RRC Archives

just go with the sterling, things will be better

i just got back from a trip to el Potrero where my partner had a 70m Sterling Marathon that we used for most stuff b/c of its length, i had a 9.8mm Beal and one day i climbed on a 9.4mm Petzl. The Sterling and Petzl seemed very stiff in comparison to my Beal. i found the beal fed through any belay device much easier because of its flexibility. i did notice that my beal is a bit more frayed but its a lot older than the other ropes. overall, i think Beals are good ropes, i would go with them or a Sterling Marathon...whatever i could get on sale i guess

I voted two thumbs down. Even after about 2 years of regular use, my (non dry-treated) rope is still slick and lowering with a grigri is annoyingly jerky. Go with Sterling; I know I will from now on.

Beals suck and suck and suck and suck and suck more.....we stopped selling them at miguels because people were returning them after a short while. To soft for the Red. But it could have been that time period. I climbed on the 9.4 Petzel for the last to mounths its been great........maxium and sterling are dame good to.

I ran into Jim bridwell at J-tree a couple years ago...he recommended beal ropes. Not sure if it was the money talking or actual experience...

I don't use beal because they're french made, I did buy a Petzl because they are nice french made quality cords. it seems all companies make some models that are thumbs up and some that are thumbs down, maybe you should just buy a rope with a thumb up your ass I hear it works for plums as well but eventually it all comes down to sex because we all know sex sells

Frank, I'm starting to really follow your logic and that scares me.

Shamis wrote:I ran into Jim bridwell at J-tree a couple years ago...he recommended beal ropes. Not sure if it was the money talking or actual experience...

Name dropper.

My ex-husband used to rep Boreal. He'd tell you they were great, but that is because that was what he was paid to do. He had to wear them, too, but he secretly had his Boreals resoled with stealth rubber.

Pru wrote:

Shamis wrote:I ran into Jim bridwell at J-tree a couple years ago...he recommended beal ropes. Not sure if it was the money talking or actual experience...

Name dropper.

My ex-husband used to rep Boreal. He'd tell you they were great, but that is because that was what he was paid to do. He had to wear them, too, but he secretly had his Boreals resoled with stealth rubber.

Thanks for reiterating what I said above.

i am not a fan... i had a beal rope a few years ago that i got at a comp (surprise, surprise; see post about my comp luck!) however, the rope had that golden dry treatment, and the rope separated from the sheath early in the rope's life. i sent it back, and they kindly sent a new one, which promptly did the same thing. they said it was just the coating, and that it was safe, but there is something extremely unnerving about lowering your climber and finding the sheath of the rope balled up in your hand. definitely won't use one again.