Several years into 70m rope availability, what say you?

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Messages 1 - 65 of total 65 in this topic

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.

Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 26, 2013 - 12:53am PT

Now that we are several years into 70m rope availability. Have you found them to be worth the price? Worth the extra schlep? Worth going down to a smaller diameter to reduce the weight enough to make it worth it?

What type of situations do you use your 70m for?

1. long alpine (with small diameter)?
2. Longer sport?
3. 70m standard areas, if there is such a thing?
4. Toproping longer than 100' lines since they are common in your area?

What areas do you use yours in?

Yos, Josh, Gunks, South Dakota, Banff, Peru, Jamaica?

karodrinker

Trad climber

San Jose, CA

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:07am PT

love mine. linking pitches is the shizzle. the extra weight? meh, 10 extra meters of pulling rope just develops stronger shoulders

Capt.

climber

some eastside hovel

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:17am PT

70's are already out of vogue.My friends and I are all runnin' 80's.Talk about strong shoulders when coiling...An 80 will do ya! :-)

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:18am PT

Unless you're climbing exclusively at josh or somewhere like that, why would you buy anything else?

And yes Many new routes require them.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2013 - 01:30am PT

well so far, all the strong climbers have spoken up.

how about the rest of us?

I'll go first. I dislike coiling extra rope. But I'm willing to do it if the cord is good and the weight is offset. The jacked up thing is that to link pitches, my haul line will need to be longer too!

Lucky my rei dividend is big, like me.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2013 - 01:31am PT

Joe, I hear ya. Brutus used to run with skinny half ropes for back country work. Thought about doing that?

bhilden

Trad climber

Mountain View, CA

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:40am PT

Munge,

I don't follow fads or flawed logic so I still climb on a 50m and a 60m. What I think is funny is that people are so concerned about weight that they go out and spend big $$$ on a 9.2mm single rope and then buy a 70m or 80m. Oh, yeah, did I say flawed logic.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2013 - 01:44am PT

I hear ya Bruce. I haven't done the math, but I'd be coming down from a 10.5mm to like a 9.sumpin

I think it is a wash, no? So that's why the extra coiling is now weighed against sheer utility like...

linking pitches
toproping at the Creek
toproping at the cookie

etc.

The bummer for me would be linking entails more gear since I'm a scardy.

Big Mike

Trad climber

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:54am PT

Only rope ill buy. 9.9 70m. Great for linking gear pitches, great for long sport routes.

I use mine in squamish, skaha, yosemite, las vegas (well it wasn't mine but same rope)... It's great for toproping 35m pitches. If i could find an 80m i would buy it.a

For climbs that require a tagline i really like my 8mm half ropes, 70m also or one skinny one fat depending on partners. (If their half rope haters or not)

Indispensable for any 35m skaha pitches.

squishy

Mountain climber

Mar 26, 2013 - 02:05am PT

I recently pick up a 40 and honestly, it's the best rope I've used...mmmmmm...I have an extra 70 in the closet somewhere, never use it much it's too big and I am really weak...I bet I can cut it into two 35's, nice, a twofer!

Steve Belford

Sport climber

Poway, CA

Mar 26, 2013 - 02:06am PT

I wouldn't buy anything else. I usually go for a 9.8mm. I am on my 5th or 6th 70m rope. The 70m seems to be the standard for the sport climbs around Bishop. I was in JT last week with a 70 and I did not even sweat the extra rope. I never have been screwed by having too long a rope.

bhilden

Trad climber

Mountain View, CA

Mar 26, 2013 - 02:16am PT

Munge,

I don't think you are gonna get people to seriously consider if they really need a longer rope all the time. One of the other fads and flawed logic I like is the use of rope bags to, supposedly, extend the rope life by keeping it clean. The same people who use rope bags also lower through their gear at the top of sport climbs instead of rappelling. Lowering puts way more wear and tear on a rope.

