Best Climbing Ropes of 2024/25
UIAA certified ropes for gym, workhorse, and alpine climbing
The collection of ropes we tested in 2024.
December 2nd, 2024
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Climbing ropes are your lifeline on the rock. After getting a harness and PAS (personal anchor system), climbing shoes, belay device, and a helmet, a rope is the next thing a climber who wants to get more into climbing should consider purchasing, alongside protection like quickdraws.
So tie in and start learning about everything you’ll need to know about what to look for and consider in a climbing rope, including length, types of climbing you’re doing (ice, rock, gym, etc.), types of ropes, and all the rope features.
But before we uncoil all the information you need to know when looking for a climbing rope, we need to make it clear that since a climbing rope is a life-saving piece of equipment, you should only buy climbing ropes that are at least UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) 101 certified. Thankfully you can check the UIAA database to see if the equipment is certified, especially if you’re purchasing something from Amazon that you’re not sure about its certification.
Also, we’ll explain it below, but when climbers talk about climbing ropes they’re usually talking about dynamic ropes. Ropes that provide cushioning during a fall. This helps to absorb the impact of a falling climber. Climbers also use static ropes for other purposes. Static ropes don’t stretch and are used by climbers only to rappel, haul gear, and build anchors. They are also used in some related specialty adventures like canyoneering or spelunking. But here, you'll find our guide to the best dynamic climbing ropes for sport climbing, gym climbing, trad climbing, alpine climbing and (almost) everything else.
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Climbing ropes comparison table
We judged the most popular climbing ropes side-by-side. This comparison table shows how each model did comparatively on the criteria that most users found important.
| CLIMBING ROPE | TREELINE AWARD | WEIGHT PER M | DIAMETER | AVAILABLE LENGTHS | RATED FALLS | DRY TREATMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling IonR XEROS BiColor 9.4 mm Dry Rope | Best overall Read why |
57 g/m | 9.4mm | 40m, 60m, 70m, 80m | 5 | Xeros (UIAA Water Repellent certified) |
| Trango Agility 9.8 | Best affordable / Best beginner Read why |
64g/m | 9.8mm | 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m | 13* (as claimed by Trango) | Standard dry (sheath only) |
| Bluewater DynaGym | Best gym rope Read why |
70.7g/m | 10.5mm | 26m, 37m, 100m, 200m | 7 | None |
| Mammut 9.5 Crag We Care Non-Dry Rope | Best eco-friendly Read why |
58g/m | 9.5mm | 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m, 80m | 6 | None |
| Mammut Alpine Core Protect Dry | Best alpine / best ice climbing rope Read why |
59g/m | 9.5mm | 30m, 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m, 80m | 5 | Dry Standard (UIAA Water Repellent certified) |
Rappelling off a multi-pitch climb on the Sterling IonR. Photo by Mary Murphy.
The winners
Best overall climbing rope: Sterling IonR 9.4 BiColor XEROS Rope
Weight per meter: 57 g/m
Diameter: 9.4mm
Available lengths: 40m, 60m, 70m, 80m
Rated falls: 5
Dry treatment: Xeros (UIAA Water Repellent certified)
What we liked: Great handling, lightweight, versatile, US made
What we didn’t like: Thin for new lead belayers, lower fall rating than some other ropes
This is the rope we keep reaching for after spending months with all the ropes we tested this year, and we’re looking forward to using it as an alpine and ice climbing rope in the winter. We used it on multi-pitch climbs as well as sport climbing on the gneiss and granite in Clear Creek Canyon Colorado. With all the bells and whistles you could want in a climbing rope—more than any others we tested—it’s definitely a Cadillac of ropes.
Why it won:
There’s so much to like with the Sterling IonR. The eco-friendly, bluesign-approved Xeros waterproofing treatment treats every strand of fiber before it’s woven into the core and sheath. This reduces waste and also means the waterproofing shouldn’t wear out like a rope that’s treated after it’s made.This is also spec’d as the thinnest and lightest rope we tested at 9.4mm and 57g/m, making it easy to lead belay and do multi-pitch climbs with.
The rope feels great in the hand and handles very well. It’s easy to tie into a harness and to untie after being weighted by a climber. It also has a great balance of gliding through protection and feeding out rope to a lead climber while still making it easy to catch a fall without feeling like it’s going to slip through an ATC or GriGri-style belay device.
Sterling IonR 9.4 BiColor XEROS Rope
The colors and different patterns on the Sterling IonR climbing rope makes it easy to see the rope against all backgrounds and to find the middle of the rope when belaying and rappelling.
Unique features:
We tested the bi-patterned model with different weave patterns on each half of this U.S.-made rope. That makes it super easy to see the middle of the rope for climbing and rappelling, and it will never wear out for the life of the rope.
Things to note:
The bi-color weave adds about $65 to the cost of the 70m model, making it retail for $350. That’s about the same as bi-color double-dry ropes from other manufactures, like Mammut and Edelrid. But you can also get a 70m single color IonR with a middle mark for $285.
Final thoughts:
This is a rope we’d recommend to most climbers who think the extra cost of the rope, including the bi-color pattern, is worth it. Of all the ropes we tested, it’s among the most versatile and we look forward to putting it through more use in the years to come.
It may be too skinny for some climbers buying their first rope (you can read more below about thickness of rope and choosing a rope for different levels of climbers), but for anyone buying a second rope or beyond, the IonR is definitely worth considering.
Treeline Review editor Mary Murphy leading a climb on the Trango Agility 9.8 climbing rope.
Best affordable/beginning climbing rope: Trango Agility 9.8
Weight per meter: 64g/m
Diameter: 9.8mm
Available lengths: 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m
Rated falls: 13* (as claimed by Trango)
Dry treatment: Standard dry (sheath only)
What we liked: Great value for a dry-treated rope, good weight to diameter ratio
What we didn’t like: Not suitable for ice or climbing in wet conditions, many of Trango’s ropes share the Agility moniker—despite different diameters and dry treatments
For those looking to buy their first rope and are looking for a thicker rope that’s ready for top-roping and provides a sturdier belay and catch, the Trango Agility 9.8 is a great option. This is among the thicker, heavier ropes we tested and also fits into the workhorse category. We had no fears rappelling into crags like Lookout Mountain where the anchors are set back from a ledge, and we saw no wear after multiple uses there and elsewhere in Clear Creek Canyon.
Trango Agility 9.8
Why it won:
Costing $190 for a 70m rope and $170 for the 60m version, the Agility 9.8 is a great value in a rope with a dry treatment and claims the highest fall rating we tested. For a thicker, 9.8mm rope, it still handled well and was easy enough to tie into and to belay with, even with a GriGri belay device, which sometimes seems a little slipperier than an ATC belay device with newer, dry treated ropes. When rapping in, we noticed enough dynamic elongation to offer a sturdy, reliable catch, without feeling like we were bouncing on the rope.
The middle mark on the Trango Agility 9.8 stands out well and looks like it should last a long time.
Things to note:
The UIAA certified rope claims it’s good for 13 falls—that’s more than twice what most other ropes are certified for. We followed up with a Trango spokesperson for clarification and they explained: “The 13 rated falls comes from internal testing as well as the CE testing that is done on the rope.” (Editor's note: CE references the CE mark or CE certification standard for products sold in the European Economic Area and assures adherence to EN standards.)
