Discussion Topic |
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Dingus McGee
Social climber
Where Safety trumps Leaving No Trace
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 21, 2014 - 07:38am PT
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A Sterling 9.2 mm. The sheath simply disintegrated in one day of sport climbing and TR-ing. True to tone this rope was the "editors choice." on a gear report from this ST site.
Other brands of rope used on the same routes have far, far surpassed the life of this stiff easily trashed life line. Also with several Sterlings I have got shear tear at the high carabiner from a fall.
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doughnutnational
Gym climber
its nice here in the spring
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Nov 21, 2014 - 07:51am PT
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It would have to be my first rope, purchased in the late 70's. It was an MSR rope. My friends guessed that MSR stood for "mighty shitty rope".
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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Nov 21, 2014 - 08:35am PT
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Sterling, handles like crap and gets filthy faster than any rope I have owned in 40 years.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Nov 21, 2014 - 08:46am PT
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Funny, I had a Sterling, maybe it was a 10.2 (?) that was ok, except it's true that it seemed to bleed this black carbon stuff. Hands got very black belaying. Other than that, it was fine. I also have had a few Beals over the years, no complaints. They're nice and flexible and pleasant to handle. Maybe a little stretchy, though, and knots are hard to untie.
My worst rope was an old Edelweiss. (Well, except for the goldline I got started with, which was lots of fun to rap in dulfersitz). It was nominally 11mm, but seemed more like about 14mm, or even more, in reality. The thing was super stretchy. Did the Nose with it. Jumaring was horrifying, thinking it was sawing away on any edge, what with the bouncing. On the other hand, there was a lot of thickness to cut through. It didn't seem to suffer much wear during the climb, though.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Oakland, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 08:46am PT
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Ropes are so funny. Sterlings have been my favorites for handling and longevity.
I've had a couple bad blue waters but also a good one. Had a bad maxim years ago but my friends have them now and they are fine ropes.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 08:51am PT
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Cable you say? Pretty sure my first Goldline has that title secured.
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 21, 2014 - 08:56am PT
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Beal it is.
The fuker was a bungee cord or a giant rubber band it stretched so far .....
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ClimbingOn
Trad climber
NY
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Nov 21, 2014 - 09:07am PT
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How has this thread made it 10 posts without Petzl ropes being mentioned? Hands down, the worst ropes ever made. I've never been dumb enough to buy one but I have had several partners who have purchased them. Twice, the first day out with them (I was along), they disintegrated terribly. The single, on the third climb (and third rap), the sheath completely separated from the core and bunched up, making it impossible to rap any further due to the now huge diameter of the rope.
The pair of Petzl doubles, after the first day (again, I was along), they looked like they had several years of use on them. Petzl ropes are often on sale but are not worth it at any price.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Nov 21, 2014 - 09:12am PT
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Loved my goldline! You could spin forever on free rappels...
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BuddhaStalin
climber
Truckee, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 09:13am PT
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Another for Beal. Sterling too, but Im convinced I just have bad luck. Tons of my friends have them also and theirs are fine.
Metolius is the new bomb in my world. Definitely buying again.
No mention of Petzl because I was lucky enough to have had others experiences stop me from trying one. Have heard no good about their ropes lately. Shame, my old Petzl PMI from the early 90s was the best. Who makes their ropes now? In-house?
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The Call Of K2 Lou
Mountain climber
North Shore, BC
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Nov 21, 2014 - 09:16am PT
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The one I bought but never used.
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BuddhaStalin
climber
Truckee, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 09:16am PT
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Edelweiss recently took a downturn also, a model year or two ago their quality and lineup have turned tail IMO
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couchmaster
climber
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Nov 21, 2014 - 09:19am PT
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Other than Goldline, interesting that I had a similar experience as Ekat with Chouinard. Hated that POS steel cable. Hate! Years later, a buddy chopped my Mamutt line accidentally and offered to buy me a new rope. I said no way, as I had so much more money than him. Years pass, buddy gets a kick ass job and has money coming out his ass. Shows up at my house with a brand new still in the bag rope: CHOUiNARD! CRAP. But I gracefully accepted and was surprised that is handled fairly nicely.
