UKH

So heading to morocco in a few weeks and just noticed in the guide books that most people are climbing with half ropes .

Iv always just used a single rope , i own a 60m Edelrid eagle light rope .

Most of the routes iv been doing didn't have much variation from a straight line and were there was i always extended , i imagine i can do the same over there .

Is the use of half ropes just for the extra length when abseiling off routes? will this mater if the single pitch routes are under 30m?

If we do multi pitches that require abseiling is it still ok to just do 30m at a time?

Also is there any need to bring a static rope for setting up abseils on a crag were were will be for a few routes? or is it the norm to just use the climbing rope?

Someone mentioned to me that i should bring a bag of maillions with me , Im guessing this is for building anchors that will be left behind instead of crabs?

All help would be greatly appreciated

In reply to discosucks:

Hey,

The majority of climbers in Tafraout tend to use double ropes, and if you're basing it on photos in guidebooks then probably even more so (many of them are doing first ascents, when descent options are frequently unknown). Compared with many places I would say that:
a) pitches in the Anti-Atlas tend to be long (40 to 60m is normal), and for abseil descents doubles will certainly make your life easier.
b) some pitches tend to wander a fair bit, and doubles can help with rope drag on some routes.

For these reasons, a lot of people choose doubles, particularly when exploring new areas or going a bit 'off-piste'. But that said, there is loads of great climbing for which a single 60m rope is absolutely fine - in fact I'd say that this was the case for the majority of established climbs there.

Most of the routes do not require abseil descents; those that do are often single pitch and less than 30m, so you'll be fine. Two popular exceptions are the King's Chimney Rappel on Ksar Rock (35m) and the Paladin Rappel (35m), but both are avoidable using other descent options, described in the guide. I would avoid any multi-pitch abseil descents though, as these frequently require >30m and are not always well described in the guides (this won't impact your trip, as there aren't many multi-pitch abs).

No need to bring a static rope - there are no crags that require an abseil approach, just occasionally abseils to get back down so you can just use your climbing rope. There are a handful of crags where it can save time to rap after each route in order to multiple routes, then walk down after the last one, but it won't add much time to pull the rope each time.

Tat and maillons can be worth having with you. Many routes have seen few ascents, and soft anchors deteriorate quickly in the sun over there. I recommend that you always replace in-situ anchors when abseiling, unless they are steel cables or chains. In short, if any route says that you need to abseil, carry an anchor with you!

More general info at www.climb-tafraout.com

Hope you have a great trip - if you're out there at the end of October then look us up for a climbers' party in Restaurant La Kasbah, Tafraout

In reply to discosucks:

Hi there!

I've just returned from a trip to morocco although we climbed at Taghia & Todra. If it's the same there as the area u are based in then you'll find that the bolts do tend to weave around a little more than the typical sport route, although still not as much as the wandering nature of a Trad route. Therefore I would definitely recommend two ropes just in case. Plus if u have to abseil it's always better to tie them together to abseil a full pitch each time. Mallions come in useful too so I would take 2 or 3 for safe keeping.

J

In reply to discosucks:

If you're going to Tafraoute, then some of the abseils require two 60m ropes.

In reply to Rocknast:

Tafraoute is Trad only on all the quartzite routes in the guidebooks, no bolts

In reply to discosucks:

I whent to todra with a 60 and it severely limited my route options as many routes are long or multipitch. Around tafroute i would also recommend doubles as longish abs are useful/required on many crags and the climbing can be wondering

In reply to john_ni:

I never mentioned Tafraoute I believe that was "john2"

J