During our testing we appreciated that the black middle mark stood out well against the baby blue color of the rope and didn’t notice any wear or fading on it. However, it is a pretty short demarcation, and other reviewers have noted they saw some fading of the mark over time. In testing, we noticed that this rope was more likely to kink up than some of the others. It wasn’t a lap coiled rope, so we flaked it (or uncoiled and unwound it from the packaging) before use to get rid of potential kinks, but still noticed more kinking than we would have expected.
Final thoughts:
The Trango Agility 9.8 is ideal as a first rope that should last for years with some care. It’s also a rope that we’ll take out for workhorse days when we’re taking on a sport project and aren’t too worried about weight, as well as those days when we’re taking out less experienced climbers who need a little more reassurance in a belay device. However, it’s heavier and stiffer than most of the ropes we tested, like the IonR, and even the workhorse Black Diamond 9.9, which is thicker.
Best gym climbing rope: Bluewater DynaGym
Weight per meter: 70.7g/m
Diameter: 10.5mm
Available lengths: 26m, 37m, 100m, 200m
Rated falls: 7
Dry treatment: None
What we liked: Thick sheath should increase longevity, low impact force, unique color looks like mermaid scales
What we didn’t like: Heavy weight per meter, too thick for some devices
If most of your climbing is in the gym, you want a rope that’s more tank than even a workhorse rope. Gym-specific ropes are shorter than most outdoor ropes, and often have a thicker sheath. The Bluewater DynaGym ticks off those marks well. It’s offered in 26m (85’) and 37m (121’) lengths and in patterns and colors that help it stand out in a crowded gym, like the Movement gyms in Denver where it’s easy to lose your rope in the ocean of vine-like ropes hanging from the top of the wall at happy hour.
Bluewater DynaGym
The DynaGym rope at the Movement gym in Golden, Colorado.
Why it won:
The DynaGym is a 10.6mm burly climbing rope that’s 45% sheath, making it durable enough to handle multiple whippers in a gym. It’s also ideal for continually pulling through the heavy duty steel carabiners and anchors used in gyms, most of which see more action in a month than bolts in the wild will see in a lifetime. The rope has a low impact force and low dynamic elongation at 28% reducing the length of a fall so you don’t have to jug back up as much after a hard whip on plastic. (You can read more about what impact force and dynamic elongation mean in a climbing rope in our section below.)
Things to note:
Treeline Review editor Mary Murphy climbing on the DynaGym rope at the Movement gym in Golden, Colorado.
The DynaGym isn’t offered with a dry-treatment and for a burly gym rope, we think that’s fine. It would be extremely rare to get a gym rope soaked while using it.
Though we didn’t have problems putting it in our belay devices, including GriGris and ATCs from Black Diamond and Petzl, this is definitely a thick rope and does require extra attention when feeding rope to a lead climber. You can read more about thicker diameters of rope and belay devices below.
The rope doesn’t have a middle mark and a gym rope is the only type of climbing rope where we’d say that’s ok, since you should know the height of the walls at your local climbing gym. If you’re climbing at a gym where you don’t know the height, it never hurts to look it up or ask at the front desk.
Final thoughts:
The U.S.-made DynaGym is the only gym-specific rope we tested. That said, it seems like a workhorse we plan on using for years when we’re not out at the crag. In addition to being sold in gym lengths, it’s also available in bulk 100m and 200m segments for gyms and institutions to purchase. Costing $145 for a 37m rope, it is more expensive than some other options out there.
The author taking the Mammut Crag We Care Classic climbing rope out for a ride in Clear Creek Canyon.
Best eco-friendly climbing rope: Mammut Crag We Care 9.5
Weight per meter: 58g/m
Diameter: 9.5mm
Available lengths: 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m, 80m
Rated falls: 6
Dry treatment: None
What we liked: Great value, made of recycled yarns, solution dyed, PFC-free
What we didn’t like: One of the kinkiest ropes tested, no dry options
A lot of climbing ropes we tested are bluesign approved and use eco-friendly bluesign treatments, but Mammut’s Crag We Care rope goes above and beyond most other ropes. While the Crag We Care rope uses raw, virgin nylon yarns in its sheath they’re actually made from the leftover yarns Mammut uses to produce other climbing ropes. Yarns that otherwise would end up in the dumpster.
It’s something we appreciated when we took this out to East Colfax, a Clear Creek Canyon crag with short easy routes and some tougher long ones, making it an idealcrag for beginners, as well as the young and old. The aptly-named creek roars by, making it a good place to reflect on why we need to be responsible adventurers.
Mammut Crag We Care 9.5
Why it won:
The use of these leftover yarns does a couple of unique things. Obviously it reduces waste, but it also ensures that almost every Crag We Care rope has its own unique weave pattern, which we think is pretty cool. Finally, since it uses fabrics that would otherwise be tossed, it's one of the most affordable ropes we tested at $200 for a 70m crag rope.
The Mammut Crag We Care Classic climbing rope had one of the more unique weave patterns we tested and no two ropes in this line are exactly the same.
Things to note:
The Mammut Crag We Care is in that kind of goldilocks spot in terms of diameter, weight ratio, and fall ratings at 6-7 UIAA falls. It also has a middle mark that didn’t see any degradation in testing. Like most Mammut ropes we’ve climbed on over the years, the Crag We Care had a good feel in hand and a reasonably soft catch.
When we got this rope we flaked it out before climbing with it, but even in the initial flaking we saw a lot more knotting and kinking than in other ropes we tested, a condition that seemed to persist after multiple climbs and flakes on the rope. Also, like most of the least expensive ropes we tested, the Crag We Care lacks any dry treatment, which is ok for a first rope but reduces its overall durability and its usefulness for long days in the backcountry.
Final thoughts:
This is a great rope for not just the eco-conscious climber but also a beginning climber. It’s not as burly as some of the other ropes we tested, like the Black Diamond 9.9. or the Trango Agility 9.9, so it’s not in the workhorse category, but it should withstand your top-roping days. Since it lacks a dry treatment, we wouldn’t recommend it as a do-it-all rope either since it’s not ideal for any areas where rain and wet crags are a factor, much less ice. But for its features and price, this is a great rope.
The author taking the lead on the Mammut 9.5 Alpine Core Protect Dry Rope. Courtesy Mary Murphy.
Best alpine/ice climbing rope: Mammut 9.5 Alpine Core Protect Dry Rope
Weight per meter: 59g/m
Diameter: 9.5mm (also available as 8.0mm)
Available lengths: 30m, 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m, 80m
Rated falls: 5
Dry treatment: Dry Standard (UIAA Water Repellent certified)
What we liked: Lightweight, extra edge protection, send-ready coil
What we didn’t like: Only rated to 5 falls, no bi-color weave offered
This is a rope we saw debut at the Outdoor Market Alliance media show earlier this year, and we were excited to test it when we got a model in the summer.
With an aramid fiber layer of material under the sheath as well as double-dry treatment, the Alpine Core Protect Dry Rope is ideal for alpine pursuits, ice, and mixed climbing—places where you’re likely to face more unexpected conditions than at your regular crag. This rope is designed to better handle places where the rope sheath could rub continually against sharp, rocky edges that you can’t see while climbing. Though we haven’t had a chance to ice climb or take it on alpine routes yet, we’ve used it on multiple crags at Lookout Mountain, Other Critters and more and have been impressed with light weight and minimal kinking.