Big Mike

Trad climber

Mar 26, 2013 - 02:31am PT

A short rope for cragging isn't a bad idea. Trouble is, there are lots of longer routes as well as shorter routes at our crags. Are you going to take two shorty's or just one long one?

A 60 would be nice for areas that are guaranteed sub 30m, trouble is there aren't many areas like that around here.

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Mar 26, 2013 - 03:25am PT

80m in Yosemite...

Fish says 83m or you're hosed...

Dingus McGee

Social climber

Laramie

Mar 26, 2013 - 06:13am PT

My most recent 70m was cut in half for sport climbing at a somewhat constant height winter area along the North Platte river. I have 2 ropes of 35m.

Another climber there seeing my 2 tidy piles of rope cut his 70m in half.

Once I was doing the 5.11 west face route on Square Top with 60 meter ropes but could not utilize their length very often because of too much rope drag.

But keep buying those 70's & 80's as friends of mine give me their end trashed ropes. I cut the ends off and use the approx <60m piece for tram lines on steep overhangs.

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

Mar 26, 2013 - 07:26am PT

Bigger,faster longer is not always better, this is supposed to be fun. pushing the pitch length makes sense sometimes but often it does not. sit down on that ledge and look arouund. appreciate the beauty of where you are...

Captain...or Skully

climber

Mar 26, 2013 - 08:27am PT

60 meters is quite a ways. Enough for me.

Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Mar 26, 2013 - 08:55am PT

In the Gunks, most pitches are less than 50m. Some are only 20'. A 60m line can go bottom to top in many places and bottom to grand traverse ledge most of the time.

I'd say 70m is overkill in the Gunks. However, being the cheap bastard that I am, I only have a 70m line that is very useful at other places like the 'daks, NH, Yos...

SteveW

Trad climber

The state of confusion

Mar 26, 2013 - 09:37am PT

Me too--60m is great. . .

remember the 'old' ropes used to be 150 feet!

j-tree

Big Wall climber

Classroom to crag to summer camp

Mar 26, 2013 - 09:42am PT

I use a 70m 9.4 for freeclimbing but since I've been mostly aiding recently don't see much of a need. The extra distance you can go also means that you're having to carry extra gear or running out when you try to short fix.

'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber

like Ontario, Canada, eh?

Mar 26, 2013 - 09:48am PT

I love the 70m lead for linking pitches, and especially the 70m haul line for extra long linked hauls.

I bought a 60m haul line because it was cheap, but I really wish it was 70m.

Rankin

Social climber

Greensboro, North Carolina

Mar 26, 2013 - 10:10am PT

It entirely depends on the area. If I'm not using the extra 10 meters, why would I want to carry it?

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Mar 26, 2013 - 10:16am PT

Munge...i use them for all of the reasons you mentioned EXCEPT alpine rock or alpine climbing. I find that for those two instances the extra wt, (remember you'll need more gesr) doesn't compesate for the extra length.

Oliv3r

Trad climber

Mar 26, 2013 - 10:24am PT

I would rather have a 60 if I was only going to own one rope. I have a 70 and enjoy it when the opportunity to link pitches presents itself, but the rest of the time it's just extra rope to keep track of. More often than not I end up using a partners 60.

10b4me

Ice climber

Happy Boulders

Mar 26, 2013 - 10:38am PT

I'm with Donini, extra length is not worth the extra weight, in the mountains. For cragging, 70m is probably ok; I still use a 60 though.

Alan Rubin

climber

Amherst,MA.

Mar 26, 2013 - 10:44am PT

Interesting this topic just came up, as I've just decided to order a 70, 9.8 after usually climbing on a 60 for years. I'd actually won a 70 in a raffle a year ago, but it is a 10.5 and too damn heavy and bulky to carry around---at least for lazy, old me. While a 70 is overkill at my local areas (even a 60 is overkill at most of them!!!!), travelling, especially to areas that primarily feature sport routes, I have found that a longer rope is becoming a necessity for many routes. And, my first rope was a 120 foot, 3/4 inch (I think) Goldline!!!!

philo

Trad climber

Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:11am PT

I just won a new 9.8 X 70M Sterling in an AAC event. Only used it one day so far but it handles beautifully. It would have been nice to have that much cord in the Black BITD.

