I lost two ropes on a climb at Red Rocks last month (yeah, long story…), and picked up the following 2 ropes at REI as replacements:

New England Equinox 10.2mm

Mammut Eiger 10.5mm

I picked these two because they are both on the cheaper end, and are good brands.

The Equinox is coded with a ‘standard dry’ treatment which isn’t good enough for it to be called a dry-rope I think. It’s a little ‘tougher’ and will take a while to break in. It also feels very thin, more like a 9.5 even; but it’s supposed to swell up more as it gets more supple (i am eagerly waiting for that to happen)

The Eiger is a nice rope, although understandably heavier and bulkier. It’s very supple new, and feel extremely nice. The only problem is that it is not dry treated in any way. well, it may actually not be a real problem if don’t want a dry rope anyways

I would recommend both ropes since both are really good deals. However, I would have gone for the Mammut Matterhorn if I didn’t have to buy two…

I am not sure how I feel about a 9.4 rope. It’s great for trad since every ounce helps when you have that second rope dragging on your butt or in your pack. For sport climbing, especcially in areas where the approaches aren’t bitXhing long, I would trade those 2 pounds for a thicker sheath and get better durability. dunno, just me two cents…i know this guy uses only 9.5 ropes, and they seem to last a long time too

9.4 is pretty skinny, sometimes it’s nice to see a bit more when you’re falling on it. You might also want to check if your atc/belay device catches that diameter.

happy new year

I personally don’t like ropes thinner than 10.2. I’ve belayed someone on a rope that thin before and it SUCKS ASS!!

When using an ATC/belay device, you really have to hold the break hand down hard whenever someone is resting on the rope cause it slides through the ATC like it doesn’t exist. Plus, it’s so skinny that your hand actually can cramp up because you have to grip the rope so hard with your hands. It’s like trying to grip dental floss with your hands and it’s horrible to belay using a rope like that especially if you’re top roping.

Overall, a thin rope like that is good if you’re leading, not planning on sitting on the rope alot, and want to shave off lbs for your red point. But if you’re planning on top roping with it and having people take takes on it, I wouldn’t get it.

What do you guys think about a Petzl Nomad 9.8??? I will be using it for leading.

I am a huge fan of Petzl products, but I’ve never really considered buying their ropes (too expensive for my budget).

The Nomad received a 5* rating from the Alpinist. Check out this review

And whatever you do think twice before you buy a “dry” rope. Sometimes they have slick sheaths and don’t bite into belay devices as you would expect.

Buy whichever rope is the color you like best. I went with pink.

I think I am having that ‘slick and stiff’ problem Tom is talking about. I am waiting/hoping for it to break-in…not only does the slickness cause problem with the ATC, the stiffness makes it bulky to pack up

I think this is your first rope. I just bought my first recently. I looked at all the attributes, but in the end I went with the cheapest rope in the +10mm range from a reputable company Edelrid. Nothing special. I couldn’t imagine myself climbing in wet conditions for long periods of time so a dry rope would be a pointless thing to pay for. I payed 136 for a 60m 10.2mm from REI.

Do some research first! Though it may sound like a plug, you may want to check out Justropes.com They have good info.

Depending on what type of climbing you will be doing you may not need, or want, a 9.4 /70 meter rope. A 9.4 / 70 m rope would absolutely excel for long trad routes, where weight, length, dynamic elongation and distance between rappel stations will make your day easier and safer. It would also be great for long sport or multi pitch sport routes where you are pushing your upper limits and every ounce counts. Additionally, depending on where you are climbing, a 70 meter rope is a must with routes over 35 meters. Out here in Boulder there are some areas where you simply cannot climb w/o a 70 meter rope (routes near 35 meters).

That said a 10.2 non-dry 60 meter rope is a solid choice and safe bet. I’ve found that the majority of sub 10 mm ropes I’ve climbed on tend to be a bit too stretchy and thus more sketchy when sport climbing on slab routes, above ledges, out-crops and pinnacles. I would prefer to have minimal stretch should I fall to prevent scraping and slamming into features.

The majority of my sport and trad climbing is done with a 10.2 rope. The exceptions are when I head to Rocky Mountain NP and have a long approach for a multi-pitch trad route. A 70 meter rope would allow me to possibly combine pitches (move quicker); possibly give me a bit more dynamic elongation (thus “cushioning” any cams or nuts placed should the leader fall); Possibly allow me to make less rappels and get off the mountain quicker should a storm roll in.

Hope this helps a bit. Let me know if you have any other questions.