Mammut 9.5 Alpine Core Protect Dry Rope
Why it won:
This climbing rope, designed for alpine mountaineering and ice-focused climbers, adds in an extra layer of cut protection. Couple this with a bluesign-approved double dry treatment and you’ve got an ideal, relatively lightweight, dynamic climbing rope that’s ready for adverse conditions.
In hand, the rope functioned just like any other dynamic rope and we didn’t notice any additional stiffness from the aramid layer. The rope is lap coiled and was ready to climb out of the packaging with no flaking and after multiple climbs and days on the rope we didn’t notice any significant kinking. We also appreciated its light weight—weighing 9 lbs 9 oz, only the Sterling IonR was lighter in a 70m test rope. That weight makes it easier to carry up miles long approaches with significant elevation gain.
Unique features:
The treatments used to bond the kern to the mantle of the rope provide a lot of extra cut protection to a rope, but they’re just treatments. (You can read more about layers of the rope below). The aramid layer on the Alpine Core Protect Dry Rope is more similar to a Kevlar layer that protects the easily cuttable core fibers. Should the sheath experience a core shot on an alpine climb, or an errant cut from a crampon or ice tool, this layer should help protect it. Though it’s a static fabric, Mammut developed a process that allows the aramid fibers to act as another dynamic layer of the rope without adding bulk or stiffness. The approach garnered Mammut an ISPO Award in 2024.
Things to note:
Though this rope has extra cut protection, it’s only rated to 5 UIAA falls, less than some others we tested in the same diameter range, including Mammut’s Crag We Care Classic (rated to 6 falls). A representative from Mammut said that the 5-fall rating may be related to the latest updated UIAA and EN certification standards, which may also explain why the Sterling IonR Xeros is also rated to 5 falls.
This extra aramid layer, as well as the double dry treatment, adds a pretty penny to the cost of the rope. With a retail price of $330 it’s the second most expensive rope we tested, behind the IonR, and it doesn’t have a bi-directional weave pattern.
Final Thoughts:
We’ve enjoyed testing this rope thus far and we’re really looking forward to taking it out on some wild ice and other routes in Colorado this winter. It’s a premium product with more specific uses in mind than some of the other ropes we tested but we do expect it will last for many seasons of heavy use.
Treeline Review editor Mary Murphy taking the lead on the Black Diamond 9.9 Climbing Rope.
Best workhorse climbing rope: Black Diamond 9.9 Climbing Rope
Weight per meter: 60g/m
Diameter: 9.9mm
Available lengths: 40m, 60m, 70m
Rated falls: 7
Dry treatment: None
What we liked: Durable, good value, doesn’t feel too thick
What we didn’t like: No dry treatment, no color options
This was among the thickest ropes we tested and burliest, making it an ideal choice for top-roping. However, it did have a lighter weight per meter than other ropes we tested, including some thinner ropes. We tested this rope at familiar crags in Clear Creek Canyon and at Shelf Road, where it proved itself a worthy workhorse.
Black Diamond 9.9 Climbing Rope
Why it won:
In our testing, the Black Diamond 9.9 proved its mettle as a great top-roping rope that we’d be happy to bring out to the crag when climbing with less experienced friends and family. While it’s rated as thicker than some of our other choices, it has a better weight-per-meter ratio than the thinner Trango Agility 9.8. It’s also got a higher UIAA fall rating (7), than most of our other picks.
We also noted it was decently easy to pull through multiple belay devices and supple enough that it formed a tighter bight than the Agility. As such, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it was a little easier to tie and untie knots in the rope, even after weighted.
Things to note:
Costing $250 for a 70m rope it’s still a good value, but not as good a value as the sub-$200 Trango Agility. Especially since the Agility does have at least some dry treatment where the Black Diamond does not.
While Black Diamond does lap coil its ropes, we don’t remember seeing a mention of that on its label. As such, we flaked it the first time we used it. We have seen some kinking in the rope after multiple uses, but within the realm of normal wear and tear on a rope. In the future we’d test Black Diamond ropes without first flaking them.
Final Thoughts:
In the end, this is a great workhorse of a rope. This is the type of rope we’ll bring out to the crag when climbing with a large group or showing the ropes to someone new to the sport or outdoor climbing. It’s a rope we’re expecting to use a lot and keep around for at least 5 years if nothing unexpected happens to it.
Other climbing ropes we tested
In addition to our winners, we also tested a number of other ropes. Some of them were great and are still a great rope to go with. They were just edged out by some of the other ropes we tested. Some of the others weren’t as good. Here’s what we found out about them.
Ryan cragging on the Sterling VR9 climbing rope.
Weight per meter: 62g/m
Diameter: 9.8mm
Available lengths: 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m
Rated falls: 6
Dry treatment: DryCore Technology (core only)
What we liked: Good value, good handling, made in the U.S.
What we didn’t like: Not (yet) a Xeros tech rope, others have complained about durability
In our testing the Sterling VR 9 was a good rope and one that many others have used and liked over the years. It had a good feel in the hand when belaying and offered a good catch on easy falls in Clear Creek Canyon. The U.S.-made rope has a dry core treatment and also offers a good value at $225 for a 70m rope. It's still beat out by the Trango Agility 9.8mm and the Mammut Crag We Care Classic on a price basis.
At 9.8mm in diameter and 62 grams per meter we considered it for the workhorse category. However, after reading reviews from other customers around the web, there are some consistent complaints about its durability.
Sterling VR9, 9.8 mm
Adrienne touching the anchors, top roping on the Beal Booster III climbing rope.
Weight per meter: 61g/m
Diameter: 9.7mm
Available lengths: 60m, 70m
Rated falls: 8
Dry treatment: Dry cover (sheath only), Golden Dry (core and sheath)
What we liked: Good handling, multiple options, Unicore technology
What we didn’t like: Multiple options under same name can make it confusing to get the right one, thinner ropes can offer same benefits at a similar price
Beal’s Booster line of ropes has been popular for a long time, so long, in fact, that this is the third version of it—and for good reason. In testing the rope was supple in hand, easy to tie in and out of and it was one of the first ropes to boast the Unicore bonding technology.
The model we tested had a dry sheath treatment, and is usable in most conditions, but Beal also offers the Booster III in a Golden Dry option (sheath and core treated) and in its Safe Control weave. So make sure you’re buying the model you want ahead of time as it can be a little hard to ensure you’re getting the absolute correct model. At 9.7mm, the Booster III is almost too thin to serve as a workhorse and too thick and a little heavy to serve as a multi pitch or alpine rope.
Beal Booster III
Treeline Review editor Mary Murphy ties in at the top on the BlueWater Lightning Pro climbing rope.
Weight per meter: 64g/m
Diameter: 9.7mm
Available lengths: 60m, 70m
Rated falls: 8
Dry treatment: Standard (none) and Double Dry (core and sheath) options
What we liked: Great color options, BiColor options, U.S. made
What we didn’t like: Only rope tested with no middle mark, other ropes offer better value
The U.S.-made Bluewater Lightning Pro is a 9.7mm rope we considered for the workhorse and big wall categories. In our testing in Clear Creek Canyon we found with 8 UIAA-rated falls, it was a strong rope. However, it initially felt stiffer and thicker than the competition, including the 9.8mm Sterling VR9 and the Beal Booster III, making it harder to tie into. Looking at other reviews, some noted that it starts to wear more quickly than others in the same category.
