UKC

Hi folks,

Looking to buy myself a rope very soon and im looking for advice on what type of rope i need in length and diameter i need?

Any advice would be greatly welcomed.

Thanks,

Dave

You're gonna need to give more information about what you're planning to use the rope for!

You need to say what you want the rope for.  Different ropes / lengths for indoor, outdoor, sport, trad, winter, setting up a belay etc etc. 

Likelihood is you're wanting a 9.5-10.5mm "single" dynamic climbing rope [marked (1)]. Probably 30m for indoor and 60m for outdoor sport.  Unlikely that you'll see much benefit from fancy ropes.

I’m dying to know what a “fancy rope” is...mine are all long cord like structures with two ends, do they come with tassels?  It can’t be one that only comes out on a Sunday, as that’s a pretty high percentage!

And this i what you guys are here for haha.

Sorry ill be using it for outdoor sports climbing.

If it’s a first climbing rope then a dynamic single rope, around 10mm.  60m would work for all climbing walls and most U.K. sport climbing.  If just for indoors then maybe shorter.    For Trad climbing,  half ropes (a pair of thinner ropes) are more useful.  If you explain more what you are looking to do then it would be easier to give a more targeted response.  

Wayne

I would get a “Fat” workhorse of a rope.  An untreated 10mm Mammut Galaxy as an example, probably 60m.  

We did a review of mid-range sport ropes here - https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/climbing/ropes/mid-range_sport_ropes-8722

That should give you a bit of background but, being two years old, the brands and models will have moved on a bit.

In reply to Wayne:

Well I'd say a super-light, 8.9mm, Unicore, 60m, triple-rated rope, with dry finish is 'fancy' compared to a 10mm x 30m single-only rope, but then I like ropes and spend a bit of time trying to enthuse about them in reviews. 

Alan

So the ropes im looking at are:

 MAMMUT 9.8mm Evolution Classic 50m length rope

or

MAMMUT 9.7mm Evolution 50m length rope.

I dont mean to start trad climbing yet only sport at the minute.

No I completely got it, just the concept of a fancy rope tickled my somewhat strange sense of humour! Absolutely no point getting a skinny rope as a sole workhorse.

Both are good choices, a 60m might offer a bit more flexibility.  Though completely dependent on your destinations/ objectives.

ps I assume you understand classic is untreated as compared to protect or dry treatments.  

Hi Dave,

Most sub 6c routes at Portland would be fine with on a 50m rope. But you will need a 60m rope to be able to lower back to the ground safely, going by the 28 to 30m high descriptions of a few routes in the Portland guides. One of Portland's longer sport routes Stalker's Zone (6a+), top 50, and its neighbour Trad Free World, should need more than a 50m. You might get by with a 50m rope, and reach the ground on rope stretch, but it would only be safe if you get in the habit of tying a knot in the dead end, so neither of you forget, and end up decking when being lowered off, from a few metres up , when the last bit runs out + through the belay plate ! This can't happen if the end was knotted, but could also leave you dangling awkwardly in the air if it is too short. This is a route you will probably be able to do soon too. A 60m won't cost much more +will be useful as you will be climbing abroad a fair bit too from what I remember you saying, but you might actually need a 70m rope then. But you will still get loads done on a 50m in uk. More than likely your partner will have a 60m that you can use if needed, but just remember that yours , if 50, is shorter, after getting on stuff with a 60!

A 60m rope can have a couple of worn metres chopped off each end after a year or few, and still be really useful outdoors. A 50 after chops will be useful but still good for climbing walls.

fancy rope = [1] works its way up the cliff clipping runners while all the climbers are still on the deck, [2] coils itself at the end of the day

Even if you buy a 60m rope, don't use it to climb Ausfahrt (6b+) at Blacknor as you will be left dangling in space when you lower off, the landing is lower than the belay point so you need more rope than a 60 can provide.

Don't ask how I know...

(Don't let me put you off the route though, it's fantastic and should be on your list, just make sure you have a long enough rope)

In reply to RandomStones:

He has literally stated that "all the ropes reviewed are from companies which advertise". One way decathlon keep their prices down (apart from by selling low quality products which have a short lifespan) is by not advertising all over the shop.

Emphasising what Fakey Rocks says;. don't buy a 50 m for Portland, you will go nuts looking at 28 m routes which you can't do safely.  Buy a 60 m.  And buy a 30 - ish m for indoors; much more manageable.  

In reply to RandomStones:

Ok, I sense someone looking for a fight rather than a considered response but I will try giving the latter.

