UKH

Partner and I are off to South America for an extended period of time and hoping to visit places such as the Frey, Cochamo, El Chalten, Torres del Paine, Cordillera Blanca and many many others (which I feel will be mainly sport from research such as Piedra Parada) and wondering what type of ropes should we take? 

Normally we would use a set of halves, but realise that most of the climbing we'd be doing will be sport/alpine so wondered whether a single/tag would be a better option? Seems to be very popular. Another idea would be single/half which could be the best of both but of course heavier. Worth saying we're travelling by public transport so ideally don't want to take too much stuff!

Skinny twins ?  I found them very effective on the granite around Aifroide.

Al

Nice plan! I have found that taking a triple rated rope plus a half rope gives you plently of flexibility for different type of climbing during a trip. I take 60m for each rope.

What you may want to considered in such a long trip is what happens if one of your ropes get damaged. Will you be able to buy one new? If it is difficult to buy a new rope while there you may want to considered taking a third rope nonetheless. Maybe a second half rope...

In a pinch you'll easily be able to buy ropes at El Chalten, Bariloche(Frey) and Puerto Montt just north of Cochamo, the latter two you can write off a day hiking/travelling to get them but you won't be without. 

I didn't come across a climbing shop in Esquel where you bus to Piedra Parada but that doesn't mean there isn't one. The journey out there is long though and if you are using public transport it doesn't run daily.

Piedra Parada is proper bolt clipping fun times so a single will be fine. Frey is kind of alpine cragging, mostly trad with some occasional bolts where the runouts get serious and bolted rap anchors. Cochamo is pretty alpine feeling too. The latter two I'd want a pair of ropes of some kind just for full length abseils as you're up there on your own.

Thanks everyone, think we'll definitely need a single and maybe a half rather than a tag line. If we have space maybe take another half too and just except the weight penalty.