Though Bluewater does offer this with a double dry treatment as well as in a bi-color double dry version, the version we tested was the standard, non-dry 70m. With a price of $266, there are better options for a non-dry rope. However, the Lightning Pro 70m double-dry version only costs $20 more at $286, which is a much more compelling option.
We should also note that this is the only outdoor rope we tested that didn’t come with a middle-mark. Since it’s easy enough to do, it's not a deal breaker, but for the amount the rope retails for, we would expect it to come with one. It seems silly to pay $11 more to buy a special marker pen just to mark it.
Bluewater Lightning Pro
Ryan works a crack on the PMI Summit Master climbing rope.
PMI Summit Master 10.2 mm
Weight per meter: 69g/m
Diameter: 10.2mm
Available lengths: 50m, 60m
Rated falls: 9
Dry treatment: None
What we liked: Great value, high fall rating
What we didn’t like: Wasn’t available in shops at time of writing, middle mark seemed to wear quickly
As expected, the 10.2mm Summit Master was a burly workhorse of a rope. It was the second thickest and heaviest rope we tested and it felt like it—it was surpassed in both criteria only by the Bluewater DynaGym. With a thick sheath it was harder to tie into than thinner ropes and to untie after being weighted. We also noted that it has a smaller middle mark than most other ropes and that the mark wore out so quickly that even on our first outing with the rope in the canyon we found the mark was wearing out and we could see it visibly on our hands.
However, it offered the second highest rating for falls, and at about $125–$130 for the 60m version, it offered a great value. We wanted to consider the PMI Summit Master for the “Best beginner/affordable” climbing rope category, but at the time of writing this U.S.-made rope wasn’t available anywhere. A company representative told us that we should expect the return of the rope in 2025, but right now we can’t recommend it due to lack of availability.
Parts of the Rope
Modern climbing ropes (since the late 60s) are nylon kernmantle ropes with two distinct layers. The mantle is the sheath or outer layer of the rope and it protects the kern or core of the rope. Like skin or hide, the sheath is made of a coarser, woven nylon and provides protection against sharp rock ledges, the sun, abrasion and other things. The core of the rope imparts the strength and capabilities of the rope, like stretchiness.
But before we get all tied up and ready to go, we have to break down what climbing ropes are in two different ways. First off, there are two different types of ropes used in climbing: static ropes and dynamic ropes. Then there are a series of different types of dynamic ropes that climbers, mountaineers and alpinists will use. They’re called single, twin, and half ropes.
The yellow PMI Summit Master is a dynamic rope and the white rope is a static rope used to build anchors.
Dynamic or Static
While you may need both static (no-stretch) and dynamic (stretchy) ropes for climbing and related activities like canyoneering and rappelling, you should only ever climb on dynamic ropes. And while you’ll likely rappel on your climbing rope, if you’re canyoneering or rappelling continually you’d want to do it on a static rope rather than a dynamic rope to reduce weight loading, wear and tear on your dynamic rope and more easily control your descent.
Dynamic ropes are designed to stretch when a climber falls or slips. This helps break a fall and brake (arrest) a fall, and makes it easier for a belayer to catch and to soften a climber’s fall. It also helps a lighter belayer catch a heavier, roped-in climber in a fall.
If a climber fell on a static rope it would be akin to falling on a steel cable with almost no give. Even in a small fall, this could cause spinal and other injuries to the climber—and even the belayer in some instances. The impact of a fall and hard stop provided by a static rope would be like landing the base of your back on a tree stump whereas a dynamic rope would stretch to reduce that impact.
Static ropes are used for other things in climbing, including anchors, fixed lines on alpine and mountaineering routes, canyoneering, and taglines on big walls. These are places when the stretchiness of the rope can cause other problems, like a tagline getting stuck on a roof or tree and not pulling out. The extra stretch of a dynamic rope can cause damage as it moves on a sandstone cliff or sharp ledge, which can saw into the rope’s sheath. A static rope's lack of stretchiness reduces the likelihood of that problem but again, it should not be climbed on.
Rope types
There are three different types of dynamic ropes that people climb on: single ropes, twin ropes, and half ropes. The most popular are single ropes, and in this round of testing they’re the only type we used, but the others have their place in climbing as well. Twin and half ropes tend to be smaller and lighter and some modern versions are UIAA-certified to serve as single ropes as well.
UIAA rope ratings L-R 1: Single Rope, 2: Half Rope, 3a and 3b: Twin Rope.
Single ropes are the most popular type of climbing rope and you only need one of them to climb on. With half ropes and twin ropes, you need to use two ropes while climbing. This adds some complexity for the climber and belayer alike, but they do have their purposes in climbing.
Both double rope systems allow climbers to climb and rappel the full length of the ropes, for instance, making them useful on multi pitch and long alpine climbs. Usually twin and half ropes are 60 meters long, allowing climbers to rappel the full 60 meter length of the ropes rather than the 30 to 35 meters climbers can rappel on a 60 M or 70 M rope, respectively. With twin and double rope systems it’s important to have two different colored ropes to distinguish between them and to aid in rope management.
Multi-use ropes
To make things a little more confusing, some twin ropes are certified for use in a twin rope configuration as well as a half rope configuration. In fact, some of these ropes are triple certified, meaning you can actually use them in a single rope configuration as well. Half and twin ropes are generally thinner and lighter than single ropes. Some twin ropes are as thin as 7.0 mm, like the Black Diamond 7.0 Dry rope. That’s about as thin as your common pencil. Double ropes won’t work in a GriGri belay device and need a double-tube belay device that can handle how thin they are. The skinniest ropes are also harder to belay with since they’re more likely to slip, not just in a belay device, but also through your fingers.
While each half or twin rope is lighter than a single rope, remember you have to use two of them, meaning you’re not saving weight (or cash) unless you’re sharing the carry and purchases with your climbing partner. Two Black Diamond 7.0 Dry 60m ropes will cost about $400—and it goes up from there.
When choosing a rope, always make sure you pay attention to the UIAA-ratings. Double and triple rated ropes will have multiple symbols.
Single Ropes
Single ropes are the most common ropes used by climbers in the U.S., as they’re the most versatile and easiest to use with most belay devices. They range from about 8.5mm, like the alpine-focused Beal Opera 8.5mm (a triple-rated rope), to around 11mm workhorse ropes that are designed to survive a lot of heavy use from top-roping and falling, like the Bluewater Dynagym 10.6mm rope.
The majority of single ropes fall in the 9.2mm to 9.8mm range. The thinner ropes are generally lighter and have a thinner sheath, which means less protection against abrasion, being damaged by dragging on rock ledges, crampons and ice axes (neither of which should ever touch a rope), or even unnoticed burs on protection like carabiners or metal anchors. As such they’re best for alpine routes, ice climbing, and redpointing (lead climbing without the intention of resting or falling on the rope).
Thicker ropes are heavier, with a thicker sheath. They’re great for projecting, hang-dogging, top-roping, gym climbing, and big wall climbing—places where the emphasis is on durability and multiple falls. These ropes are harder to lead belay since the thicker rope is harder to feed through belay devices and to clip into quickdraws and anchors. This may become even harder as the coatings on a rope wear out. However, they should last a long time, making them ideal for a first rope and/or a workhorse rope.
Twin ropes
These are the skinniest types of climbing ropes, with some as skinny as 7.0mm and go up to about 8.5mm. They are designed to work together as if they were one rope. When clipping into protection, like quickdraws and carabiners, you clip both ropes in together.
