How To Buy A Climbing Rope

For sport, trad or ice climbing, you want a dynamic rope. Static lines are for rigging, or possibly for top roping, but in in any situation where the rope is moving with a climber or may catch a fall, you want a rope that will give slightly so that when you fall you bounce a little bit instead of being jarred to a stop. There are three types of dynamic ropes: single, half and twin. A single rope is just like it sounds. It’s a single strand that you clip into each piece of protection. It’s the most common choice amongst climbers, and it’s used on its own. A half rope (sometimes called a double rope) is used in conjunction with another cord, but is clipped alternately. Often skinnier than a single rope, each half rope strand has a lower breaking strength than a twin or single rope, but is still designed to handle your whip. Twin ropes are used in tandem, with both clipped through any piece of protection, so that should you fall, the two twins catch you together. Twins are mostly used when there is a threat of your rope loading over a sharp edge, or when you will need to do many two rope rappels and want the lightest setup for that situation. Half vs Single Rope Half (double) ropes allow you to make longer rappels, and can be a lightweight, efficient option if you often climb in a party of three because you can use the ropes to rappel individually, allowing a faster descent. Half ropes are ideal for wandering pitches that require protection in cracks or features. Leaders can use one line to clip gear placed on the left, and another to clip gear placed on the right, which can significantly reduce rope drag. Petzl Dragonfly 8.2mm is a lightweight half rope often used by ice climbers. Single ropes are user friendly because they require the most rope management. If a pitch doesn’t wander much, or you’re using long runners on your pro, rope drag with a single may actually be less than with a double. Sport climbers favor single ropes. What thickness rope do I need? The thicker a rope, the more durable it will be, but also the heavier it will be and over a certain thickness, the narder to run through your belay device. A 9.8-10.0mm is the current standard for multi-use climbing. A rope in this range will be light enough to go up on a long alpine route, but burly enough to catch whipper after whipper on your sport project. The Edelweiss Rocklight is a solid all-arounder. Size up if you are planning on doing a lot of toproping or working routes, and size down if you are looking for a redpoint/lightweight alpine rope. A burly, indestructible line like the Sterling Marathon Sport 10.4 will take a lot of abuse when you’re toproping, while the Mammut Serenity 8.9 will be perfect for charging up Cannon’s VMC Direct Direct, or cruising up Rumney’s iconic Predator after working out the moves on a beefier line. Do I need a dry treatment? If you plan on climbing ice/snow, or in the rain, yes. An untreated cord will hold up to a light drizzle, but the strength of an untreated rope lessens considerably when it is soaked through. Plus it’s a bear to carry a wet rope. Anything else I should consider? --Skinnier cords are often denser. Be sure to look at grams/meter to find a rope’s true overall weight. --Always check for core shots and fraying before use. --Always store ropes away from sunlight. --While you might have a four-piece bomber anchor, you often only have one line of nylon separating you from the ground. Treat your rope with the respect it’s due --Buy a rope bag, and do your best to keep it out of the dirt. Your get a much longer life out of your investment. Check ou t our full selection of climbing ropes here, or come in see them with your own eyes at 37 Church Street.