Rope Question??

[cascadehigh]

I know it's mostly personal preference, but I was wondering what size/length of rope other people use on moderate alpine/glacier routes? ie..... Traverses and lower angle stuff. Not super steep or vertical ice. Rope are getting thinner these days and I was just curious.

 

Thanks, Shane

[ScaredSilly]

~8.5-9mm x 40-60m is fairly typical for me for "mountaineering" routes.

[genepires]

8.1mm x 50m

[dougd]

My 8.5mm x 35m rope has served me well. Good for 2 or 3 climbers on moderate glacier routes... Wouldn't want 4 on it unless I had to...

 

I'm about to retire it and will go 40 meters in length for the next one I think...

 

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[cascadehigh]

Thanks guys. Anymore favorite alpine cords?

[cascadehigh]

Nobody mentioned twin ropes. There are some 7.7mm twins available. Does anyone here use twin ropes for thier alpine stuff?

[BootsandPants]

I use a 37m 7.7mm rope only for glacier travel and moderate angle snow routes. Perfect for 3, and can do 4 in a pinch although I'd rather not. Has worked pretty well so far and weighs nothing. Been quite happy with that purchase

[mrmilk]

8.1mm x 50m

 

 

 

 

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[Wastral]

I put minimum for true glacier travel at 150feet or 50m. I could see taking a 100 foot(35m) rope if one is only worried about bergshrunds/moats. Kinda the definition of super moderate eh? Yes, I take 100 foot half rope with me when I expect to need a rappel line, but real glaciers? Not a chance.

 

Have you actually placed your 35m rope with 2 guys on it and actually put one guy in a crevasse and tried to actually get the guy out with only a 35m rope? Good luck. It better be the worlds smallest crevasse. I tried it. It doesn't work with 2 person team when only 30 feet apart, as you not only have to catch their fall taking up rope length between you, but you also can't be on the edge of a crevasse either as you can't set up a system. Yea, yea, most common fall in a crevasse is up to your armpits, but for that you only need a 10 foot rope to pull them out so why not cut it down to 20 feet and save more weight! Of course you aren't carrying the rope for falls/spills that make you laugh. You only carry it because you are serious.

 

One can "theoretically" do it with a 3 person team, assuming 2 guys didn't fall in the crevasse and the middle guy is anchoring the fallen climber in ALL scenarios. This simply isn't true. In short you are kidding your self into believing you are safe, when in fact you are not except only part of the time.

 

I bet you never have actually tested with a 35m rope. If you have it was probably as a test scenario without any crevasses in sight on grass. If you do fall in, it better be a minnow crevasse without any crevasses nearby. When does that ever happen? Never. Crevasses you will actually fall in nearly always come in bunches except of course the bergshrund. IE your rope "team" will have to span/cross multiple small crevasses and in larger terrain, sometimes 2 large crevasses.

 

If you take a rope at all, then make sure it will address ALL crevasse fall situations, not just the stupid and mundane.

 

If just the stupid and mundane, then 6mm nylon is perfectly good and weights a hell of a lot less. Better yet, get 3-4mm UHDPE and save even more weight. I know a guy who takes 2.5mm UHDPE as rappel line. Keep expecting to find him dead somewhere too.

 

PS. Consensus for steeper stuff seems to be 8mm or so twin ropes due to the hazard of ice fall.

 

Edited August 15, 2011 by Wastral

[genepires]

another way to rationalize the 50m length is to have the ability to be able to rappel to your partner if he/she is unconscious or requires other medical assistence. Assuming that you want the span between climbers to be large enough to be able to span the largest expected crevasse (I usually give about 40 feet), this means that there are 3 lengths of rope, one of 40 and two of 60 feet on each climbers shoulders. This amounts to 160ft not including the rope used for knots.

 

Without a 50 m rope, you do not have enough rope to be able to rappel to your partner. Unless you tie in 20ft apart, but this is entirely to close for our typical glaciers.

 

Now if you had 2 rope teams on 30m ropes, it could work out.