Currently Petzl is on my sh#t list for the way they treated customers of their ZephFurr. That sh#t fell apart within a week - BRAND NEW, and Petzl ignored their customers. See this: http://www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=1785716;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=-1;t=search_engine But like Dingus, I buy on price, so I wound up with the 9.4 x 70m Petzl in a dry version anyway cause I got it new at REI sale for $94.83 bucks. Stiff for a skinny rope. Gave it to my kid.
Petzl Zephyr 10.3 after 5 climbs
....of which the Petzl dude said in teh thread: • Re: Rope referenced by OP: we have tracked it down at the dealer and are having it returned to us for evaluation.
• We have found no evidence to suggest there is a safety concern with Petzl rope. F em.
Have had good luck with Metolius, Beal, Bluewater, Mammut, Edelweiss and Edelrid.
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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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Nov 21, 2014 - 09:36am PT
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Any Beal rope.
DITTO!
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Nov 21, 2014 - 09:39am PT
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100' of truckers rope.
From a place called Orchard Supply Hardware (does it even exists anymore, lol!)
We were "young, dumb and full of cum" and couldn't wait to climb!:)
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 10:17am PT
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I've been using a Sterling for the first time this year, and it's been my best rope. I bought it on sale for $90 shipped.
I have never bought any rope on any criteria other than price, diameter, and length (in that order), so it's been mostly BlueWater and Beal over the years.
This mossy green 60m 10.2 Sterling has far outpaced those. I've used it in the gym about 20 days, and taken it up maybe six or eight multi-pitch routes so far. Handles both the airy whips in the gym and the long, grinder, slabby granite pitches in the Valley really well. No fraying yet, still handles smoothly.
Loving this rope.
Name that pitch!
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this just in
climber
north fork
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Nov 21, 2014 - 10:21am PT
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Gate out le Bruce? Disappointed.
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wbw
Trad climber
'cross the great divide
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Nov 21, 2014 - 10:29am PT
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Blue Water . . hands down.
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PSP also PP
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Nov 21, 2014 - 10:37am PT
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first rope a Hardware store rope, stretched about 25 feet on a toprope fall! Immediately bought an REI special sale rope.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 21, 2014 - 10:41am PT
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I think it's more of a function of getting the right rope for the particular use. I always get the smallest diameter rope i think appropriate. I'm willing to sacrifice longevity for lightweight. I went overboard a few years ago and got a Mammut 8.9 ( only intended for sport climb redpoints) rope for an alpine rock climbing trip to the Sierras. We trashed it in forty pitches on rough granite with lot's of rapping.
I didn't blame the rope,,,,i used the wrong tool for the job. I still use the 8,9 Mammut but only for sport climbing....works great!
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caughtinside
Social climber
Oakland, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 10:42am PT
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Just used that Mammut 8.9 for a 3 week sport climbing trip, that thing is fantastic!
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Dingus McGee
Social climber
Where Safety trumps Leaving No Trace
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 21, 2014 - 10:47am PT
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I think it's more of a function of getting the right rope for the particular use.
Sterling for rope displays only.
Someone mentioned Metolius. Mine works great. It had a life long after 40.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Nov 21, 2014 - 10:49am PT
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I got bit in the ass with the super-shedding Petzyl Zepher as well, that was a waste of a money I will never get back.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO
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Nov 21, 2014 - 10:55am PT
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Without a doubt, MSR. Back in the mid-70's when the first energy crisis hit, the price of nylon skyrocketed and the price of ropes did, too. MSR came out with a rope that was less than half the price of the ropes we were getting from Europe(Edelrid, Mammut, etc).
You could by the 'red stripe' rope either in MSR's standard color of yellow or you could buy the rope un-dyed(white) and dye it yourself.
The rope stretched way to much under a static load. You can only imagine how far you fell on a lead fall. The sheath was loosely woven so it collected dirt like a vacuum cleaner and fuzzed like a Brillo pad. We climbed on it for years and thankfully, I have no idea where it is now.
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Nov 21, 2014 - 11:05am PT
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I hated those stretchy Beals. Ironically though one saved my life when I fell the length of TKO. It wad so stretchy it allowed Bruce and Ellie to stop my fall by grabbing it with their bare hands.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 21, 2014 - 11:16am PT
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Yo Mark...how's the weather, Angela and I are going skiing.
