rope purchase

Post by **travelinyouth** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 3:02 am

Man, I didn't see this thread early enough. I just bought an Edelweiss 9.9 70 m dry bicolor. It was decently priced and seemed pretty good for traveling and sport climbing; as well as it was a good deal on Gearexpress.com Anybody know anything about the Edelweiss On Sight 9.9 70m ropes??? I am interested to know of any criticisms or complements on the chord.

Post by **rjackson** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:22 pm

I always find it interesting that everyone looks for a 'bargain' or a 'deal' when making a decision on one of the most important pieces of equipment you'll own as a climber.

Kind of like shopping around for bypass surgery. Do you want the 'deal' or the best you can find?

Post by **RRO** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:51 pm

uiaa, ce, iso and so on are in place to ensure that doesnt happen. small details like brand name, middle marks, dry treat and such add a lot to the price of a rope. as long as the cheap rope has all the right certificates its as "safe" as expensive models.

Post by **hoss** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:48 pm

DO NOT buy and Edelweise rope! I bought a 10.5, it magically became obese and nolonger fit throught my gri gri. It was hyper expensive and probably the biggest piece of shit I've ever owned.

Post by **RRO** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:56 pm

i have used edelweise ropes a fair amount with our guided trips and they have held up well. thats with power belaying a lot of clients and not a lot of big falls. which edelweise did you use ? i think the axis is what we used, 10.3 with about a 130 retail price.

we started using the new england gym ropes for guiding. 10.2 with the TPT sheaths. they are supposed to be 33% thicker but feel great and hold up very well. wouldnt recommend that rope for hard sport but for a durable trad/sport/work rope it does well. kinda pricey at 180 or so retail but will pay in durability.

i like sterling and have had really good luck with maxim. the best rope i have ever owned was a mammut but they are pretty pricey as well.

Post by **rjackson** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:22 pm

RRO is so right on the safety factor. I don't know that you really have to worry so much about the safety of a new rope if certified, as much as it's inherent qualities for what you will be doing with it (There's an opening for a hijack!). Going back to the surgery analogy, it's how you want to feel when you wake up in the morning...

Post by **RRO** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:39 pm

surgery, tattoos and any other profession/item that is pretty much all human controlled and could be "life or limb" price shopping is pretty dangerous. machines do mess up but are way more reliable than us.

some ropes that cost more do have better traits. longer life, lighter, sharp resistant, raised and marked mid point and so on and so on. but any rope on the market today would hold your fall. name branding is big in any industry, sometimes you just pay more for less.

i forgot one, pmi makes a kick ass rope. small company and supporting the dirty south. cant beat that.

Post by **ynot** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 1:03 am

Aha! So my old rope is 12 feet longer than my new one. They are both supposed to be 60s Did it stretch with wear or was it just extra long when I bought it as I suspect. (it had an uncanny knack for just being long enough to get me down several times)

Post by **Lil_Seamus** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:20 am

How do PMI ropes compare to Mammut? Also looking into investing in a new cord, and the PMI Chinook looks pretty good compared to the Mammut Supersafe (My #1 choice right now) for 10.2 ropes. My last rope was a Mammut flash, and it is still a fantastic rope after 4 seasons. I'm simply retiring it on principle.

I agree that investing in ropes and harmesses is a good approach. I'd hate to look down and see the factory defect on my first repel.

I'll save money later by drinking whiskey for dinner.