UKC

Apart from buying an 80m rope and chopping it...

Does anyone know a cost effective place to buy 40m 1/2 ropes? For use on grit so dainty ropes that fluff up and bobble after a day's climbing need not apply!

just had a quick google, very surprised at how few options there are for 40m ropes.

I have a pair, one was bought as a 40 and the other was cut down from a 60. They are my most used pair of ropes, ideal length for a days cragging. 

seems like a gap in the market, good luck with the search!

Do you need 40s? I've had numerous pairs of 30s chopped from 60s and apart from the very longest of routes like Great North Road they're absolutely fine everywhere on grit - even used them on easier mountain multi pitch. I think there's only Balcony Buttress on the entirety of Stanage where it's a bit of a stretch, and that's because the belays are very far back -untying and hitching back on at the edge solves that though.

A pair of Beal Cobra 60s are £120 on rock+run so that's many years climbing for not a massive amount, plus the benefit of two colours  

Another avenue which may be worth exploring is getting an 80m bi-pattern/bi-colour rope and cutting in half. 

Sounds expensive!

I can't see a pair for £120, only single ropes?

I find I use >30m a fair amount of the time and while I could probably just get by with 30m I'd like at least 35m and can't be bothered to carry 50m ropes.

Re: Beal ropes, I find these fluff very quickly on grit (compared with my apparently everlasting mammuts).

Ah yes you're correct, I paid £120 for two 60m halves from there.. guess the quick glance at the pic of two ropes and same price threw me! 

You must know of some secret big grit crags! I went through 3 or 4 years of almost daily use on grit and was never bothered with any fluffiness. Each to their own, though. 

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15902739/beal-karma-climbing-rope-40m-15902739

£46

That's a single not a half...

You're right, ho hum.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/double-dry-corde-7-5-mm-x-40-m-rando-dry-purp...

No probs, I live in hope of finding that deal again!

Touche [raises glass]

I've done about 6/700 grit routes on a single 30m version of this in the last 5 years, still handles well and very little fluffing. Just bought another to save while they're on offer.

Very expensive

True. But I have a 50m Karma 9.8mm and sometimes use it with one of my 8.6mm Beal half ropes and hardly notice the difference.

On Grit 40m usually OK. Then for that occasional Limestone climb you might find it a bit short.

Are you set on half ropes? A pair of 40m singles should also work and is much easier to find. Possibly cheaper too. Just heavier.

Otherwise not seen 40m half ropes for sale before.

Until I read this post, it hadn't occured to me just how few places sell half rope by the metre, can't really see anyone 

Fair point!

Singles are getting so thin these days there’s not a great deal in it I guess?!

By a skinny 70m single, cut into 2 35m's.

Then use singly or as a double depending on the route.

After both climbers have tied in and a belay set up, which can take up quite a lot of rope,  there won't be a lot left to play with. Especially on some crags. Hen Cloud and Laddow as examples. 

The traditional answer to obtaining 40m ropes is to buy two 50m ropes, use them for a couple of years, then end up chopping them down as most of the wear is usually concentrated toward the ends of the ropes.

Also, if you regularly climb short routes (e.g. grit) you can climb on one halved/folded rope to avoid hauling up a lot of rope. It might be awkward to start with only having one colour, but it quickly becomes second nature.

Sounds like another climber who wants the same thing would be useful - then buy two 80s of contrasting colours (if you can find them) and chop both in half. If 35s would do there's more scope; e.g. bananafingers do Fixe Fanatic 8.4 in 70m and both blue and red for £80 per rope.

I've always used a longer rope, but I'd have thought the occasional problem should always be surmountable by  untying and pulling up one half of a double rope and/or taking a very long dyneema sling. Obviously more faff.

As you say. "Obviously more faff".  Also a great chance of missing pieces of protection that were attached to the pulled rope or,  if one of the ropes was positioned to protect the second.