UKH

Cross shopping these two 8mm ropes in 60m lengths for multipitch trad and winter. The Iceline has lower impact force (good for ice) but with extra stretch (not necessarily a good thing on sub-Extreme grade ground).

Or should I just buy another 8.5mm 50m to match/replace my current half (more durable, long enough for most pitches)?

Can anyone share experience that will help me choose? Thanks.

In reply to BnB:

Icelines are slightly better ice,phoenix are very good all rounder and extremely hard wearing,maybe even more hard wearing than an 8.5..!

In reply to cliff shasby:

Very helpful. Harder wearing than a Genesis even?

In reply to BnB:

I have Icelines and mostly use them as twins for alpine rock routes.

If I were buying again for that purpose I'd go for the the Edelrid Apus 7.8, and for UK trad I'd go for a more robust and less bouncy 8.5

In reply to BnB:

If your main use is cragging I'd get a rope with higher safety factor (less likely to be cut or abraided through). I think for a mixture of uses but mostly cragging 8.5 mm is the sweet spot

In reply to BnB:

phoenix is a brilliant rope, i'm now using stirling 7.6 also great, what about a twilight Mammut lastest and skinniest offering

In reply to CurlyStevo:

This will be strictly for multipitch and winter. I have a 40m Mammut Revelation 9.5mm for cragging (mostly grit). Cracking rope apart from the indistinguishable middle rope marker.

In reply to BnB:

Buy a beal rope marker pen and remark the middle.

Col.

In reply to BnB:

The phoenix is a great rope for ice and rock. Whatever you choose, keep in mind with a rope that skinny it will be a bit more slick through your belay device than what your used to. A free hanging abseil 100m above the deck is not a good place to find that your prussik isn't working :p

I wouldn't get hung up on slightly different numbers on the pack until you've tried both side by side in the real world.

In reply to Morgan Woods:


I have a bugette AND an Alpine Up. The bugette is for any partner who tells me they'll be using an ATC!!


I already have 30m of Iceline as a scrambling rope. Not confidence inspiring when stretched over an edge, and very elastic in general. But in a 60m length (and on all multipitch) weight and drag reduction are vital, therefore looking at 8mm. Never had the chance to use a Phoenix. Hence the post on here.

In reply to BnB:

I bought an iceline in 2001 - best rope for wear and handling I've ever had. I used it absolutely loads over the next decade and it kept handling and working very well. I think it's a Phoenix I have now which is fine although I haven't used it so much due to have various triple rated ropes for/from UKC tests. My Phoenix is noticeably fatter than the iceline - don't know if that's a good thing for you OR whether current versions of these ropes are still the same.

In reply to TobyA:

Both are pretty thin nowadays with the Phoenix just .1mm thinner Perhaps they have put it on a diet in the latest release!!

In reply to BnB:

I don't think stated diameters mean much though, using an 8.6 now that feels fatter than a number of 9s and 9.1s I have.

In reply to TobyA:

You know my experience with icelines was utterly dire... had one abrade after 2 days light use sport climbing on slabs, and the other was done in half a year later during an epic. By contrast my phoenix lasted and lasted until a friend managed to get gizer on it which is a mild solvent. He seemed to think it'd be fine Now on the Apus's which are OK ish, but I'kk be going back to Mammut.

In reply to BnB:

I have the Mammut Meteor and they are 8.3mm and I wouldn't want to go much thinner for the stuff I do. Think it bridges a nice gap between durability and weight with the 8.3. And they handle very nicely and don't tangle too much. They've had a fair bit of use over the last winter and summer and are still looking fairly fresh as well, you won't go far wrong with Mammut ropes.

In reply to Nath93: Hey Nathan. How's it going? I like my Mammut Revelation very much for cragging. Will check out the Meteor as well but at 8.3 I'd likely pair a single half (?!) with my existing Edelrid 8.5. Climbed a bit on skinny 8mms now and do like them. How's the course going?

In reply to BnB:
I would say so yes,ive had both and the phoenix have been super durable,ive tried the twilights which handle superb but i had to chop 2m of each end of one after one week on the ice because they got kicked with crampons on the lead,im sure ive done the same with phoenix ropes but with no damage or very minor fluffing.

Personally for an all rounder i would use the phoenix and for pure ice i would try the new beal gully.

In reply to BnB:

The ice line will no doubt handle better, and remain nicer to handle for longer. I find Mammut ropes, although are tough (all my ropes are currently Mammut), are not as good quality, which tends to make for less good handling.

In reply to Merlin:

Have you used the Phoenix? It's nicely supple. Mammut ropes often have a higher sheath percentage than beal and it's more tightly woven which tends to make them more hard wearing than beal but less supple. The Phoenix are great ropes and Mammut is a top quality manufacturer!

In reply to BnB:
I have climbed about 60 pitches (mostly alpine rock, some ice/mixed and multi-pitch sport) with both of these ropes.
There is not that much difference when new, maybe Icelines handle a bit nicer. But as said before, Phoenix is much harder wearing.

Once Icelines get a bit furry and worn, they (in my experience) develop the most annoying tendency to twist and tangle. This has resulted in more then one epic clusterfsck on a stance. This has never happened to me when using Phoenixes that seem to feed with no tangling even from under the pile (block leading).
I have also climbed a bit with Tendon Master 7.8. Excellent on ice but like all super thin ropes a bit scary on sharp rock.

Basically, I'm getting another Phoenix set soon.

In reply to BnB: Aye, you can get them a bit cheaper than the other sets as well if I remember. Got mine for £200 I think so a not bad deal for a very good set of ropes that can handle pretty much everything, and 60m as well. If you've got the feel for the 8mm then those would be a good choice, but I have climbed with used ice lines and they do feel quite furry. I've only got a reverso though so will need to borrow the bugette when we get out this winter!

Course is going well, started the degree level last week so got a lot more writing coming up now, only time will tell if I can be arsed.

In reply to Nath93:

Surprised how much love there is for the Phoenix on here. I thought it would be a more even contest. Pretty well made my mind up for me. Good luck with all the paperwork, Nath!!