Rock Climbing Rope

Question
What brand of rope is the best buy and why?

Answer
Dear Scott-----good question.  First I'll tell you what I do and why:

I buy a new rope about every 12 or 14 months. I always buy an 11mm if I can because, aside from double ropes, it has the least chance of suffering catastrophic failure---- a cut.

I buy cheap ropes and replace them often.  For the past two years I have bought the Check bran "Ocun," which is available from their website...so long as the rope gets the UIAA stamp...I am good to go.

I have friends you buy very good ropes on sales, put them in a closet, and pull them out four years later and say wala!  I am leary of this strategy--ropes have "shelf lives," and I pay attention to this standard.

It my stage of the game, I just do not find $89/year to be a high cost to pay for a fresh, unblemished rope.  I have noticed some dealers put old ropes on sale----check the manufacturing date before you buy these.

I have a whole section on rope choice in my book, "Ultrasafe-A Guide to Safer Rock CLimbing," available on Amazon.com.   The gist of this discussion is-----be careful to match the rope to the climb(s).  For example, a friend and I just climbed the 2000' high Epinephrine in Red Rocks, NV.  We used double 9mm, 60 m ropes and these made all the difference in speed and ease.

Oh yes, over the years I have come to like the firmer ropes---I think they are less likely to cut---Black Diamond and Mammut come to mind.

Good Luck---------George Allen