UKC

Recommendation please. I have mostly been an indoor climber. I have just done my first two outdoor climbs and really enjoyed it. Penmaenbach Quarry. I need a rope to do indoor Lead Climbing and Outdoor Sports and Trad. What rope should I purchase? Length, type make? Also at a reasonable price. Thanks in advance. Penmaenbach Quarry

My first rope was an Edelrid Parrot. I did me several years of climbing in the gym and outside too. I got a 60m and when the ends got too worn chopped 5m off each end and still had a usefully long 50m rope.

I'm a novice trad leader and have lead all my (HS and below) trad routes with a single just fine.

I also have a cheap decathlon 10mm single (70m) and have taken it on sport, trad and indoors just fine too.

If you plan to mostly climb trad then I’d go no longer than 50m. Pulling extra rope length through soon gets old.  If sport then consider 60m.  For a single rope (designed to be used on its own) I’d look at something around 9mm. You can get dry treated if you intend to climb in all weathers. Ropes where the sheath changes colour at the half way mark are useful, though not essentially as others will be marked at the spot.

Thank you. I like Decathlon but had not considered them for ropes. I will take a look. Much appreciated.

Thank you. Probably lean towards sports climbing so 60 metres. Very useful reply thank you.

Worth mentioning if you're planning on going abroad any time soon many crags in Europe are bolted for 70m ropes not 60

Europe is quite a big place. ;⁠-⁠) Plenty of crags in "Europe" I've been to where 50 is fine and 60 is a lot! I'm sure in some places in Spain or France what you say is true but there are plenty of crags not 30 mtrs high too! 

As mentioned, Decathlon are good value. My sone has their SIMOND 9.5 mm x 70 m vertika rope. He climbs trad, sport and indoors on it, and has on occasion doubled it up to use as, effectively, two 35m half ropes on shorter routes. About £120. 

The Simond ropes are decent and good value. I bought a 60m and chopped it in half for indoors.

To the OP, don't get too hung up on making the right choice, ropes don't last long and you'll soon be looking at buying another!

Exactly. A lot depends when the crag was developed - old crags will have been done on a 50/60m rope, newer ones tend to be done with longer ropes.

I assume you're going to continue with leading on a single rope outdoors rather than halves? If so, then I'd go with something thicker than the 9mm suggested above - rope resistance to abrasion and cutting is generally proportional to diameter, with fatter being better. I don't think I'd go bigger than 10mm now though, many modern belay devices struggle with 10.5s.

The question is, are you going to be climbing with people that already have ropes? if so, you're better off spending you money on something else at present.

The long and the short of it is that it really doesn't matter that much. As long as it's a rated climbing rope, and it's long enough for your local routes, it'll work.

My advice would just be too sniff around online/in shops for whatever happens to be on sale at the moment. 

Their Simond ropes are good. I have the 9.5mm and very pleased with it.

Beal Karma 9.8 is a great jack of all trades rope too and generally very affordable

In fact, 80m is the new 70m! There are lots of 40m routes out there now.

I would only buy a sports rope if you are going sports climbing with someone who doesn't have a suitable rope. 

For trad, there is plenty of gear that you might need in addition to a rope. For single pitch a lot of people like to lead on their own gear. 

As a novice, there is nothing wrong with using other people's gear to begin with. I guess there comes a point when etiquette demands you can at least offer a rope and/or gear!

I'd add that dry treated also comes in very handy when climbing near water in case part of the rope gets wet. Also, reportedly dry treated ropes are more resistant to picking up dust/dirt, etc.

Really good point thank you.

And because of that, they last longer - and hence one up grade I think is worth it (marginally)..