Climbing ropes: buying guide and comparison

Along with the safety device, the climbing rope is undoubtedly another of the most important decisions that the climber, whether novice or professional, must face when acquiring his climbing equipment. At the heart of every climber's wardrobe hangs a rope, it is a basic and essential item. For novice climbers, buying their first climbing rope can be a somewhat overwhelming decision because they don't know what features the rope should have or what to look for when purchasing their new climbing rope.

This article is a guide to buying and comparing climbing ropes, if you are faced with such a decision, we assure you that you have come to the right place and that you will know everything you need to know about climbing ropes by the time you finish reading this guide. Use our guide to better understand how climbing ropes are classified and what is the process of buying them. First of all, you should know that this article has been written based on the experience of different climbers and, after a thorough analysis, you will find different opinions based on the personal experience of the athletes.

The best climbing ropes by diameter

Ropes have different correlations: the type of rope that has a large diameter correlates with higher durability, more weight and slightly lower handling, e.g. tying knots or sliding with the belay device, among others. Conversely, a rope type with a smaller diameter will be less durable, but lighter and with excellent handling.

If you are a novice climber who has never bought a climbing rope, we recommend that you start learning climbing technique with a thicker, medium rope, it will be an excellent starting point.

Thick rope recommendations: 10.0mm -10.2mm

Thicker ropes provide excellent rope durability, especially for those types of climbing that cause excessive rope wear, such as more challenging rocky terrain or those repetitive falls on hard sport climbing or a top rope, where the rope continually rubs against the top anchors.

However, the benefits of the long lifespan of thick rope have as a side effect, on the other hand, the additional weight involved in carrying a rope with a large diameter. It is therefore a special rope that should be used by experts who need it for more complicated terrain or falls.

Medium rope recommendations: 9.6mm -9.9mm

In this subsection we will focus on ropes with a medium diameter. This is a type of rope that is more appropriate for the sport of traditional climbing. The medium diameter indicates, as the name suggests, that it will benefit from the durability characteristic of wide ropes, while also remaining relatively comfortable to handle and not too heavy.

Many professional climbers who are involved in a more traditional type of climbing choose the medium diameter rope because it can be used in virtually any climbing discipline.

Thin rope recommendations: 8.9mm-9.6mm

This is the lightest and fastest type of rope. It is a rope that, in climbing, is suitable for multi-pitch or everyday alpine epics. Some climbers in the sport climbing world attempt the most difficult climbing routes with a thin rope because of its light weight.

However, although they are very light, as a negative point of these strings we find that they are not as durable as wider strings and therefore, in general terms, have a much shorter lifespan than strings of other diameters.

Everything you need to know about climbing ropes

In this section we will go a little deeper into the different aspects or information that you should know about climbing ropes and that will help you to choose the type of rope to buy for your climbing activity.

Determine the optimal length of your rope

The standard length of a climbing rope is 60 metres, but 70 metre ropes are also becoming increasingly common in the climbing world. The benefits of the traditional 60 metre rope are that it is lighter, less heavy and generally sufficient for most climbing routes. On the other hand, there are also certain areas or selected routes where it will be necessary to use a 70 metre rope.

A 70 metre climbing rope not only allows the athlete to climb more, but is also a great aid when abseiling. For example, while you may need two 60 metre ropes to make a full abseil from the top of a pitch, with a larger rope you will only need that one 70 metre rope.

Therefore, generally speaking, the 60 metre rope is standard and suitable for most climbing routes, although some areas will require a 70 metre rope. If you are in any doubt about a particular route, it is best to ask another climber who is used to doing routes in the area to find out which particular areas require which ropes.

Medium markings and bi-pattern ropes

A midpoint mark on the rope helps to identify the centre of the rope and, although at first glance it may seem meaningless, in climbing it is very important. There are three ways to identify the midpoint on a rope. In some cases, the middle mark is applied by the manufacturer himself, although the disadvantage is that over time it can wear out and, consequently, the climber loses the reference.

On the other hand, double pattern ropes help you to identify where the middle point of the rope is: when the design or colour of the rope changes, it is the middle point. Finally, if there is no middle mark, the last option is for the climber to apply the midpoint himself using a rope marker for this purpose.

Dry treatment and recommendations

A dry treatment helps to prevent the climbing rope from absorbing water. This is beneficial to overcome the following challenges: when the rope gets wet, its strength is reduced, it is prone to freezing or it becomes too heavy.

A dry treatment can help prevent dirt from entering the sheath of a rope, which will increase its lifespan. While dry treatment is beneficial to protect the rope and prevent water absorption, it is not necessary if climbing on dry ground or inside a gym.

Types of climbing ropes

There are three types of ropes: single, double and twin.

• Single ropes are the standard climbing ropes used in a gym and are generally suitable for all types of climbing. They are usually 8.9mm to 10.2mm wide.
• Double ropes, as the name suggests, have a two-rope system where the climber is attached to both ropes and has different clips to protect the climber on both ropes, which helps to improve the strength of the rope on winding or complicated routes.
• Twin ropes also feature a two-rope system, but in this case, the climber holds on to both ropes to climb to each piece of protection. The use of two ropes allows for faster rappelling, as well as avoiding the possibility of one rope being cut on a sharp kerb.