Cragging Ropes
If you go cragging a lot, then you need to have a good rope that can take the wear and tear top-roping and projecting puts on a rope. There’s nothing better than tying into a fresh line at the start of the season. Here are a few of our favourites.
Maxim
Pinnacle 9.5 $325 The Pinnacle is a lightweight 9.5 mm rope designed to meet the needs of today’s crag and multi-pitch climber. Maxim is known for making durable ropes and the Pinnacle is one of the most abrasionresistant to date. It has a dry-treated core, to help keep water out on those wet days. The sheath of the Pinnacle features a technology that makes it super smooth for raps and minimizes drag. The length of this rope is 80 metres.
Sterling
Quest 9.6 $300 At 9.6 mm, the Quest, a thinner version of the Velocity, is built as a workhorse all-rounder that excels on trad and sport pitches. The tightly built sheath helps in easing drag on long wandering pitches and makes it durable. It’s nice to grab and clip. Its treatment reduces yarn-on-yarn abrasion and moisture absorption. The middle mark is simple to find in low light to help at the crag and on rappels.
Edelrid
Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry Colortech 9.3 $350 Edelrid is one of the world’s leading rope manufacturers, so when we try one of their new lines, we know we’re in for a treat. The Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry CT is the 9.2 mm rope that you want on your projects. It’s skinny, light, and you’ll hardly notice it when committing to stiff cruxes 15 bolts up. The pfc-free coated yarns reduce friction by sliding past each other when the rope is loaded, and the treatment gives it excellent handling properties, a supple feel and an impressive strength rating.
Beal
Tiger 10 mm $250 The Tiger uses a uni-core construction that bonds the sheath to the core to prevent slippage. The 10 mm diameter is good for long-day crag sessions and works in all automatic belay devices. And did you know that Beal plants a tree for every rope sold. The supple feel of the rope makes it easy to clip and feed. It’s a great choice for new climbers transitioning from the gym to the crag, as it’s thinner than indoor ropes but not so thin that you’ll struggle.
Petzl
Arial Dry 9.5 $350 Like all Petzl ropes, the Arial is softer than others on the market, which makes it quick to coil and manage at belays. It’s advertised as being for high-end climbing, which means that you don’t want to use it to top-rope all day. Instead, save it for those redpoint burns on your project. At 9.5 mm, it’s not the skinniest longpitch rope, but we were happy with how light it felt at the end of 35-metre pitches.
Edelrid
Canary Pro 8.6 Dry $405 The Canary Pro is one of the thinnest and lightest single ropes ever made. You can also use it as a half or twin for those hard-toprotect single-pitch or multi-pitch rock routes. It’s not made for working climbs or top-roping, but thanks to the thicker sheath it is more durable than comparable ropes. The treatment gives it excellent handling properties and a nice feel, and the finish makes this rope durably water-repellent and dirt-resistant. Highly recommended for climbers looking for a project-sending rope.
Sterling
Aero 9.2 $330 The Aero is one of Sterling’s best ropes for redpoint burns on your 40-metre projects. The 80-metre option works as a singer, half and twin, but we enjoyed it the most as a single rope on projects. It has a dry treatment on core yarns that reduces yarn-on-yarn abrasion and moisture absorption, so your rope stays strong for a long season of sessions. The dry coating protects the rope from water absorption, which reduces weight, prevents freezing and slows down the wear on the sheath to a noticeable degree. A top choice for hard sport climbs.—gripped