John Butler

Social climber

SLC, Utah

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:33am PT

70 has been soooo nice I'm tempted to go 80

guyman

Social climber

Moorpark, CA.

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:34am PT

Just plunked down $$$$$ on a 60m

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:36am PT

I just got an 80 for climbing at the Creek.....heading out tomorrow to bust it's cherry.

Edge

Trad climber

New Durham, NH

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:50am PT

I only upgraded to a 60 two years ago, a Sterling Velocity 9.8, and love it. It is now time to replace it prior to my road trip, and I don't know that for the type of climbing I do that a 70 would be necessary. I only climb sport on occasion, like shorter pitches on alpine for the weight savings, and most of the classic trad routes were put up with shorter ropes; I'm not compelled to link pitches unless there is a good reason to do so.

I'm looking at the 60 x 9.8 Sterling Velocity, would like a bi-color, and my experience is that the dry coatings don't last worth a damn and would be largely unnecessary if I'm climbing mostly rock. I'm just waiting to find one on sale, but if that doesn't happen in the next month I suppose I'll just drop the $200 from Moosejaw.

Fletcher

Trad climber

The great state of advaita

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:58am PT

I just got a 70 recently... inadvertently. The place I ordered from were out of the 60 version (those must have been bought up by the old geezers!), so they sent me a 70. When I first got it, I thought, "Damn, this is one helluva heavy 60 meter rope!"

Since it's an 10.5, I just cut off 10 meters. But for non-alpine routes and a half millimeter less diameter, I'd get a 70 fer sure. Not that I'm going to use my new rope in alpine environments... still too heavy at 10.5.

Eric

Matt M

Trad climber

Alamo City

Mar 26, 2013 - 12:03pm PT

It all depends on what/where I'm climbing. There is absolutely no perfect rope.

Gunks? 60m Half Ropes - Can get down in one rap from nearly everything.
Multi Pitch Cragging with walk off? - 60m single is the go to. I've done shorter but noticed that the 60m is nice when you can stretch it JUST A BIT and perhaps link 2 SHORT pitches
70m - A MUST HAVE for certain areas. Really nice for single pitch cragging. Some areas seem MADE for a 70m (Index, WA comes to mind) The 70m is also nice for long, moderates where you can link pitches without the need for a lot of extra gear. Linking two hard-for-you pitches that would require a sizable rack is counter productive
80m - A bit more speciallized but again, it might be PERFECT for your area. I just discovered that an 80m is IDEAL for my local granite "multi pitch" - Enchanted Rocks, TX. Every pitch is just about 40m max. Makes getting down two raps EASY and you can link the easy climbs into nice long jaunts.

I absolutely HATE tag lines and use them only if absolutely needed / perfect for the situation.
Harder multi-pitch I often climb on THIN half ropes (60m) I don't have issues with the rope management and it will get me down anything if weather becomes an issue.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2013 - 12:28pm PT

good insights all, thx much, keep it coming.

Especially Valley and Meadows climbers and Wallers.

Gracias

mechrist

Gym climber

South of Heaven

Mar 26, 2013 - 12:39pm PT

ropes are for sailors

RyanD

climber

Squamish

Mar 26, 2013 - 12:40pm PT

70 is great. If you actually climb enough to wear your rope down you can cut it down as the ends get fuzzy, creating a longer lasting rope. 70m pitches are fun too.

GhoulweJ

Trad climber

El Dorado Hills, CA

Mar 26, 2013 - 12:44pm PT

im going to 80m this year

gonzo chemist

climber

Fort Collins, CO

Mar 26, 2013 - 12:53pm PT

I'll never buy a 60m rope again. I've been using 70m exclusively for about the last 3 years.

I spent all last week in Indian Creek and climbed plenty of lines that were longer than 100ft.