I'll let the cat out of the bag....Chappy and I only use ropes endorsed by the very best pros, except in Honnold's case, his endorsement says little about rooe durability.
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Woody the Beaver
Trad climber
Soldier, Idaho
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Nov 21, 2014 - 11:30am PT
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Solid red sheath Chouinard 11 mm, in 1978, 1980, thereabouts. Droopless, stiff as a wire. I had it flaked out on the big ledge on Sundial, and a big chunk of Sundial fell on it. When the dust settled, I saw it there chopped to hash! I rejoiced! My heart was light!
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 21, 2014 - 11:44am PT
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A Czech friend told me about the ropes they used in the 70's. They were govt issue and intended for industrial use (steep roofs, smokestacks).
They were totally stiff but got a good handle after soaking them in paint thinner. Combine that with the home made harnesses from thick fire hoses and you why those guys are tough.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Nov 21, 2014 - 11:57am PT
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Have to say, I've never been disappointed in a rope.
I have a beal right now that was gifted to me.
Like a bungee?
HAYL YEAH!!!!
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briham89
Big Wall climber
santa cruz, ca
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Nov 21, 2014 - 12:54pm PT
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By the "end" of this thread I have a feeling every rope manufacturer will be named....
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 01:18pm PT
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Mammut, hands down.
Of course Mammut's also the best brand I've ever bought, since I'm still on rope #1 (which is pretty good, considering how much TR abuse it's taken).
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jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
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Nov 21, 2014 - 01:23pm PT
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Half inch manilla fiber rope from Sears in 1953. Rap that sucker around your body as you rappel and you're pulling out splinter fibers from your back for weeks. Those guys from the 1890s were tough.
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MisterE
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 01:42pm PT
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Beal, for sure - stretchy as hell.
Gate out le Bruce? Disappointed.
If minutiae like this brings you down, the disappointment train may be stopping at your station regularly!
;-)
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bergbryce
climber
East Bay, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 02:23pm PT
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My Beal ice lines are the best ropes I've ever owned. Never owned a bad rope really. Even the one i got for 80 bucks as a store was closing turned out to be a good one.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 02:32pm PT
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Hahaha, MisterE, tji is good people and messing with me. He forgot the winky emoticon. Course, we are now sworn enemies tji. Gates out or GTFO of here.
Salathe's pitch up the headwall on SS? Leading to the chimney?
DMT
DMT's cash $. Wasn't so hard I guess.
Life is good when you love your rope, and when your gates are out
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 04:10pm PT
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A 300' 3/8" goldline. What amazing tangles that made!
We used it to rappel off Chimney Rock (Washington Cascades) in 1970 or so. Might have been faster to downclimb.
Actually my dad bought it, so I'll blame him.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 04:15pm PT
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yep sterling nano 80m 9.2 fell apart after 3 climbs on the hulk
current 80m blackwater has been through the ringer and looks new
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 04:34pm PT
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Early Mammut, I think. Like a piece of yarn then the sheath getting elephantiasis. I love Edelweiss and Edelrid. But now ropes are pretty much all great enough to use. I thank god I am not a rope manufactuer. The videos you can see of the making of person show what a bitch it must be to get it right.
go here for really excellent Mammut rope production video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSAAl4HODHU&spfreload=10
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steve s
Trad climber
eldo
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Nov 21, 2014 - 04:36pm PT
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My gold line rope was way better than the Petzl piece o crap I bought decades later!
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this just in
climber
north fork
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Nov 21, 2014 - 05:12pm PT
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Haha le Bruce. Totally.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Nov 21, 2014 - 05:36pm PT
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120' military surplus 7/16", bought in a San Diego surplus store. OD in color, actually crackled when it was unwound from its little reel. Never held a leader fall, obviously. After it got dinged I gave a piece to my girlfriend who used it to tie up her horse. Horse jerked his head, broke it.
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MisterE
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Nov 21, 2014 - 05:44pm PT
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LOL - I kind of figured...
I have found that pretty much any rope under 9.4 doesn't hold up if you are beating it up - PETZL, Mammut, and others just wear out faster in the thin diameters.
I pretty much stick to 9.6 and bigger since discovering that, and with the exception of the Beal, have had pretty good luck in the 9.6 to 9.8 range - the Sterling 9.6 I have had for 6 years is a work-horse!