Each rope is light and skinny, you still need two of them to climb with. So, unless you’re sharing the ropes with your climbing partner, they're still heavier and bulkier than most single ropes. Plus, they’ll take up more space in a pack.
Twin ropes are typically utilized by alpinists and ice climbers, and particularly on climbs that don’t wander off a straight line. The dual ropes provide some extra redundancy in case one rope gets damaged by a sharp ledge, crampon, or ax. They are also the stretchiest, which means the impact of a fall will put less stress on protection placement, like a potentially dodgy ice screw or nut, making them less likely to pull out in a fall. However this stretchiness also means these ropes are more likely to have a bungee-type feel. The elongation also means you're further away from where your last piece of protection was in a fall and are more likely to fully deck in a fall (obviously, something you want to avoid).
Twin ropes are more susceptible to drag since they’re both going through all pieces of protection and their light weight also makes them more likely to snag on ledges and branches than heavier ropes.
Half ropes
Half ropes, also called double ropes, are also used in alpine and ice climbing. These ropes are generally thicker than the thinnest twin ropes and range from about 8.2mm to 8.5mm thick.
With half ropes, the climber has one rope tied and hanging to the right of the harness. The other rope is tied and hanging on the left. As the climber climbs, they alternate which strand of rope they clip in, ideally placing protection on a different side of the route each time.
This reduces drag, making it easier for the climber to climb, while still making it easier for a belayer to catch a fall. Having protection on both sides also helps reduce the amount of force placed on any one piece of protection during a fall as well.
Half ropes are best at protecting climbers on routes that meander side-to-side.
Climbing ropes we tested from the thinnest on top (9.4mm) to the thickest (10.6mm).
What to look for in a climbing rope
Length
Since the advent of the modern climbing rope in the ‘60s, routes have gotten longer, as have the ropes to climb them. Unless you’re walking off the top of the route every time you climb it, you’ll need a rope that’s twice the length of the route you're climbing so you can lower back down to the ground safely.
Up until the 90s, most climbing routes were around 25 meters long or about 80 feet long. Hence, most ropes at that time were 50 meters.
In the 2000s, route developers started putting up routes that were about 30 meters or 100 feet long. For that era, ropes grew to 60 meters long.
Modern route length
Today many new routes are 35 meters or about 115 feet long. As such, the 70m rope is your best option for climbing the most routes. After all, it sucks to get to the crag and realize that a route is out of reach simply because it’s 10 or 20 feet longer than the reach of your rope.
Why not go with a longer rope?
There are some places with even longer routes, 40+ meters (130 feet) where you’ll need an 80–meter rope to get safely back to the ground. But an 80m rope has significantly more weight, size, handling, and drag than a 70m or 60m rope—and it’s also a lot more expensive.
For example, the premium Sterling IonR 9.4 mm rope weighs 56 grams a meter. A 60m would weigh 3.4 kgs 4 kgs or about 7lbs. 6 oz. The 80m version would weigh more than 9 lbs., 14 oz. The 60m version of the rope starts at $255 and the 80m starts at $330.
So, unless you know you’ll need an 80m rope around most of the places you’ll climb or if you’re out climbing long, wild ice or alpine routes often, a 70m rope is your best option. If you’re only climbing shorter routes like in the Gunks in New York or Rumney in New Hampshire, a 60m rope is fine.
If you’re buying a rope for gym climbing you’ll want a 30 to 40 meter rope, as most gym walls are about 15 meters tall (about 50 feet), according to Walltopia.
Keep our caveman haiku in mind when buying a rope:
Longer rope, more drag,
More drag, the harder to climb,
long rope=heavier. (The equals is silent😉)
Diameter/weight
The weight of most ropes is primarily determined by its diameter. A thicker rope is generally heavier than a thinner rope.
For instance, the 9.4mm thick Sterling IonR rope is the thinnest in this round of testing and the 10.6 mm thick Bluewater DynaGym rope was the thickest. The former weighs 57 grams per meter, the latter 70.7 grams per meter. If both were 70 meter ropes, the IonR should weigh 8 lbs., 10oz., and the DynaGym should weigh 10 lbs., 14 oz. However, take the claimed weights and diameters with a grain of skepticism. Our test unit of the Sterling IonR is a little heavier than 56g per meter and weighed in at 4.3kgs or 8 lbs., 14 oz. or about 62g per meter. The majority of 70 meter ropes we tested weighed a little more than 9 pounds.
Similarly, we, as well as other reviewers, have observed that the claims of rope diameter vary by the maker. For instance, two 9.8mm ropes we tested, the Trango Trango Agility 9.8 and the Sterling VR9 9.8 had different diameters, 10.6mm and 10.1mm, respectively when unweighted and measured with calipers. WeighMyRack notes that rope manufacturers will set their machines to produce ropes of a certain diameter but certification for a size has a tolerance of 0.3 millimeters more or less than the stated diameter.
Grams-per-meter ratios
The diameter of the ropes we tested ranged from 9.4mm to 10.6mm. But as mentioned earlier, the range of diameters for climbing ropes goes from about 7mm to 11mm. Similarly, the weight per meter of ropes goes from 34.0 g/m for twin ropes like the Tendon Master, 7mm rope and the Black Diamond 7.0 Dry rope. The heaviest rope we found for climbing was the Maxim 11mm Apex Dry rope, which weighs in at 81.8g/m. For a 70m rope, the Tendon and Black Diamond twin ropes would weigh in at 5 lbs., 4 oz. (Or 10lbs., 8oz. for two) and the Maxim Apex would weigh in at 12 lbs., 10 oz.
Here’s how rope diameters and rope types break down. Some diameters overlap:
| Rope Diameter | Rope Type | Best purposes |
|---|---|---|
| 7mm to 8.6mm | Twin, half ropes and triple-rated ropes | Alpine, ice and multipitch |
| 8.5mm to 9.6mm | Single | Redpointing, multi-pitch, alpine and ice |
| 9.4mm to 9.8mm | Single | Cragging, multi-pitch, top-roping |
| 9.7mm to 11mm | Single | Workhorse, first rope, big wall, gym |
The Petzl Reverso belay device is designed to handle ropes as thin as 6.9mm and up to 10.5mm. However, it fit the 10.6mm DynaGym climbing rope (top), but works more easily with the 9.4 mm Ion R climbing rope (bottom).
Diameter and belay devices
Another consideration when purchasing a rope is making sure it’s compatible with your belay device. The majority of belay devices can handle ropes between 8.5mm and 10.5mm but if you’re using skinny twin ropes or a thick gym rope, not all devices will work. For instance, our “Best Overall Belay Device” winner, the Petzl GriGri+, can only handle ropes between 8.9 mm and 10.5 mm. If you’re working with twin ropes you’ll need a device like the Black Diamond ATC-Alpine Guide, which can handle ropes as skinny as 6.9mm.
Safety features
Every feature of a rope is essentially a safety feature—from the rope’s sheath to its core and the strong yarns within, as well as its middle mark, any dry treatments or treatments that bond the sheath and core and even its sealed ends.
The things to really look for are its safety ratings in terms of UIAA fall ratings and EN standards, which tell you how many falls each rope design was tested to and gives you a good idea of its longevity. Here we’ll discuss the most important safety features to consider when purchasing your first or 10th and beyond climbing rope, since it’s always good to get a grip on what’s new and refresh your memory.
The caps on the end of ropes convey important safety information about the rope, including fall ratings, proper uses and dry treatments.
