Climbing Rope
Climbing rope has evolved for the last hundred years or so. The ropes of today are much better than they were in the past. If you are an experienced climber, you may remember the days when getting a rope wet would make it almost impossible to use with a carabiner or belay.
The ropes of today are tested for safety by UIAA (International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation). To get the UIAA safety logo, the product must meet a thickness requirement, a fall requirement, and a sharp edge requirement. Although most ropes that you find meet these requirements, some manufacturers will exceed these requirements more than others.
Edelweiss Climbing Rope
The name Edelweiss reminds me of the dad singing in the movie The Sound of Music. The Edelweiss Rope Corporation is based in Germany just like this movie.
Edelweiss is a superior rope. Mountaineering started out in Europe and is very popular in Switzerland and Germany. The Edelweiss Corporation started making ropes as early as the 1950s.
In a short amount of time, they innovated the first kernmantle rope. Kernmantle has to do with making the core extra strong through a proprietary braiding process. Many rope manufacturers, of today, use the rope making technique, but oddly some rope does not use it and is still made with outdated technology.
Edelweiss is most famous for the innovation of making the braided sheath on the outside of the rope for sharp edge protection. That is a major innovation. In the 1980s, Edelweiss has introduced a rope that is called the Stratos that surpassed all other ropes in sharp edge protection. Today, Edelweiss is the rope that can handle straight edges better than anyone else. This is important to Edelweiss because most rope breakages occur due to the straight edge.
Edelweiss has recently produced rope that stays dry with a system called Super-Dry. The inner core is impregnated with something called Perdur (probably a name they made up). Then, the outer sheath is also treated with the same material. Perdur is also abrasion resistant. You can see the outer sheath rubbed against an edge with and without Perdur and the difference is striking.
As you might be able to tell, Edelweiss is the King of the climbing rope business. They have the most innovations and are known for making very high quality ropes. Edelweiss focuses mainly on climbing rope as their business while other companies sell climbing rope as a side thing. This reason alone may be why Edelweiss is willing to spend so much into research and innovation for better ropes.
The strongest rope that Edelweiss makes is called the EXTREM and the most abrasion resistant rope of Edelweiss is the STRATOS.
Buying Climbing Rope
When purchasing climbing rope, check for the UIAA logo. That means the climbing rope has been tested for strength and abrasion resistance. You should also look for the number of falls the rope can take. The more falls the rope can take and the more durable the rope will be. Thick rope is stronger than thin rope and so look for a thick rope. A thick rope will be just under 11 mm in thickness. The thinner ropes are around 9 mm. You can buy climbing ropes thinner than 9mm, but it is a little bit scary to do so.
Most people use a single rope because the rope is cheaper and it is easier to handle. For some more difficult ascents, a double rope system or a half rope system is easier to navigate. In addition, some people climb in pairs and that makes a double rope system attractive.
The length of the climbing rope also matters. You don't want to be short on rope. Many experts recommend a 60 meter rope for a serious climber. You can get something shorter, but eventually, if yo u climb a lot, you will want to go to a longer rope.
Climbing rope will decrease in strength dramatically if it gets wet. Have you seen nylon rope when it gets heated up? Water can actually do the same thing to the rope. It is a good idea to get a rope that has a dry core and dry sheath protection. Look for something that is impregnated with the protection because it will do a much better job.
If you are always climbing in the hot sun, you may not need to spend the extra money on a rope that is dry protected. If your rope does get wet, make sure and dry it out thoroughly before using it. The strength comes back after the rope completely dries out.
Static and Dynamic Climbing Rope
If the rope will catch a falling climber, dynamic rope is the way to go. Dynamic ropes have some elasticity and that keeps the climber from getting hurt and from anchor bolts popping out. Static rope is not elastic and is used for rappelling down rock faces and into caves. Most of the rope sold is dynamic because climbers usually go from the ground up. Mountaineers call climbing from the ground up using a toprope. What the term toprope means is that the climber is near the top of the rope. If there is a fall, the climber won't drop far. That means that the rope strength is not as critical.
Long descents in abseiling or rappelling require a strong rope. The further you fall and the more you weight will determine how strong the rope must be.
Do I Need New Climbing Rope?
If you climb every weekend your rope will last about a year. If you go out a few times a year, then a rope will last a couple of years. If you only go climbing about once a year, then your rope may last four or five years.
A lot of knowing when to get a new rope is common sense. If you have had 0 falls, weigh 65 pounds and make short ascents, your requirements will be much different than a 250 pound individual making long ascents up granite. In one rope study, the rope strength was decreased by 33% just by descending 50 times with a figure 8 descender. If you ascend 6,000 meters you can expect the dynamic rope strength to be at 30%. You don't have to have long falls or cut your rope with a knife to have the resistance be lowered. The act of using a rope wears it out. Please note that if you have had a long fall (just one), than that rope should definitely be replaced. The falls tested on the ropes are for short falls only.
In the climbing rope industry, people take chances. The people that love to climb love the adrenaline rush. What researchers are finding out is that mountaineers are not replacing their ropes often enough. Most climbers should replace their ropes yearly and buy high quality climbing rope.
Works Cited (UIAA, CE, and Edelweiss)
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