Here's two examples where having a 70m was nice:

The Wave, on Supercrack Butress.
Top Sirloin, on Second Meat Wall.

I wish I'd had an 80m for Jolly Rancher on Pistol Whipped Wall.

jahil

Social climber

London, Paris, WV & CA

Mar 26, 2013 - 12:59pm PT

I have two 70s, climb in the Valley, TM and the Sierra with them all the time. I found I can do After 7 as a 3 pitch route - last time I went up with 2 noobs, our party of 3 passed everyone else on the route.
If I can find an 80 I'll buy it.
steve

Big Mike

Trad climber

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:21pm PT

My buddy kyle cut one of his ropes down to 35m for simuling. Its perfect. Just enough rope for no drag.

It's not about speed it's about continuos climbing. Linking the whole chief in three huge pitches is just rad!

couchmaster

climber

pdx

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:25pm PT

pfft - 80's were in vogue when this thread started but everyone is running 90m's now.

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:35pm PT

ropes are for sailors

blasphemy! sailors use lines. It is rope until it is put into service, then it is a line or some other term such as hawser, halyard or lanyard, never a rope.

rincon

Trad climber

SoCal

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:36pm PT

70m - A MUST HAVE for certain areas.

What areas?

Is there a place where the anchors are 70 meters apart?.

Back in the olden days, we actually brought TWO ropes if the raps were long...I guess nobody does that anymore?

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

sawatch choss

Mar 26, 2013 - 01:36pm PT

Ropes are like shoes, you can never have too many if you're looking for the ideal setup for each occasion.

I love my marathon 80 for long sport pitches, Indian Creek, and helping bruce hilden reassure himself that he is a master of logic immune to 'fads' like like not getting lowered off the end of the rope.

The 70 comes out for long-but-easy stuff like the EBMC where linking pitches does not entail a monster rack, or long-but-hardish stuff in the Black where the extra length is mostly a security measure in the event of a bail but 2 ropes would be too much too manage.

60m is kind of a default standard for cragging or multi-pitch- good enough for most single pitches and the occasional rope-stretching link.

50m- I haven't had one of these that has seen real use since the mid-90's. I have a 9.1 Joker that comes out for the alpine, or easier multi-pitch with a low chance of extensive hanging.

<50m (chopped ropes, mostly) actually get more use than the 50m 'standard' since there's lots of dinky sport crags where I live and 140' or so is plenty.

Buying more ropes costs more money, but the upside is that the wear gets spread out over them all so no one rope gets worn out real soon (mind you, I don't climb a lot of hard sport).

Given that the No.1-with-a-bullet way of getting hurt cragging seems to involve lowering with inadequate rope, carrying a bit of extra to the average single-pitch joint doesn't seem to be a big imposition-- especially compared with the time-sucking/dangerous shenanigans we all find ourselves doing when toproping longer single pitches.

Edge

Trad climber

New Durham, NH

Mar 26, 2013 - 02:47pm PT

Ron Anderson wrote:

May even kick back on the ledge talking with a cliff frog or sumpn..;-)

Am I the only one that read this and thought, "lick it?"

RyanD

climber

Squamish

Mar 26, 2013 - 03:30pm PT

Can u even buy 50m ropes anymore?

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2013 - 05:24pm PT

not to thread drift my own thread, but why are static lines almost always sold in lengths that are shorter than your average climbing CORD?

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

sawatch choss

Mar 26, 2013 - 05:36pm PT

They're trying to weed out the sport rappellers.

looks easy from here

climber

Ben Lomond, CA

Mar 26, 2013 - 09:32pm PT

Can u even buy 50m ropes anymore?

I asked at my gym about ordering an inexpensive one to be my indoor beater, but it was a no-go.

Back OT, I bought my first rope last month, after having spent the last year climbing on my friends' 60 and 70 meter ropes. I went with a nice, lean 70. No regrets yet (we'll see if I feel the same when I lug it into the wilds this summer...)

ms55401

Trad climber

minneapolis, mn

Mar 26, 2013 - 09:43pm PT

yeah, I love dragging a 70-meter rope to my local 40-foot crag. Thanks, private equity!