Sadly, it is pretty dead now...but just gets dirty fast - the sheath is holding up damn well.
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Dingus McGee
Social climber
Where Safety trumps Leaving No Trace
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 22, 2014 - 04:40am PT
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Mister E,
have you noticed any correlation with the ropes that are super stiff and that these ones wear more quickly? I see mention of this on this thread of the Chouinard Rope as stiff as cable and wearing quickly. My Chouinard rope that was stiff wore though the sheath quite soon and the soon failed Sterling 9.2 I make mention of was very stiff.
My theory of stiff ropes wearing more quickly is because stiff ropes do not flatten over rubbing/contact points with the rock and this reduced area causes a much higher local stress at the contact point.
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Nov 22, 2014 - 04:54am PT
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Any Beal rope.
Agreed. Those way too supple Beal ropes back in the 80's scared the crap out of me. I felt like I was climbing on soba noodles.
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO
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Nov 22, 2014 - 08:08am PT
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bhilden's description of the MSR rope was spot on.
I bought on in 1974 because it was cheap. And it also twisted, snarled and stretched in perverse ways. Had only a short life as my climbing rope yet I still have remnants of that rope, now serving as 12' long llama lead ropes.
Considering how long it has been since anyone bought an MSR (40 years?), it says at lot for its claim to be "the worst" - and it is nonetheless still receiving so much mention in this thread. Must have created some really horrid memories to not be forgotten after all those years.
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ruppell
climber
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Nov 22, 2014 - 09:47am PT
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Bluewater. Haven't owned one in over ten years now. My current go to is the Petzle 9.4 Fuse. I've tried countless times to destroy this thing and it just won't die. I also use Beal 8.6 Cobras for long alpine routes and have found them to be equally bomber. Sure they stretch a bit but isn't that what you want a dynamic rope to do?
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lars johansen
Trad climber
West Marin, CA
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Nov 22, 2014 - 11:18am PT
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I agree with Peter, early Mammut was known for being a kinky mess. I'll stick with Edelweiss.
lars
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clockclimb
Trad climber
Orem, Utah
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Nov 22, 2014 - 05:43pm PT
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My Edelweiss ropes are extremely stiff. Good otherwise.
Best ropes: Maxim, PMI
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ruppell
climber
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Nov 22, 2014 - 05:57pm PT
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Blond for sure.
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rurprider
Trad climber
Mt. Rubidoux
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Nov 22, 2014 - 07:02pm PT
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Sterling for sure. Used to love Sterling, but the last two Sterling ropes picked up dirt and aluminum oxide like nobody's business. Dirtiest ropes I've even owned. Also, had core showing on both ropes within two days of moderate climbing. Switched to Bluewater and love it.
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Gene
climber
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Nov 22, 2014 - 07:25pm PT
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Gotta go with the MSR bungee cord.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 22, 2014 - 09:39pm PT
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A Sterling 9.2 mm. The sheath simply disintegrated in one day of sport climbing and TR-ing.
this will sound like a strange question: what color was the sheath?
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Bad Climber
climber
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Nov 23, 2014 - 06:26am PT
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Beal seems to be winning here for worst rope competition. I've never owned this brand. Most of my ropes have been okay if not great, but I'm with eKat and others on the old Chouinard steel cables--total crap. I also had an early gen. Maxim that had brutal sheath slippage such that after a few trips I had dangling, coreless tips that I had to cut back and re-seal. To Maxim's credit, they've seemed to have fixed their process, and on a more recent SuperTopo recommendation we bought a "Glider," which proved to be an excellent cord. Presently we're climbing on a rope recommended by Ty up at Wilson's in Bishop. It's a 9.7 Mammut 70 m bi-color dry. What a great rope!
At 52 and officially "old skool"--though not in Donini's league!--I've been shocked at the ever-decreasing diameters of ropes. This is our first sub-10mm rope, and boy, do we love it. Packs smaller and lighter than shorter, fatter ropes, and at the end of a long pitch, it sure is easy to pull up for the clip! I can't believe folks are now leading on sub-9mm single ropes.
BAd
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Dingus McGee
Social climber
Where Safety trumps Leaving No Trace
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 23, 2014 - 06:47pm PT
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Ed,
The Sterling 9.2 was florescent scarlet. Sterling may have called the color some other variety of such a red/orange.
