UKC

Hi,

I'm going to be buying a 100m abseil rope and want to know what diameter to go for - 10mm or 11mm?

It will be used for abbing into sea cliffs. Normally I will of course be climbing back out on my dynamic ropes, but occasionally I might either be frigging back up the ab rope or swinging around on it inspecting potential new lines.

I am tempted to go for 11mm on the basis that it will be more durable. However, would 10mm be better due to (i) the lesser weight and / or (ii) because it handles more easily (I want to be able to just ab on my usual belay device)?

Also, are the Mammut Performance 10mm and 11m ropes OK are? I've seen them fairly cheap on a caving site.

Any advice gratefully received.

Cheers,

Luke.

In reply to kingholmesy:

Thick and stiff ab ropes are a pain in the rear end. I loaned a relatively new static from someone the other day - not sure what it was, but probably 11mm - and it wouldn't easily fit through my partner's belay device. Previously I had an 11mm static myself and wish I'd bought it in 10mm. I'd often flip my belay device upside down to give less friction.

In reply to kingholmesy:

I think I bought 9 mm rope when I got two 100 m lengths a few years ago. The weight issue was the real driving force in my decision as some of the places I was heading had longish approaches.

I also bought some rope protectors so that I was less concerned by the risk or abrasion. It was going strong until half a big wall fell on it and chopped it into small pieces. I don't think 11mm would have faired any better.

In reply to kingholmesy:


What is your usual belay device, as I think this might help the decision making process?

In reply to kingholmesy:
There was a guy on here asking about abseiling on 3mm a few weeks ago, perhaps go for that?

Admittedly he hasn't posted since (can't imagine why).



In seriousness I'd go for 10mm because it fits in pretty much any belay device.

In reply to kingholmesy:

I have used 100m ab ropes in both 10mm and 11mm and would never buy an 11mm. They are heavy, stiff and don't really fit through your belay plate. Carrying the 10mm around Pabbay and Mingulay was a joy in comparison.

I just bought 50m of this http://www.barrabes.co.uk/petzl-club-10-mm-by-the/p-54650?idvariedad=221748...

In reply to kingholmesy:

Mammut performance static is a truly horrible rope, by far the worse I've ever used, and as a caver as well as a climber I have used many types and diameters. Avoid like the plague, whatever the price. There is a reason it is so cheap.

I had the 9mm, even this was very stiff, difficult to knot, and kinked, despite being used with a bobbin type descender which doesn't [normally] kink rope.

Gelstein (SP?) Geostatic would be my choice for climbing, and Beal Speleo Gold for caving.

In reply to kingholmesy:

Out of curiosity, which sea cliffs need a 100m rope to abseil in? I'm not saying there aren't any but the usual suspects, Gogarth, Pembroke, Cornwall etc are all ok on a 60m rope.
I've always used my most recently retired half rope (8.5mm), needs an extra turn or two on the french prussic but under a largely static load is fine as long as you don't go out of your way to bounce around SAS style.

In reply to pec:

The sea cliffs of Pabbay and Mingulay require 100m ropes.

Pabbay
Mingulay

Best climbing in the UK if you ask me.

In reply to tehmarks:
Second that. I have a 10.5mm ab rope which was fine when brand new but quickly adopted the flexibility of steel wire. It takes a fair bit of brute force to push it into the belay plate.

On the plus side there is no risk of going down too fast. You could probably sit on it all day hands free with no prusik* and not go anywhere.

*don't test this.

In reply to pec:

Lundy needs a long ab rope in places too I think. I've found DMM Worksafe pretty good, deals pop up on Dicks Climbing every now and again which make it quite reasonably priced. The Beal Antipodes statics which my university had wore quite badly so I wouldn't recommend those.

In reply to pec:
Nebbifield in the Shetland Islands required a 200-metre free hanging approach so despite having 100-metre ropes we still had to pass a knot.

In reply to spenser:


That would make some sense since the OP is based in Devon, but I wonder if a climber in Devon is ever going to visit remote Scottish islands often enough to buy a rope specifically for that purpose

In reply to pec:


Doesnt matter if you're only going for 1 trip, just cut it in to 50m + 50m when you get back and have two ab ropes!

In reply to remus:

In over 30 years I've never felt the need to have even 1 specific abseil rope, why would I want 2?

In reply to pec:

I don't remember Lundy needing a 100m rope. Just one rope to the edge and another down. Or you stand on a ledge to pass the knot.

In reply to kingholmesy:

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated. 10mm sounds like the definite consensus.

I am minded to go for 100m as there are a some multi pitch crags in Devon that I want to ab down to check out some potential new routes. From what I've seen it shouldn't be much (if any) more than buying 80m by the metre, and I can always cut it down if I find it's a bit too long.

In reply to top cat:



Thanks, I'll have a look for alternatives.

In reply to kingholmesy:

I'm also (more of) a caver as well as climber. I use 10mm static, either Beal Antipodes or Edelrid Performance Static as per links below, both of which are very nice ropes to use / handle. Have also fallen short of buying that bloody Mammut stuff thinking it was a good offer - its like wire and should be avoided at all costs!

11mm tends to be rather stiff and un-friendly whatever the make. 9mm is light weight and great for short pitches / handlines, but I find it very un-nerving on anything serious as it feels thin and bouncy.

http://inglesport.com/products/beal-antipodes-10mm-semi-static

http://www.upandunder.co.uk/Professional/Access/Rope/Low-Stretch-or-Semi-St...

In reply to pec:

Skeleton Ridge, Isle of Wight

In reply to kingholmesy:

I've got the Mammut performance, and found it scuffed up quicker than I'd expect, and it's super stiff. I wouldn't recommend it.

In reply to pec:

Never really understood why some unwilling to abseil on a thin rope but are perfectly happy to belay a leader with the same belay device/rope thickness combination. Surely if they have any doubts about abbing then they should never belay with the same system where the potential load is much greater. Obviously a thinner rope runs more risk of cutting.

In reply to oldie:

There is a world of difference between a climbing rope which may be required to catch a fall which could possibly have abrasion risk to that of an abseil rope which will be weighted.

Once you get into jugging back up the rope you know there will be a weighted rope with a bouncing sawing action.

There is no conflict between happily climbing on 7.8 mm ropes and wanting an 11 mm abseil rope.

In reply to oldie:


Indeed, which is why I just use my most recently retired 8.5mm half rope when I need a separate abseil rope, just make sure it doesn't run over any sharp edges and don't bounce about too much!
I can see why cavers and outward bound centres would want a specific static abseil rope but I'd have to do a hell of a lot of sea cliff climbing to buy one.

In reply to pec:


Baggy Point, Long Rock :P

As a caver I own 4 x 15m, 3 x 30m, 1 x 45m, 1 x 60m static ropes (all 9mm or 9.5mm) just for caving

I have 100m (purchased, may now by 90m or so of course) of 9mm Mammut el-cheapo static which I have used doubled at shorter places (more reassuring) and for long abseils into Lundy and Fair Head.

It is also in theory my 90m caving rope but hasn't been underground yet (never quite needed it).