UIAA Falls
Every dynamic rope certified for climbing by UIAA and CEN is rated to a certain number of falls. These are lab tests designed to exceed the force and distance of a fall that most climbers will ever experience—especially repeatedly—on the same rope.
That said, after each significant fall on a rope, some of its dynamic properties are lost and it could sustain damage. That makes it a good time to inspect it to make sure it hasn’t suffered any core shots or significant sheath wear, especially any factor 2 falls. Those are falls where the length of the fall exceeds the length of rope past the last point of protection (or how long the climber is free falling before the rope can start absorbing the fall). Fall factors are a difficult thing to explain shortly, but are good to learn about and these articles do a decent job of explaining fall factors if you’d like more information: https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/fall_factors_explained-647 and https://roperescuetraining.com/physics_fall_factors.php).
Understanding the ratings
We don’t want to get too tangled in the details here, but it's important to understand the underlying factors and we’ve seen some factors misreported elsewhere. Getting the combined UIAA 101 and EN 892 certification for falls means that 2.8 meter (9 foot, 2 inch) lengths of ropes meet a number of thresholds. Single ropes and half ropes are tested individually and must survive a minimum of 5 falls and twin ropes—tested together—must survive a minimum of 12 drops before failing catastrophically.
The UIAA Test
Under the test, 30 centimeters of rope is on one side of a metal pivot point. The remaining rope is hoisted 2.3 meters (just over 7 and a half feet) and dropped with 80 kgs (176 lbs.) of mass for twin and single ropes, and 55kgs (121 lbs.) for half ropes. This simulates a fall where a belayer is right next to the anchor and the climber falls a total of 4.8 meters (15 and 3/4 feet) before the dynamic rope kicks in and starts absorbing the fall’s impact. This is equivalent to a 1.7 factor fall.
The test is repeated every five minutes, allowing the rope to recover somewhat, until the rope fails. The process is repeated over three sets of ropes and then the rope is rated for the average of how many of these falls it survives during the testing period.
Dynamic Elongation
During the test, the ropes are also tested for how much peak force they absorb (how quickly they absorb the falling mass) and how long they extend at the bottom of the initial drop. Ropes that pass must not elongate more than 40%, 1.1m or 3 feet, 7 inches, during the first drop.
Impact Force
Impact force is also measured in the UIAA and EN drop testing and labeled on certified ropes. The impact force is a measure of the maximum force the rope experiences in the test scenario. Higher impact forces, which are measured in kilonewtons (kNs), mean more impact is felt by the climber, belayer, and throughout all the protection in use.
The more impact the rope absorbs (in terms of dynamic elongation in a fall) usually means the more protection in the system. It also means the climbing team will experience a lower impact force, according to Edelrid. Lower impact force also means your protection is less likely to pop out in a fall.
Under the UIAA 101 certification, twin and single ropes can’t exceed 12kNs of impact force, the equivalent of 1200 kgs or 2646 pounds of force when it impacts the rope. Half ropes must absorb no more than 8kN of force.
Sometimes you want higher impact forces than others
Ropes with higher impact force numbers and lower dynamic elongation are better for top-roping, gym climbing, and big wall climbing — situations where exerting a lot of force on your climbing protection is ok and you don’t want to experience really long falls that you have to jug back up to.
Ropes with lower impact force ratings and more dynamic elongation are ideal for situations when you want to put less pressure on your climbing protection and want a softer catch, like trad and ice climbing, because it reduces the amount of shock your protection will experience in a fall.
Durability
All of the UIAA certification tests describe a rope’s capabilities at their maximum capacities and breaking points, and provide the best apples-to-apples comparison of ropes. When it comes to actual durability, however, definitions start to get a little more murky. The number of falls a rope can take is one measure, and here Trango’s Agility 9.8 Agility Standard leads the pack of ropes we tested with a claimed 13 falls. However, though it’s certified by the UIAA, it’s not clear that the rope survived 13 falls in the UIAA test.
Sheath-to-core ratio
The diameter and makeup of a rope are also important durability factors. A thicker rope is generally more durable than a thinner rope. Beyond that, a thicker sheath or greater sheath-to-core ratio will also mean a rope should be more durable.
Dry treatments and ropes with cores bonded to the sheath, like Beal’s Unicore technology, will also increase resilience and durability. No matter how durable, a sharp knife-edge on a rock roof or continual sawing on a rope will impact its longevity.
When ice climbing dry treatments on a climbing rope are an absolute necessity.
Understanding dry treatments
The cost of dry treatments add $30 to $100 per rope. Dry-treated ropes are a must for ice climbers and mountaineers since they help prevent the rope from absorbing water. They’re also great for those climbing in areas with unpredictable weather. When wet, a non-dry-treated rope loses its elasticity, extends, and, when soaked, can get roughly 50% heavier.
But dry treatments on ropes aren’t just nice to have in case you get your rope wet — the treatments also add some abrasion resistance and increase a rope’s longevity and durability to an extent. That’s because the treatments help reduce not just the amount of water that gets into the rope, but also reduces the amount of dust, dirt, and sand that can contaminate a rope and cause microscopic wear that becomes more harmful over time.
Dry treatments are continuing to evolve, which is why you’ll see some companies offer multiple versions of dry treatments. At their core, they’re usually a chemical bath that the rope is dipped in. However, some are dipped in the bath after the rope is manufactured, others treat the core and the sheath separately, and Sterling’s Xeros technology treats every fiber of the rope before it’s twisted into yarn.
If you’re buying a rope for craggin’ on nice days, you won’t need the same type of protection an alpinist or ice climber would want and probably don’t need to spend a lot more for a top-tier dry rope with a dry-treated core and sheath. However, you could still consider spending an extra $30 to benefit from a rope with a dry-treated sheath.
Other reviewers have noted that dry-treated ropes often feel stiffer and slicker than non-dry-treated ropes. With our older ropes that was definitely the case. With the ropes tested for this story, we didn’t notice much, if any, of a difference.
Why UIAA’s dry treatment certification matters
UIAA developed its UIAA Water Repellent certification for ropes in 2014. At that time it noted that even some ropes with dry treatments could still absorb up to 40% of their weight in water. These are most likely ropes treated with just a sheath treatment and they don’t earn UIAA’s dry rope certification.
To earn the UIAA Water Repellent certification a rope must not absorb more than 5% of its weight in water after being abraded and soaked in its testing bed for 15 minutes.
PFC-free dry treatments
We should also note that rope manufacturers are quickly moving away from PFC water-resistance treatments using forever chemicals, and to more eco-friendly treatments. Look for bluesign-approved water treatments if that matters to you — and we think it should. Edelrid, Mammut, Sterling, are among those offering PFC-free dry treatments on their ropes.
Core protections
About a decade ago Beal introduced a new safety technology into some of its climbing ropes called Unicore. The technology bonds the sheath to the core of the rope, so that even in the event of a core shot or worn sheath, the sheath won’t easily slip off. It’s a great advancement that can help a climber get out of what otherwise could be a bad situation. Check out the short, video of a brutal simulated core shot mimicking someone on the rope with an ascender below the cut with a standard rope compared to a Unicore rope here:
Other manufacturers have followed suit, licensing Unicore or developing their own core protection mechanisms, like Mammut’s new for 2024 Core Protect, which has an Aramid fabric layer between the sheath and core to add more protection against sharp rock ledges after a sheath failure.
These treatments add cost to a rope, but they can save lives or reduce injuries if you’re willing to pay the extra for it.
