuzzy and work great w/ the Baugette, Gi-Gi, Reversino, BC Guide, and OP B-52. Heavy people also notice a lot of rope streatch and say it's like rappeling on a bunge cord. I've heard of folks streatchig a rap, anchoring in, then letting go of the ropes as they spring short and out of reach.

 

Positives: I've used them to death. I like having 60's in places like Red Rocks where you can often link pitches or rappels. Many alpine routes climb rap lines where there is a pre-set anchor every 25M. Fold a 60M in half, and you've got a super-safe system. Since your pitches are short - less slings and gear to haul up - often comes to the less weight as if you were climbing on one 50M single. One strand is also great for glaciers.

 

I'm cutting the soft ends off. They will be 50M and I'll save weight. I'll use them for alpine routes and most everywhere else (e.g. Darrington) where the standard is the standard 50M or less between rappels.

 

I'm buying some more durrable half-ropes. The Eidelwies Sharps are heavier and safer too. I'll use them for places where weight is not so much an issue (short 2hr approaches like Darrington and Red Rocks) and for places where all those sharp edges and loose blocks make me nervous (most of WA, esp Goosegg.

 

Rem when using halfs as twins that the forces involved on a fall are much greater. I've also heard that if you stich between half and twin technique on one pitch that there is a danger of the ropes whipping through the biners at different rates and melting against eachother.