Why do we never review Decathlon equipment?

The site is funded by advertising and we are open about the fact that we spend more time concentrating on the gear supplied by brands that work with us. That doesn't mean that we never review equipment from non-advertisers but the majority of gear in the comparison reviews, and all the stand-alone reviews, are from companies which advertise. However, most major brands advertise with us so this does cover plenty of options. Of course most rope manufacturers have many ropes and we tend to only review one from the range. Decathlon have never worked with us.

Are our reviews independent?

I am not sure what you are suggesting here. Your words were that our reviews are "generally biased to whoever pays for adverts and reviews". Since everyone in that review pays for advertising (no-one pays for reviews) then that would be generally biased towards all of them then? 

You may be suggesting that we only give positive reviews. In which case I suggest you read the rope review that you have already criticised.

You may be suggesting that we will review products more favourably if they pay more. This is obviously nonsense.

In an ideal world it would be great if you could have a web site that reviewed gear independent of advertising, where they bought the gear at full market price and assessed everything available. There is a site that tries to do this called OutdoorGearLab and they do a good job. The only problem is that they only manage to cover 10 ropes in any detail in their actual review, they don't focus on a specific type of rope, and cover nothing from a budget supplier like Simond - https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-rope/ratings

Alan

I've always rated Mammut ropes for longevity and handling.  I'd get whatever the nearest is these days to a 60m 10mm.  Will do you everything you want in the UK an 99% of any European trips you try as well.  I don't think you need dry treatment - it doesn't last anywhere nearly as long as the rope and is only of real benefit if you plan to actually use it in the wet.

Hey Alan,

Any chance of an updated review, or a review on how well the ropes are going with "normal" use?

Thanks, Josh
p.s. Still appreciate the reviews you do btw
 

Hmm.. that would be good, and it is something we suggest we will do and have in fact done on some reviews in the past. The problem here is that those ropes got spread around a bit after the review and got very varying degrees of use.

I'll see if I can get some information together though.

Alan

Turned out to be easier than I thought. I have two of the ropes and the rest of the team have the others. Updated now with comments below the summary. They have had varying degrees of usage though, especially the Mammut and the Edelweiss which probably have had half the use or less compared to the others.

Alan

Whilst a lot of people are recommending going for a 60m you might as well spend a little bit more and get a 70m.  When you inevitably go to abroad (I'm thinking Kalymnos), you'll find that there are loads of great routes 30m to 35m and you'll wish you had just paid the extra and got a 70 the first time round.

I did not do this, and now have a 60 that's still in good condition that I never use anymore, and a 70 that I take everywhere.  

Incidentally, the 70 is a Petzl Contact 9.8, which I really like and the 60 is a Edelweiss element which is f*cking horrible and I hate.

Word of advice - check if the rope you buy comes factory rolled, and if so, make sure you unroll it in the right way (there's YouTube vids) otherwise you're in a world of sh*t.

Mammut is a good choice. Get the longest, 9.5mm - 10 mm you can afford. Better a 9.8 80 m than a 9.5 50 m rope. If you can pay for the Protect line that will make the rope sturdier. No need for the Dry line.

I have a Mammut 9.5 Protect and it handles very well.

As an more ecological alternative I would look at the Edelrid Parrot 9.8.

Ahh, classic ukc. 

Go outdoors have some good deals on 10mm untreated mammut ropes at the moment, might be worth looking at.

Get whichever is cheapest at 60m. No extra 'features' needed, just a basic single rope, 60m is more useful for holiday sport and will still be useful for most sport with ends cut off.

jk

, but then I like ropes and spend a bit of time trying to enthuse about them in reviews. 

Getting off topic, but I was out with Dan Bailey last week on Dartmoor. I really like the pair he's testing for the next review...

Well he has about 6 pairs! Can you remember the brand? Or the colour since they were all here for a couple of weeks so I might be able to remember?

Alan

Boreal, green and yellow (I think), we used them as doubles, but they are rated for use as singles. They handled beautifully, I deliberately tried messing up uncoiling them, they didn't want to tangle!

Hmm, not Boreal - they don’ty Make ropes. Beal maybe - they are nice.

Full review of half-ropes out next week I think. All pretty good though from out testing in there Lakes in September.

Alan

Sorry, yes, Beal.

I have one of these from Alpine Trek, it's been a decent workhorse both indoors and outdoors. I'm just a punter mind you...

https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/mammut-zopa-97-bergfreunde-edition/?aid=9f9560...