By Connor Chilcott

IFMGA Mountain Guide

Over the years I have played with many ropes in all different types of terrain. I have experienced plenty of trial and error. From core shot ropes rappelling off Fitz Roy, to frozen ropes that my grigri won’t hold while ice climbing. In this article my hope is to spread some of what I have learned throughout my career as a guide and professional climber. I will cover everything from big wall climbing to ice climbing to everyday single pitch rock climbing.

When thinking about the ropes we use for climbing a few things come to mind. What was this rope designed for? What length of rope will I need for my objective? How durable does my rope need to be? One main thing to think about with ropes is weight vs. durability. In short the smaller diameter 60m rope will be lighter, but will also be less durable.

Connor and his guest on the summit of the Matterhorn

Key Vocabulary

Dynamic Rope: These ropes have some dynamic properties allowing the rope to stretch when it is loaded. All ropes that we lead climb on need to be dynamic.
Static Rope: This is a rope that does not stretch when under load. Static ropes have various uses, and should not be used for everyday rock climbing.
Single Rated Rope: This means the rope has been tested by the UIAA to be sufficient for lead climbing by itself.
Half Rated Rope: This rope has been tested by the UIAA to be sufficient for leading on when paired with another rope.
Twin Rated Rope: This rope has been tested by the UIAA to be sufficient for leading on when doubled up with another rope. The difference between the half and twin rated ropes is that both TWIN rated ropes must be clipped to each individual piece. Half rated ropes allow you to place 2 pieces of gear and clip each rope individually into each piece. This can allow you to avoid rope drag. However I find both Half and Twin rated ropes to be unnecessary and have figured out better systems.
Dry Treated: I recommend all dynamic ropes be dry treated. Even if you are not planning to get your rope wet, the dry treatment makes your rope more durable and last longer.

Single Pitch/ Top Rope Climbing

This is a great first rope for anyone interested in rock climbing. Also a great quiver rope, I find myself reaching for this rope when I am looking for something durable and weight is not an issue.

Key Properties

Dynamic
Single Rated Rope
9.5-9.8 mm diameter
70 meters in length
Bi pattern or have a good middle mark
Dry treated

Multi Pitch Climbing/ Ice Climbing/ Universal rope

This is my recommendation if you plan to have just 1 rope. This rope has a great balance of weight to durability. It will wear out quicker than a larger diameter rope, but is much lighter for longer days. Whether you are going cragging for the day, ice climbing, multi pitch climbing, alpine climbing, or glacier travel this rope will do it all. However, it shines in 2 categories and that is Multi Pitch Rock climbing and Ice Climbing.

Key Properties
Dynamic
Single Rated Rope
9.0-9.4 mm Diameter
60 meter in length
Bi Pattern or good middle mark
Dry treated

Alpine Climbing Rope

For alpine rock climbing we need to be pretty selective about our rope choices. The rope is the single heaviest piece of gear we carry with us in the mountains. To choose a rope properly requires a good amount of route research. You need to figure out what length rope you need. Some questions to ask yourself. Is the route alpine by nature? Such as ledgy and mostly low fifth class. Bringing a shorter rope when some pitches are 50m long can really slow you down while climbing. The final thing you need to think about is if you rappel on the descent. Oftentimes you may need a 60m rope if the rappel is 30m long. Below I will describe the ideal rope I like to bring into the Alpine if the route allows.

Key Properties
Dynamic
Single Rated Rope
8.5-9.0 mm in diameter
40 meter in length
Dry Treated

Big Wall Climbing Ropes

Big wall climbing is by far the hardest type of climbing for your ropes. So we go really heavy for our big wall ropes. The consistent jumaring on the rope causes it to run over sharp edges and grind on the rock for the entire length of the pitch. You need 2 ropes for most big walls. 1 static rope for hauling your gear, and one lead rope for leading and following the pitches. Another note is the static rope needs to be longer, since the dynamic rope stretches.

Lead Line Key Properties

Dynamic
Single Rated Rope
10.0-10.5mm in diameter
60 meters in length
Dry Treated
Bi Pattern or middle mark

Haul Line Key Properties
Static
9.0-10.5 in diameter
65 meters in length

Glacier Travel Ropes

Most dynamic ropes will work for glacier travel. However, if protecting against a crevasse fall is your only concern, there are a few superior options. Some companies make 6mm ropes made for traveling on a glacier roped up. These ropes are often static. The dynamic property comes from the fact that the human is dynamic and moves if the rope goes tight. You have to be careful to read the ropes intended uses. There are alot of tag lines on the market that are not rated for roped up glacier travel. These are only rated for hauling someone out of a crevasse if they fall in unroped or on another rope. Always remember these ropes are never to be used while belaying someone. The dynamic property comes from you walking together.

Ropes rated for glacier travel:

Mammut Glacier Travel Cord

6mm in Diameter
Length: 30m x2 or 60m x1
25g per meter

Petzl Rad Line:

6mm in diameter
Length: 30m x2 or 60m x1
22g per meter

Edelrid Rap Line

6mm in Diameter
Length: 30m x2 or 60m x1
31 g per meter
Some Dynamic properties. Rated for 2 UIAA falls

Tag Lines

Tag Lines are great, and I use them all the time. This is how we have gotten away from using half and twin rated ropes. Tag lines can be used for hauling, retrieving a rope on rappel, a rescue rope for glacier travel, and much more. It is important to understand the difference between a tagline and the cords listed above. A tag line is only rated for a few things and should never be the piece of gear you are tied into. It is very important to read what your tag line is rated for. Remember if using it as a rappel it needs to be 5 meters longer than your dynamic rope.