If you’re interested in this extra layer of protection in your rope, Edelweiss uses Unicore, as does Beal’s parent company, PMI. Petzl’s version of Unicore is called UltraSonic Finish, and Edelrid’s Cut Protect is similar to Mammut’s Core Protect, using an Aramid layer.
The HowNOT2 YouTube channel also does a great job of showing how these technologies work as well:
The bicolor pattern on the Sterling IonR climbing rope makes it easy to see the middle of the rope for rappelling and climbing. Unlike a black middle mark, it will never fade.
The bicolor pattern on the Sterling IonR climbing rope makes it easy to see the middle of the rope for rappelling and climbing. Unlike a black middle mark, it will never fade.
Middle Markings
Beyond keeping you tethered to the rock, one of the most important safety features of a rope is having some sort of middle mark. Knowing when you’ve climbed half the length of the rope lets you know when you have to come down on a crag. If you’re multi-pitch climbing on a trad route without set anchors, a middle mark is a good time to start thinking about where you’re going to make your next anchor. A good middle mark is also great for rappelling since you know both strands of the rope are of equal length when setting up for a rappel.
Middle marks and bi-color ropes
Traditionally, a middle mark was one or two black marks showing the absolute middle of the rope. In the past decade or so, many rope companies offer ropes that mark the middle by changing the color of the rope or the pattern weaved in the sheath. These bi-pattern or bicolor ropes make it really easy to tell when you’ve found the middle of the rope.
While some middle marks are simply applied on the exterior of the rope, like on PMI’s Summit Master, the bi-pattern or bicolor ropes won’t fade with time. On the other hand the process of making bicolor or bi-pattern ropes is more expensive because the yarns that make the sheath are changed half-way through the process. This is usually accomplished by hand and adds time to the construction of the rope.
If you’re buying a rope, we’d definitely recommend getting one with a middle mark that’s friction resistant, like those on Mammut ropes.
A brand new middle mark on the Sterling VR 9 rope (top) compared with a barely visible middle mark on an old Edelrid rope (bottom).
Still, black middle marks are likely to fade over time and are particularly hard to see on darker patterned ropes. You can middle mark a rope with a special marker like Black Diamond’s Middle Marker. The ink is designed to not weaken any of the strands of the rope that chemicals in some other markers potentially could. The marker is also great for adding a middle mark to a rope that you shortened because of a core shot or wear and tear on one of its tails.
Kinks like these in the The Bluewater Lightning Pro can make belaying and climbing difficult. The Lightning Pro was one of the kinkier ropes we tested even after multiple initial flakings.
Factory coiling
For the past 30 years or so, the first thing a climber does is uncoil and flake it straight out of its wrapper (see below for explanation of flaking). That’s because the packing process has usually involved twisting the rope with each coil. Those twists make the rope more likely to kink during early usage. Flaking the rope before using it helps straighten out the sheath and core and reduces kinking in the rope.
Now companies, like Mammut, Black Diamond, Sterling, and Edelrid, are offering ropes that are ready to go straight from their packaging. They use lap coiling techniques to package the rope to ensure the rope doesn’t get twisted during the coiling process. They actually warn that flaking a rope packaged this way can actually cause it to kink and it should be used straight from the packaging.
Sterling calls it “Send Ready,” Beal calls it “Magic Pack,” and Edelrid calls it “3D Lap Coil.” When we tested ropes packed this way, we didn’t flake them first, and we found the ropes were actually ready to go.
Feel/handling
This is the most subjective measure of a climbing rope, but it matters. The feel and handling of a rope refers to factors including its stiffness, how the sheath weave feels in your hand, how easy it is to tie knots in and unkink while belaying or flaking, as well as how easy it is to belay with.
Less experienced climbers will likely prefer belaying with a thicker rope since the thickness of the rope in the belay device makes it less likely to slip. Such ropes are great for gym climbing and top-roping.
For those lead climbing and lead belaying, trad, and multi-pitch climbing, a thinner rope is preferred as it’s easier to feed out to the climber, to clip into protection, and causes less drag as they climb on.
The feel of a rope often changes over time as any coatings wear off and the sheath gets worn in. But even brand new, it’s still a good impression of how the rope will handle over time. A thick sheath with a thick weave, like the Bluewater DynaGym or the Beal Booster III, will feel chunkier in the hand than a thinner rope with a tighter weave, like the Mammut 9.5 Alpine Core Protect.
The chunkier ropes are often a little harder to tie a tight knot in. A good way of testing this at the shop is to see how tight a bight or loop you can get the rope in while still in its packaging.
Color
This might seem silly, but we think it’s worth noting. The author usually prefers more natural colors in most of his outdoor gear, but when it comes to climbing ropes, bright colors are good. You really want to see the rope as much as possible when you’re tossing it over cliff ledges to make sure it gets over. Similarly, a middle mark stands out more on a bright-colored rope than a dark or dull-colored rope, even after significant wear.
We also recommend avoiding red or green ropes if you’re climbing with someone who’s color blind. You want it to be visible and stand out in most situations.
How to choose a climbing rope
A lot goes into a climbing rope and there are a lot of things to consider when choosing a climbing rope, including your climbing style and ability, as well as your needs and aspirations. No matter what, make sure the rope you choose is a UIAA-rated rope, which means it’s been tested and rated for at least 5 catastrophic falls before failing. Beyond that, a beginning climber will want a different rope than an experienced lead and trad climber, and an ice climber or mountaineer will also want different things in a climbing rope.
In the end, the most important things to consider are length and diameter — both of which impact a rope’s weight. Since you can’t magically lengthen a rope after you buy it, you’ll want a rope that’s at least twice as long as any pitch you plan to climb with it so you can safely lower or rappel off your climbs.
A thicker rope is great as a first rope and as a workhorse rope — it’s generally easier to belay with and lasts longer than thinner ropes. But if you’re going for alpine goals or multi pitch climbing where you want to minimize weight, consider a thinner rope.
Another word on dry treatment: Even if you’re not planning on ice climbing or climbing in a lot of adverse conditions, we still recommend at least a single dry treated rope as it only adds about $30 to the price of a rope, but provides extra durability and longevity.
Lastly, while you can middle-mark a rope on your own, we recommend getting a rope with a middle mark. It’s even better to get one with a middle mark that’s designed to handle the rigors of being drawn back and forth across metal while resisting fading.
How climbing ropes ensure your safety
Dynamic cushioning
The most important feature of climbing ropes is their ability to provide dynamic cushioning during a fall. That means that during a fall the rope will elongate dynamically, like an elastic band. This provides cushioning for both the falling climber and the belayer. A static rope won’t provide that cushioning stretch and would be more like falling while tethered to a cable, which would cause injuries in a fall even a few feet long.
Fall arrest and load distribution
By providing a cushioned fall, dynamic ropes provide a supportive, gradual fall, rather than one like a static rope would. They also provide load distribution across all major points of contact. So, rather than the full impact of the fall being felt by the climber, the protection they’re using and the belayer, the impact of that fall is shared by all of the equipment and the parties attached to the rope.
Climbing rope care and maintenance tips
The best way to extend the life of your climbing rope is to check it regularly while flaking, and keep it as clean as possible. Keeping a rope clean also makes it easier to inspect for any damage. One way to keep it clean is to use a rope bag, especially using the tarp feature while flaking.
