Which rope?!

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NotSoMightyMike 01 Sep 2019

Hello everyone. I was hoping I might be able to get some advice..

I've only properly got into climbing this year but am having a blast. I bought a 40m 9.8mm rope for sport routes my partner and I have climbed indoors, in Portland and the Peak district but am looking to buy a new rope now.

Long term the majority of what I want to climb is trad in the mountains of the UK so I was thinking two half ropes would be ideal. BUT, I also want to keep climbing in Dorset - particularly on the longer routes so was considering a 60/70m single rope.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated on how you'd prioritise buying rope. For context, in the short to mid term, I wouldn't expect to be climbing any higher than VS trad and 5+ sport routes.

Thanks in advance

Mike

 mff513 01 Sep 2019
In reply to NotSoMightyMike:

It seems like you need two types of ropes to cover what you want to do but if you're willing to compromise a thin single will do the job of both just no where near as well as a set of halfs on mountain trad. I use my climbing partners ropes of which he has 5, 1 gym rope, 1 60m 10mm rope for cragging, 70m 9.5ish rope for trad and sport dry treated, 1 set of dry treated half ropes and a super long 80m 9.1mm rope plus he borrows his dads ropes if he needs to for winter and stuff, the one we use the most for general climbing is the 60m 10mm rope 

NotSoMightyMike 01 Sep 2019
In reply to mff513:

Bugger! Was half expecting this answer but hoped I wouldn’t have to spend so much :’D 

thank you though, this is really helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to respond! 

Mike

 Martin Bennett 01 Sep 2019
In reply to NotSoMightyMike:

I'd say get a 70m sport rope and a 50m half rope - no-one I know has a pair of half ropes because it's assumed whoever your climbing with that day will bring theirs along too. Look around at Needle Sports and Rock&Run websites and you can get one of each for under £70.

 tmawer 01 Sep 2019
In reply to NotSoMightyMike:

You could buy the 70 metre single, as you are planning, and use it as a double when trad climbing so long as you aren't doing long pitches. If it proves impractical then spend the extra then. Many, perhaps most, routes of VS and below will have been climbed originally in shorter pitches. 

1
 Wayne S 01 Sep 2019
In reply to NotSoMightyMike:

Hi,  It’s hard to avoid buying half ropes for UK Trad, you could buy a skinny single (Mammut Serenity as an example) and either double it or pair it with a half rope,  but these thinner triple rated ropes can be a bit fragile.  If it’s any consolation ropes last much longer when you have multiple!  Obviously if you are teaming up it’s reasonable to expect a mate to bring a half rope.  

Something like a Mammut Genesis is a bomb proof half rope.  

NotSoMightyMike 01 Sep 2019

These are all very helpful suggestions. And always happy to give needle sports my money so will keep eyes peeled.

thanks everyone! Happy climbing


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