UKC

looking to get a rope or ropes for summer trad climbing around scotland should i get half or single rope,,,s? previously used a single and have been all good with that. just wondering if id be better off getting half ropes, am hoping to get out more this year and improve as im back in the bonny
cheers all

In reply to count: Half ropes everytime; better for wandering lines, better for retreating (full abseil), safer- if you fall during clipping you don't have one rope with an armful of slack out etc.

C

In reply to count: Will be hitting the shops the morrow,,, and probably value UKC knowledge over shop assistants in general. Dont like the feeling of being sold stuff

In reply to count:

for UK trad, get a pair of 50m half ropes.

you can also use them for winter and alps.

you will only really need single for sports or, ideally, v easy classic alpine climbing (but can use one half rope if you understand the risks).

it really depends on what you plan to do. A single rope is convenient and generally robust but half ropes are a lot more flexible.

In reply to Skyfall:
ps: 60m half ropes may be convenient in some circumstances but i really wouldn't bother until you know what you know what you will spend your time doing.

In reply to count: Sweet reading this and the other post i hadnt noticed has answered any queries. will just need to get my head round having 2 ropes on the go. Does mean forking out nearly twice as much,, would be nice if they were half the price
Cheers all

In reply to count: Won't take long to get used to it; good video on UKC under the instruction section about half ropes I think.

Do any of your partners have a half rope; often each climbing partner brings along a half rope each? Can save you buying two.

C

In reply to Skyfall:

I think 60s are more useful in places like the Peak as you can just use one folded in half.

In reply to count:

If I were only doing trad I'd opt for half ropes.

At the moment planning in buying a set of mammut genesis or phoenix, depending which I find on sale first and my feelings towards durability.

In reply to count:

This article may be of interest since it covers several triple-rated ropes which are both half and single.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=5093

Personally I have been using a few of the ropes in this article and I would never buy anything other than a triple-rated rope anymore, but I do bits of trad and sport and never really 'work' sport routes.

Alan

In reply to Chay:

Clipping overhead is a bad habit anyway: wastes energy and increases risk. (Of course there may be special situations, such as a comfy stance with a placement far overhead, but these should be the exception not the norm)

In reply to count:

I have just bought a pair from the link below.

Beal Cobra II 8.6mm 50m Golden Dry £147 delivered for a pair. Ordered on the Tuesday, arrived on the Friday.

http://www.outdoorsports24.com/YOUR-SPORTS/Mountaineering/Ropes-Slings/Dyna...

In reply to count: You could pair a single rope with a half rope. This lets you climb on double ropes most of the time and still have the option of climbing on a single for short pitch straight up in a line stuff.

Disadvantages: There'll be some extra weight, and singles cost more than halfs.

In reply to count: As others have said, 50m double ropes in the range 8.3-8.6mm are generally considered the best 'all round' option for UK trad rock climbing.

Any of Beal Cobra, Mammut Genesis or DMM Prophet will give you good service.

Things are no longer as simple as they once were as single ropes are now available down to 8.7mm and 60m or even 70m ropes are increasing common. However, the routes most people climb haven't changed, so I'd strongly recommend sticking with fairly standard option of 50m doubles around 8.5mm unless you have a very particular reason not to.