Rope Selection for Class 5 Centennials

[andlours]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to buy a rope that would be suitable for the class 5 centennials (Dallas, Jagged, Teakettle, Wham Ridge, etc.). I currently have a 70M 9.8 sport rope, but I’d love to get something that’s lightweight and versatile for alpine objectives and maybe even a little ski mountaineering. Any recommendations on rope type, specific ropes, and rope length would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Andy

[ballardwf04]

I use the Petzl Volta (9.2mm) for most of my alpine climbs. It’s waterproof, lightweight, and durable at least thus far. I have a 50m length, which seems to do the trick in most situations but you could definitely go shorter.

[yaktoleft13]

I used the same as you, a 9.8 BD dry rope for all the cents. Dallas and a couple of raps on Jagged are longer and need a 60 at least, if I remember correctly. Wham is helpful to have a long one as well to maximize the length of your pitches. The others you can get by with a 30. For me, I just used the 70 and chalked it up to training weight.

[TomPierce]

Another option is to use thinner twin ropes. These are twins, not doubles, and are used identically as a single rope (both go through each piece of gear). Advantages: Because you almost certainly will be with a partner (unless you are rope soloing, unlikely), twins allow you to split the thin, light ropes (typically, 7-8mm) equally between partners, pack better too than a single. Of course you can't run out a 60m pitch, but if you did you could only rap 30m anyway, unless you want to tote a second skinny rap cord. And a full 60m lead is a lot of gear to tote, most alpine 5th class peaks tend to have shorter ledgy routes.

Anyway, just an idea, I think skinny twins work really well on 5th class peaks and have good impact force ratings, although some singles these days are as good or better. Pros and cons to different set ups, food for thought.

-Tom

PS: A single twin can also be a good glacier rope, depending on specs.

[WildWanderer]

One thing I wish I would have known before doing the bicentennials is which rope to get, because I ended up buying 6 different ones over my journey, so this is a great question! In the end, I wish I'd bought two 7.9mm 60-meter dry ropes from the beginning. This is overkill for the centennials, but if you want to do Coxcomb (bicentennial) and not descend the way you ascended, you'll want enough rope for a 170' rappel. However, the rope you have now will work for the centennials if you don't want to buy a new one.

[Wimyers]

+1 for halves/twins. Most of the time when I’m doing easy alpine climbing I just bring one half rope and lead on it doubled over. You only get 30m to lead with, but you still get full length raps without having to fuss with a tagline. For easy alpine, 30m pitches are usually sufficient because there are frequent belay stances.
I also use a single half rope not doubled over for glacier travel. Very versatile.

[andlours]

Thanks for all the really good tips guys. Going down the half/twin rope route, do you guys recommend any ropes in particular? I’m thinking something in the 7mm-8mm range would be good. Would you recommend getting one 60m/70m rope and doubling it over?

[Wildernessjane]

I have several Beal ropes and really like the Unicore technology in a light alpine rope where there is higher potential for rockfall: https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/whats- ... format=amp. I have a set of Beal Ice Lines (8.1) that I’ve used for glacier travel as well as for the sort of thing you’re looking at (folded over for short technical sections). I think a great first step for the objectives you want to do would be to get the double rope and plan on folding it over. A 60m would be adequate for the Centennials. If you think you might want to get into multipitch trad and don’t have a lot of extra cash to throw around then maybe go with a lightweight single rated rope.

[pvnisher]

I learned the ropes (ha) in Europe where half ropes are much more common and consequently purchased 50m half ropes.
I find them super versatile, although confusing to people unaccustomed to them.
I also wouldn't get 50m in the US because many routes are set for 60m and I've found myself kinda out of rope a few times.
I also use a single half rope on traverse routes where the main risk is a slip and slide, not a vertical whip.

It's been a while since I looked at the particulars, but my rope quiver is 2x 50m half dry edelrid (something), a 9.X single 70m, and a 8mm 30m edelweiss glacier rope.

Pretty solid all around, except like I said, I'd get 60m instead of the 50m.

[TomPierce]

I wouldn't recommend doubling a rope rated as a single, not because it's dangerous, it's just unnecessary and you'd be dragging double the weight of the rope up with you. Just lead it with a single strand, that's what it's rated to do. The whole idea of doubling a half/twin is that, by themselves, they aren't rated to take a full-on lead fall. Personally, I'm not 100% convinced that doubling a twin does a whole lot because you're clipped into a single strand at the knot, often an area of weakness. But that said, I've done it plenty of times.

And it's important to note the difference between half ropes, which are designed to be clipped independently (with impressive stats) and twin ropes, for which you clip both strands into the same piece, just like a single. Twins are probably easier to get used to for a climber coming from single ropes. Just my opinion.

-Tom

[Wimyers]

…you're clipped into a single strand at the knot…

I tie into both strands at the ends, so it’s just like two 30m half ropes. My follower TRs clipped in to a knot, but there’s not mush load on a TR.

[Wimyers]

I can vouch for the mammut 8.0 half, which I’ve used for years. https://www.mammut.com/us/en/products/2 ... e-dry-rope

Personal preference, but I don’t like triple rated ropes. Maybe if you’re only using it for the occasional alpine climb they’re good, but in my experience, they wear out very quickly. I have also read too many accounts of ropes cutting to trust an 8.0 rope employed in a “single rope” technique (not doubled). I use a 9.8 single for general multipitch.