How to choose the right climbing rope
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
- How do I choose the right climbing rope? That is a great question, but the answer might not be as straight forward as you would expect. Especially if you are looking for your first climbing rope! In this climbing how to video I will explore some of the key differences between climbing ropes and why you should invest some time in finding the right climbing rope for you, but it is a huge topic, so we cannot look into all details. And if you are new to this channel, then you have come to the right place if you are looking for tips on climbing gear and to get inspiration about climbing areas and specific routes - being rock, alpine or ice climbing.
The first thing you should consider is what type of climbing you are doing since the requirements for your rope will be very different. If you are into sport climbing, then you might need a rope that is durable and can take lots of falls, while you probably need skinnier, dry coated, half-ropes if you are doing multi-pitch ice climbing or alpine climbing, so the rope doesn’t suck up moist and water.
There are different types of ropes and it is really important that you get the right type for what you are doing. There are basically two different types of ropes - dynamic ropes and static ropes.
Static ropes stretch only a tiny bit which means that they do not absorb the force of a fall. This again means that you and the gear will absorb the fall increasing the risk of injury. Besides that, static ropes are not certified or designed for lead climbing or top roping. They are designed for hauling and rescue operations, where you ascend the rope with gear and do not want the rope to stretch as this makes the process much harder. So, if you are looking for a rope for these situations, then you should consider a static rope.
Dynamic ropes stretch and absorb the force of a fall, and this is what you should be looking for if you are looking for a climbing rope, and this is also what I will be focusing on in the rest of the video.
There are several subcategories of dynamic ropes, such as single ropes, half ropes and twin ropes, and each of these subcategories have very different specifications and usages. For single pitch sport climbing you would like a durable rope that can take a lot of beating as you project hard and will probably take a lot of falls. I would go for a single rope that is between 9 mm to 10 mm, which strikes a good balance between being durable and light weight. You could also consider getting a coated rope that protects against dust and sand.
In terms of the length of your climbing rope, you need to ask yourself how long the routes you usually climb outdoors are. Often, sport climbing routes are longer outdoors than indoors, so I would say do not go for a rope shorter than 60 meters, which means you can climb routes up to 30 meters.
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation also known as the UIAA tests ropes to see how many falls they can actually hold before failing. This is a specification you can find for all ropes and is specified on the package that your new rope comes with. All single ropes and half ropes must withstand a minimum of 5 UIAA falls. Twin ropes must withstand a minimum of 12 UIAA falls. The test is done by dropping an 80kg weight onto the rope, while half ropes are tested by dropping a 55kg weight on a single strand of rope, and twin ropes are tested by dropping an 80kg weight on both strands of rope. All ropes that meet the UIAA requirements are safe for climbing.
If you are looking to do any multi-pitch climbing I would recommend going for half ropes. Half ropes are not half the length of a single rope, but they are climbed with in pairs. So, you need two of them! They can be tied together, so when abseiling of a multi-pitch you can actually abseil the full length of the rope which will save you a lot of time. Besides this having two ropes will also help you avoiding rope drag as you can clip more efficiently
Twin ropes are essentially half ropes, but you need to clip both of them in the same piece of protection to keep meet the right amount of safety. They are really good for multi-pitch climbing where the route does not traverse or change direction too much as they are often skinnier and weight less than half ropes and therefore good for these particular types of climbing routes. They share the same advantages as half ropes, but as they are skinnier, they are less heavy bulky.
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Nice video, again. Thx.
It's also good to point out, that with two half ropes you can belay two seconds(followers?) at the same time. So in a party of three this can also help with an efficiency.
Or is there a specfic reason you didn't mention this?
Thank you so much, Ripperkon! :)
You are absolutely right and I have actually done this several times, when multi-pitching three people at once. I did not include it as the video is already 10 minutes long - but maybe it would be a great topic to explore in a future video about "strategies climbing three people"? :)
@@Cragcloud Ah, okay. Sure, could also be a cool idea for an additional video.
Good overview!
I have more ropes that I am comfortable admitting here ;)
Listing all the ropes you need for specific applications is too easy, just get every length and every type and you re covered...
Instead, I would like to play a trickier game by listing the minimum number of ropes, I think, you can get away with, if you want to do single pitches, multipitches, (sport and trad) mountaineering and ice climbing.
I think you can get away with only 3 ropes:
1/ One half rope 50 meters - folded in 2 for glacier travel, ski, ridges (simul climbing) paired with the next rope for 50 meters rappels (I like the Beal Gully)
2/ One triple rated 50 meters rope for mountaineering, gym climbing or to pair with the first rope (I like the Beal Opera)
3/ One single 70 meters rope for cragging and multipitches without rappels (I like the Beal Joker)
This is not the perfect set up but with this you can do close to everything in the mountain.
Thanks Fabien!
Haha, true! It's actually a good point.
My setup is like this:
2 x 60 meter Mammut Galaxy Dry half-ropes for multi-pitch rock climbing and multi-pitch ice climbing
1 x 60 meter Mammut Serenity Dry single rope for alpine and (short) multi-pitch without abseil
1 x 70 meter Mammut Zopa Rock for cragging
And then I have a 20 meter Mammut hiking rope (cannot remember the name, haha) for when I bring my kids into the mountains and we are hiking sketchy places - then I like roping, especially the youngest one, up :)
Besides that I am considering a Beal Rando 8mm for ski touring and glacier travel.
