UKC

Hi

I would like some recommendations on trad ropes.

At the moment I have a mammut galaxy 10.1 I use for sport, but I'm looking at getting some half or twin ropes for trad but can't decide which to go for after looking on youtube.

Would love to hear what people recommend on here. I have a budget of around £200.

Thanks
Shane

In reply to Shane jones:

I can't make specific suggestions, but you almost certainly don't want twin ropes for trad!

In reply to Shane jones:

Most folk use 2 X half ropes for trad, the idea is you clip each bit of gear alternate to opposite rope to reduce drag. With twin ropes they both need to be clipped to the same bit of gear as they are not as highly rated as half ropes.

In reply to Shane jones:

Some newer ropes are rated as single, twin and half.

Many years ago, back in the 70's in fact, I was talking to someone who worked for Edelrid on this very subject. He said that they had the technology to make ropes very thin yet still strong but other factors would limit their popularity e.g. difficult handling, thinner rope tends to have a far greater potential for tangling and psychological factors, climbers would not trust them.

Al

In reply to Shane jones:

Almost assuredly you'll be best off with half ropes, also, confusingly, known as double ropes. These are generally supplied with diameters from 8.0mm to 9.0mm. I tend to go for the thinner end of this range as I'm old and like to minimise weight on the approaches (but beware - thinner doesn't always mean lighter - check the weight per metre when researching). The Mammut Galaxy 8.5mm and Beal Cobra 8.6mm are very widely used and well thought of for handling as well as durability. There are many others.

Ask yourself if you need the top rated "superdry" ropes. These are particularly beneficial for British Winter, Waterfall ice and Alpine climbing, but the process they undergo in manufacture makes them better in all uses as the internal fibres move more readily against one another. That said the 50 metre half rope I have for use in the UK is not dry treated.

Another thing to consider is the length you need. Many just go for 60 metres as it's suitable for anything you might find in UK and abroad. I find that on most UK climbs, particularly on outcrops, but also in Wales and The Lakes for instance, they tend to be rather longer than necessary as pitches are often short. I go for 50 metres in UK but also have the luxury of a 60m for foreign use.

being from the North I tend to favour Northern retailers and I'm sure there are equally well thought of elsewhere but have a look at Needlesports of Keswick and Rock & Run. Both have a good range to offer.

My usual partners and myself never buy pairs - we assume the guy we'll be climbing with will bring his and thus save the expense.

In reply to Martin Bennett:

Thanks for all the information I have actually won a pair of beal Ice lines 60m 8.1 but from what people are saying that they are better options out there for trad ropes, plus I think I'd like to go with something a bit thicker in diameter. I've just got some gear from rock & run today good service.

In reply to Shane jones:

For £200 your unlikely to get anything better than the ones you've already won, unless you happen to find a very good deal somewhere.

In reply to bandit12:
Sorry that was ment to say £300. I have looked at

Dmm pitch
DMM prophet
DMM crux
MAMMUT genesis
MAMMUT prophet
MAMMUT Serenity

Appart from the rage of 8.5-9.1 diameter what should I be looking for in the specs to narrow the list down to the better ropes?

Thanks
Shane

In reply to Shane jones:
I got in an argument here last year with someone claiming you can normally get 50m half ropes from the internet for £50. I disagreed but you can certainly pick up 60m dry treated ropes for under £100 in various sales... do a search. Dry treated ropes last longer, handle better and function way better if things get wet. Always worth the investment in my view. Most of my rock climbing in the UK is done on a half rope doubled up... its rare that pitches exceed 30m. Ice lines might be a bit slick for some on a standard belay plate for big trad falls but with your budget you could get dry treated ropes rated for half and single use.

In reply to Offwidth:

You can sometimes

https://www.urbanrock.com/obsession-60m/

In reply to Shane jones:

Beal Cobra 2 , Unicore, are rated to handle more falls than many other half ropes ropes. Has one of the lowest impact forces too.

In reply to Shane jones:

I got some edelrid alpine 2 60m's from gooutdoors on offer a good while back. I notice Alpine Trek seem to have a pair going real cheap but it doesn't mention anything about them being dry treated which is odd as mine are. Some really good deals on there atm.

I do all kinds of climbing styles and first went with a double/twin combo rope at 7.6mm for trad and multi pitches that require a double/twin for the rappel. Got a core shot at the second length of the first multi-pitch. (granite, crappy second climber that had trouble with the crux's). That was uh... a bit quick.

Just bought a pair of triple rated ropes; as it's barely thicker (8.9mm) than lets say that Beal Cobra 2 (8.6mm), but even more durable, also very stretchy and can be used as a single if needed. Price wise, there isn't even that much difference.