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:18pm PT

_Hi Pat

kennyt

climber

Woodfords,California

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:19pm PT

2. Longer sport?

that seems like it.

WBraun

climber

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:49pm PT

why are static lines almost always sold in lengths that are shorter than your average climbing CORD?

Because they hang straight down.

Static lines don't need to wander like lead lines.

Now don't-ch know that ......

Captain...or Skully

climber

Mar 26, 2013 - 11:56pm PT

We had a super long static line on New Dawn. The cluster cord.
Meh.

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Mar 27, 2013 - 09:33am PT

You can leave me a message pat,convince me we have anything to talk about. It is fun having
Have you stalk me! I have your hundred texts from after midnight last night and so do the authorities. They seemed more interested in video though.

Guess you had to delete.

10b4me

Ice climber

Happy Boulders

Mar 27, 2013 - 11:25am PT

Ron does have a point. Unless going to a fixed anchor, you can belay wherever you want.( just don't hold up the send train)

Nowadays, I'm more interested in getting a smaller diameter(9.1-9.5mm) rope

Elcapinyoazz

Social climber

Joshua Tree

Mar 27, 2013 - 06:42pm PT

My std cord for multi pitch has been a 70m for over 10 years. I like em, especially now that we're down to mid 9mm dias.

My sport climbing rope is a 60 (although I will occasionally bust out the 70, because my local sport crag the Riverside Quarry has several pitches over 30m that require a 70 to lower or rap if you don't want to do a L-P-L).

why are static lines almost always sold in lengths that are shorter than your average climbing CORD?

Huh? Not in my experience. Sure you can get em in weird lengths (blame the cavers or roped access workers), but just as easily get them in std 50,60,70 lengths. You can also just buy it by the foot. Last static line I bought was a 200m spool...if your climbing cord is longer than that, you must carry one hell of a big rack to link 3-4 pitches at a time.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Mar 27, 2013 - 07:04pm PT

If you are going to use a static rope as a tag line make sure it is 5 meters longer than your lead rope to accomodate the stretch in the lead rope.

nutjob

Sport climber

Almost to Hollywood, Baby!

Mar 27, 2013 - 07:13pm PT

I've been using 2 x 8.0mm x 60m for at least 5 years. Before that it was 2 x 9.0mm x 60m for a few years. Using doubles has saved my arse on several occasions, for long raps, a few times needing to cut ropes, losing one in the wind, etc.

On some alpinish routes or where I'm mostly solo'ing but want a back-up plan, I only take one and fold it in half when using to minimize dragging.

I've found that linking pitches is only feasible on certain types of routes. I tend to more blocky bush-wacky wandering stuff where it's just impractical to do longer pitches. The communication issues and stuck-ropes issues are not worth the supposed time savings.

That said, I can see the benefit on straight-up clean cracks or slabs. But then you seriously run out your pro or bring quite a lot.

So I have never yet had an experience where I said "damn, if I only had a 70m rope." Plenty of times I've stretched a 60m though.

10b4me

Ice climber

Happy Boulders

Mar 27, 2013 - 08:35pm PT

why are static lines almost always sold in lengths that are shorter than your average climbing CORD?

You can buy static cord off a spool at any length

hossjulia

Trad climber

Where the Hoback and the mighty Snake River meet

Mar 27, 2013 - 08:46pm PT

I like the 70 when it's needed, mines a 9.6 Beal dry, so it handles great, but I can barely coil it. Don't mind the weight, but it doesn't really fit in my hand.

One downside I discovered; I ran 2 pitches together on Penneyroyal Arches, right side, it took the full 70, I was really gassed and a little trembly setting up the belay. That is a right facing corner almost the whole way.
(Super fun at 5.7)

The 70 was originally purchased for top roping the Chouinard Falls in Lee Vining Canyon (CA). A 70 keeps you from having to pass a knot on the far left, belaying from the boulder.