In reply to ParaDan:
> It wont be used for ice climbing or anything overly technical but I would like to practice playing with bucket seat body belays, buried axe, bollard etc etc.
The sort of terrain where these techniques come into play tends to be grade I and II gullies. These often have compact rock sides that don't offer much in the way of gear (particularly when hidden under 6 inches of rime!) so snow anchors can be all you've got. If that's the case, the only sensible option (other than soloing) - if there are two of you - is to pitch it (in which case you'll be glad of 60m rather than 40 or 50). So ideally a lightweight, dry treated 60m.
Similarly graded ridge traverses are an entirely different ball-game in terms of ropework and protection. Moving together, winding the rope around bits of "natural" protection and placing some rock gear (generally slings, plus the odd nut/hex) will be the norm for bits where roping up is needed, with occasionally the odd little pitch depending on route, conditions, and skill of the less experienced climber. In terms of rope length, perhaps 25-30m for grade I routes where you expect the rope to stay in the bag most of the time, you don't anticipate pitches of significant length and abseils are very unlikely. Maybe 40m for grade II routes where longer pitches and/or abseils may be required. Given that ropes used often for these purposes will see a fair bit of abrasion, being woven in and out of rock features, a more robust single would be ideal. Realistically though, you'll likely not be climbing that sort of ground often enough for that to be a factor - unless doing lots of Alpine traverses - so you ought to get away with a dry treated skinny single.
