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When going out to by a climbing rope there are four main features to consider:
- What type of rope do you need?
- What diameter and length should the rope have?
- What features should the rope provide?
- What safety certification should the rope have?
All of these entirely depend on what you need the rope for? Are you going mountaineering? Indoor climbing? Multi-pitch? Etc.
There are three main differences in rope types designed for climbing: single, half, and twin ropes. Furthermore, a difference is made between static and dynamic ropes. In climbing, static ropes are only used when lowering an injured climber or ascending a rope. They are not designed, certified or tested to climb on because they stretch very little, that's what dynamic ropes are made for.
Single Ropes:
Most people tend to buy single ropes because they come in many different diameters and lengths, making them super versatile in their use. A single rope is a rope that is not to be used in combination with any other rope but by itself, like the name suggests. It's important to only use a rope as it was designed and tested to be used. Some single ropes can be used as twin or half rope too if this is specified by the manufacturer.
Single ropes are marked with a circled 1 on each end of the rope.
Single ropes, like previously mentioned are very versatile, and tend to be best for trad climbing, sport climbing, big-wall climbing and top roping.
Half Ropes:
When using half ropes, you climb with two ropes. As you ascend, clip one rope to protection on the left and the other to protection on the right. This allows the ropes to run parallel and straight, thereby reducing rope drag on wandering routes. Half ropes are ideal for trad climbing on wandering multi-pitch rock routes, mountaineering and ice climbing. They do have their positive and negative sides. What is good about them is the reduced rope drag on wandering routes; two ropes can rappelle further than 1 rope; if one rope gets damaged you still have a second one. The downside to this style is first of all more weight, since you are carrying two ropes; and the handling of 2 half ropes is harder than that of a single rope. It's important to only use a rope the way it was designed and tested to be used.
Half ropes are marked with a circled ½ symbol on each end.
Half ropes are best for trad climbing on wandering multi-pitch rock routes, mountaineering and ice climbing.
Just like half ropes, twin ropes require a two-rope system. Twin ropes however have more drag due to the fact that you always have to clip both strands through each piece of protection, just like you would on a single rope. This component makes the twin-rope system ideal for non-wondering routes. Furthermore, compared to half ropes, twin ropes tend to be lighter because they are a bit thinner. As for the advantages and disadvantages of this system compared to a single rope they are the same as for a half rope. On one hand, two ropes can rappelle further than 1 rope and if one rope gets damaged you still have a second one. On the other hand, two ropes are heavier than one and working with two ropes is more complicated than with one. Just as with half ropes, twin ropes are designed and tested only for use as a matching pair; don’t mix sizes or brands.
Twin ropes have a circled infinity symbol (∞) on each end.
Twin ropes are best for trad climbing on non-wandering multi-pitch rock routes, mountaineering and ice climbing.
They are not meant for sports climbing but rather for rescue work, caving, climbing fixed lines with ascenders and hauling loads. Static ropes are amazing when you are in a situation where you do not want the rope to stretch, like when injured climber needs to be lowered, hauling equipment up wit a rope or when ascending a rope.
The rope diameter of a rope can vary quiet a bit and can make a huge difference on your climbing experience. Thinner ropes for example have the advantage of being lighter than thicker ropes but at the same time they are not as robust and need more skill when belaying with them. So depending on wether you are top roping in your local gym/crag or going for long distance multi-pitches you'll want something completely different.
Static ropes have a diameter of about 9-13 mm.
Half ropes have a diameter of about 8-9 mm.
Twin ropes have a diameter of about 7-8 mm.
Single ropes have more uses to them so the sizes vary a bit more:
up to 9.4 mm are ideal for long multi-pitches due to their reduced weight.
9.5 - 9.9 mm are good allrounders, they are light enough for a trip to the mountains and yet robust enough for repeated indoor use
10 mm and above are ideal to use in the gym, when figuring out the moves and making repeated falls
In sports climbing the average rope length is about 60m but the range goes from 30m-80m for a single rope. The only thing you need to "watch out" for is that the rope is at least twice as long as the route you are attempting because you obviously have to get back down. Generally indoor ropes are no longer than 40m since the routes are generally quiet short (15m) compared to outdoor routes (30m) where you could need up to 80m.
When comparing ropes these are some features to look for:
The Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA) is the international mountaineering and climbing federation that creates safety standards to which all climbing ropes must adhere. These are the criteria that make a climbing rope fit for sports use.
The Fall rating is determined to identify how many falls a rope can take before failing. This is being determined differently for different rope types. All single ropes and half ropes must withstand a minimum of 5 UIAA falls. Twin ropes must withstand a minimum of 12 UIAA falls. This might not seem like a lot but the falls in the tests are much greater than in actual climbing.
Static elongation, is the amount a dynamic rope stretches with an 80kg attached to it. In general the elongation on single and twin ropes can't be more than 10% of total rope length and half ropes 12%
Dynamic elongation is the distance the rope stretches during the first UIAA fall and cannot exceed 40% of total rope length.
The choices are endless and difficult today so contact our Customer Service or send us a mail to help you choose the right product for your needs.
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