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Nov 23, 2014 - 06:50pm PT
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I'm first with SkyLine Blue?! My first rope. Hideous!!
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SicMic
climber
across the street from Marshall
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Nov 23, 2014 - 07:50pm PT
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I've been pretty lucky with all the ropes I've had over the years.
I remember a Sterling that had bad sheath slip (got rid of it very quickly), and a Rivory that seemed to die prematurely.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Nov 23, 2014 - 07:55pm PT
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blueh2o
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 23, 2014 - 08:23pm PT
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I had a pink one that didn't work out so well, but the green one and my new blue one are fine... I don't know what the issue was, but it seemed related to the color (which sounds weird, but there you have it).
My first 9.2 Sterling Fusion Nano, the bright green one, lasted 5 hard years and still is fine, I still use it but not for leading. It's not so bright anymore...
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nov 23, 2014 - 09:43pm PT
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P.S. We had a manila rope at one point, too. A leader fall on that would not be fun.
Appropriate value for the low cost, though.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Nov 23, 2014 - 10:30pm PT
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Half inch manilla fiber rope from Sears in 1953. Rap that sucker around your body as you rappel and you're pulling out splinter fibers from your back for weeks. Those guys from the 1890s were tough.
Those guys from the 1890's were clad in half-inch thick boiled wool that could have served as the material for oven mitts.
I've used Mammut Genesis 8.5 half ropes for fifteen years or more. My latest set seems to kink up more easily than the previous ones, but all of them have worn like iron---I retire them because I think "its time," not because of any visible wear that would be concerning.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Nov 24, 2014 - 07:58am PT
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Ed that does not seem strange at all to me.
Different dyes affect nylon characteristics differently. I notice this a great deal in my carpet cleaning business. In general nylon with blue dye seems to be most dirt resistant/easiest to clean. Not sure how durability or other characteristics are affected. Offhand I'd say there is evidence towards durability in blue dyed carpet but that is not something I pay as close attention to.
Not sure if most blue dyes are chemically similar or not. I would suppose they likely are considering my very definate observations. Something interesting must be occurring due to the dye.
I'm curious, to those others who have replied.. on your worst ropes.. what color were they?
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Scole
Trad climber
Joshua Tree
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Nov 27, 2014 - 07:55pm PT
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Edelrid Classic. Corbett and I climbed Aquarian Wall on a brand new classic. There were 15 core shots in our lead line by the top. Scariest rope I have ever used.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Nov 27, 2014 - 09:55pm PT
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Maxim glider. Hands down the worst rope investment ever.
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reptyle
Trad climber
Kali
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Nov 27, 2014 - 10:09pm PT
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I bought a.Mammut rope.in maybe 79 or 80 that was so stiff it was hard to knot and a bitch.to unknot. Beleive it or.not I think I still have it, along with a nearly new set of EBs.
Reptyle D-<
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Nov 28, 2014 - 03:14am PT
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The worst rope that I ever purchased was my very first climbing rope back in the early 1970s.
What can I say? I was poor.
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franky
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Nov 28, 2014 - 07:02am PT
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I wonder if anyone has noticed that every single rope brand has been called the "worst ever" in this thread. My conclusion is that all ropes are equal, every company sells some bad apples.
I've only every seen one rope truly suck, and it was a petzl. It would coat your hand in nylon fibers if you touched it.
Conclusion, but the cheapest rope that meets your size needs.
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Nov 28, 2014 - 07:07am PT
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I'm still alive, so none have been terrible 😜
Not a fan of sterling or beal though .
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BruceAnderson
Social climber
Los Angeles currently St. Antonin, France
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Nov 28, 2014 - 11:04am PT
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To a large degree with modern ropes, a rope is a rope. The worst I've had was a cheapo edelwiess, but it was definitely a budget rig. I've been using Sterling's only for the last few years ( mostly their 9.8's), climbing usually three days a week with tons of heavy usage sport climbing on sharp limestone, and they last me normally two seasons or so. Lots of TR'ing, lots of lead falls. The new Beal UniCore's do look really nice and are quite popular here in France.
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| Messages 1 - 68 of total 68 in this topic |
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