@@Cragcloud looks like you re a rope junkie just like me :)
@@Cragcloud Interesting, you seems to favor 60 meters ropes, do you really feel you re using it ? for alpine particularly I alwaus find that 50 is enough
@@fab1000 haha! True! I can’t hide that 😅
I guess it depends, but abseiling two 60 meter ropes is handy, but for sure having a 60 meter rope in alpine coil just adds weight. But come to think about it, you are probably right that for alpine 50 meters are often enough 😄 But then on the other hand sometimes I have come around abseils on alpine routes, where a 50 meter rope would be too short. It’s a balance. Ideally one should own both 40, 50 and 60 meters 😅
@@Cragcloud When a single 50 is too short to abseil I also take a double in 50 m and since I always take my ropes I have the privilege to choose which one I m carrying. Usually I carry the Beal Gully and my partner the "heavier" Opera (but on the other side I m an idiot because I m always the one to carry the cams ;)
Nicely presented brother 👍
Thank you :)
Thank you Sir 👍
You are very welcome :) I am happy you liked the video.
Hi Cragcloud! Nice video! Could you share the name or location of the spots? Some of them look fantastic! Thx!
What kind of drone did you use to capture the footage at 2:37?
That is actually show with the DJI Spark :)
I need a rope to support a latter on a two story roof. Should I use a static rope? Or do I use a climbing rope?
Static-no slack in your design.
👍💯
Thank you so much :)
Im beginning Climbing in the gym for about 1,5 year now with bouldering. I am now going to be more focused on rope Climbing, and i need a rope now. Is it allright to shirten a Long rope to get 2 ropes? 1x80 = 2x40
(Er dansk) så jeg skrev spørgsmålet så dine engelske viewers ville få svar på spørgsmål også.
Jeg skal kun bruge det i Danmark, nærmere Bornholm og lign. Ca 15.m klipper. Jeg er studerende og derfor er pris et problem. Derfor tænkte jeg om ved køb at et 80.m kan jeg dele det op så jeg både har et til gym og et til udendørs brug. Kan jeg dette?
Hi Casper! Writing in English too, so the English speaking audience also understand the answer.
Fantastic with another Dane on the rocks :D Bornholm is actually a really nice place to rock climb. I have been there several times and Moseløkken is a great crag. If you are located in Copenhagen, then I can also recommend driving up to Göteborg. There is a train connection from Hovedbanegården :)
Regarding your question, yes that is a viable option and an inexpensive way to get two ropes. There are a few things you should be aware of though :) First of all you need to make sure that you proper seal the ends. If you have access to a rope cutter that also burns the ends, then that would be the best. When I cut my own rope ends, then I often just use a lighter to burn the ends. If you do it yourselv, then use a sharp knife that will make a clean cut, not a blunt knife/scissor that will "saw" the end. You need to clean cut to close the rope end properly.
Another thing is rope length. There are a lot of short 15 meter routes on Bornholm, but the really fun routes are longer. Especially the routes on "Wirevæggen" are fun, but they are 25 meters or so. so if you have a too short rope, then you will limit yourself.
Regarding rope length, once the rope ends starts wearing out, then you can easily cut a meter or so off each ends and then continue using the rope. The rope ends will wear out faster than the rest of rope as it is near the rope ends that the quickdraws will catch the rope. If your rope is too short from the beginning, then it is rather limited how many times you can cut the rope ends and then you have to retire the rope completely :)
@@Cragcloud I Found a rope witch is not imprintet ore have dry treatment.
Is it okay to use such a rope outdoors.
The rope i have in mind is www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/9-4-climbing-rope/
Is it is okay to outdoor use, how Long Will it last, i guess its gerning worn faster when its not treated.
@@casperskriver8598 That rope looks solid to me. It has a diameter of 9.4 which is great for sport climbing and has a thickness that can take some beating too 😄
Having a treated rope will extends its lifespan, but you can always hit a sharp edge and then the rope will take damage - being coated or not.
I think the rope looks great and you can definitely take it outdoors.
Hi. I am looking for a new climbing rope. Started climbing 1.5years ago. Was using the petzl arial but now its time for a new one. Can u tell me whats a better rope Petzl arial or Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic? 1.5years lifespan is short atleast i think it is. Is it better to buy a thicker rope for more lifespan? Mostly sport outdoor climbing. First guy Redpointing the second guy toproping... Current grade max arround 6a-6b. I am wondering is that a normal lifespan or short? Would like to have a longer lasting rope tbh but dont want it to be clunky when clipping and climbing on the max.
Sorry for the late reply! I think Mammut makes great ropes. The "Classic" series are non-coated, but the "Protect" and "Dry" are coated ropes. You could consider the Mammut Sender rope, which is a step up from the Crag. I think for toproping a burly, thick rope is the way to go. The rope will probably scrape against the rock more if it is less steep terrain. When you lead it is more the rope ends that will wear out as this is where the quickdraws will catch the rope, when taking falls. On top rope this is more evenly distributed, but then again, the rope will have more contact with the rock.
Hi.. please give mi free rope as advance Christmas gift..😆❤️
haha!