Inspecting for damage
When flaking a rope, pay attention to it as it runs through your hands, feeling every inch of it as well as looking at it the whole time. Using the two senses together will help you identify any excess wear on the sheath and any core shot issues.
Usually, the most wear and tear happens on the end of the ropes since they see the most use clipping through protection and going through a belay device. If a part near the end is damaged you can cut it out. However, you need to reseal the end of the rope by burning it.
If you do this, you also have to either mark the new middle of the rope or cut both ends to the same length, so the middle mark remains accurate. You should also note that it’s now a shorter rope and can’t be used on longer routes.
Keeping it clean
Out in the field, we recommend piling the rope on a climbing tarp or climbing bag, protecting it from dirt, grime, sand, and ice or water. Oh, and never step on the rope!
When not using the rope, keep it piled—not coiled—in the tarp or bag to reduce kinking and to keep the rope protected from UV rays and the elements at home.
Use both ends regularly
To help reduce kinking and ensure even wear, you should rotate which end you climb on regularly. Even within the same day.
Clean your rope
Every climbing rope will get dirty after successive climbs. So, it’s a good idea to rinse or wash your climbing rope at least once a year…or after someone lets their dog pee on it at the crag (true story🤬). Cleaning the rope makes any middle mark easier to see. It also makes it easier to see any damage to the rope. Just keep in mind that some detergents and washing methods can reduce the strength of your rope.
How to wash a rope
You can wash a climbing rope in a tub outside, or even in a washing machine. We recommend using a dedicated rope soap like Beal’s Rope Cleaner as it won’t damage any of the treatments or nylons used in the rope.
We only recommend washing climbing ropes in front loading machines on the delicate cycle. Some additional tips that will help reduce the chance of kinking the rope are to place it in a bag—preferably mesh—like a sleeping bag storage bag or pillow case, and to daisy chain the rope before washing it.
After washing, don’t tumble dry it, or hang it up. Instead, let it dry on a towel or tarp, away from sunlight. Always check the instructions provided by your ropemaker first before washing as different treatments may require different washing methods.
Expiration dates
Ropes have expiration dates, and while they should last a lot longer than a bottle of milk, after that expiration date is reached, they should be recycled or tossed. That’s even if they were never used because the materials used may start to break down. Some manufacturers, like Sterling, offer a Rope Recycling Program.
FAQs
How often should I inspect and replace my climbing rope?
Regularly. But with proper use of the rope, you should be inspecting it almost every time you use it, just by flaking the rope before climbing and alternating which ends of the rope you climb on. That said, you should inspect the rope for any core shots or sheath damage after each significant fall and after the rope has dragged over a sharp edge for a significant period of time, like top-roping over a sharp ledge.
Can I use a single rope for all types of climbing?
You could. But if you’re doing multiple types of climbing, investing in multiple types of climbing rope will ensure their longevity and keep you from carrying too much weight.
Can I use any brand of climbing rope with any climbing device?
Climbing ropes and belay devices are brand agnostic. However, they aren’t diameter agnostic. The majority of climbing ropes work with the majority of belay devices. But if you’re using ultra-skinny (6.5mm to 9.2mm) or ultra-fat (10.6mm and above) climbing ropes, you’ll need to make sure the belay device you’re using can accommodate that diameter of rope.
What can I use retired ropes for?
Imagination is the limit. The author keeps a length of used climbing rope in his vehicle in case he needs to move branches or as a rescue backup to help pull someone out of the snow, for instance. But other people recycle them into chalk bags, rugs, dog leashes, furniture coverings, bracelets, belts, and more.
Where can I recycle old ropes?
Some rope companies, like Sterling, offer rope recycling drop off points, like climbing gyms, where you can drop off an old rope and Sterling and its partners will recycle it into other goods. You can also send used ropes to Sterling to recycle them.
How do I handle a tangled climbing rope, and will it affect safety, performance, or long-term durability?
The best way to handle a kinked or tangled climbing rope is to flake it when it’s unweighted.
To flake a rope you take one end of it and start piling it loosely, uncoiling any kinks along the way. It’s best to do it on a surface like a climbing tarp. When you reach the other end of the rope, make sure you know where this top end is by tying it into a loop on a tarp or your harness, so you don’t lose it in the pile of rope you just uncoiled.
If a rope is kinking while you’re belaying someone, you’ll have to do your best to belay like normal, maintaining your braking hand on the rope at all times while working out kinks and tangles with your free hand. You should communicate with your climbing partner to let them know they might have to climb slower while you work through the kinks or to expect a slower lower than usual.
As Edelrid explains, there are a ton of ways to make your rope kinky. There are also a ton of theories about how to best unkink a rope. One step the author takes, for example, is to pull a kinky rope back and forth through an anchor and to pull at both ends of the rope from the ground, the idea being it helps the strands inside the sheath untwist.
If you have a rope that continually kinks or tangles in the same place, it could cause harm to it over time. It’s likely that the core strands of the rope have twisted around inside the sheath, making them want to coil like a spring or overused smartphone cable. If you work to untwist those tangles it shouldn’t cause long-term damage and Black Diamond did a test showing ropes of various ages and kinkiness weren’t impacted very much by extra kinks.
How do I maintain a climbing rope?
The best way to extend the life of your climbing rope is to keep it as clean as possible. This makes it easier to inspect for any damage, too. We recommend piling the rope on a climbing tarp or climbing bag with a tarp at the crag. When not using the rope, keep it piled—not coiled—in the tarp or bag to reduce kinking and to keep the rope protected from UV rays and the elements at home.
Should I wash a climbing rope?
Yes, when the rope gets dirty after successive climbs and at least once a year it’s a good idea to wash your climbing rope. It will make any middle marks easier to see, make it easier to see any damage to the rope and, when washed properly, should help reduce kinks in the rope.
How do I wash a climbing rope?
You can wash a climbing rope in a tub outside or even in a washing machine. We recommend using a dedicated soap like Beal’s Rope Cleaner as it won’t damage any of the treatments or nylons used in the rope.
We don’t recommend washing a rope in a top-loader, only in a front loader on the delicate cycle, or by hand. Some additional tips that will help reduce the chance of kinking the rope in the wash are to place it in a mesh bag—like a sleeping bag storage bag, and to daisy chain the rope before washing it.
After washing, don’t tumble dry it, or hang it up. Instead, let it air dry away from sunlight. Always follow the instructions of your ropemaker before washing as certain ropes and materials may have unique instructions.
How we researched and tested
Over more than a decade we’ve climbed more crags and multipitch routes than we can count, using a slew of ropes and other gear in the process. We’ve top-roped, lead climbed sport and traditional routes from the schist in Rumney, NH to the reddish rhyolite of Oregon’s Smith Rock, the sandstone of Utah, the limestone of Shelf Road and the granite and gneiss throughout Colorado. We’ve climbed classic routes and unnamed routes on cliffs in the wilderness.
For this round of testing, we relied on the knowledge we’ve gained over the years and did an intense round of magazine and online research to cull down the options from hundreds of ropes out there to a list of potential contenders. In the end we tested 10 ropes across the Front Range and into the Rockies in the spring, summer and fall. There’s still plenty of climbing and testing to be done on some of these ropes, however. For instance, we’ll be testing some of them on ice and hopefully in the alpine environment in the coming months and will update this story after we see whether the waterproof ropes live up to their claims.
About the author / Why you should trust us
With more than a decade of climbing experience I’ve done everything from top-roping at the local crag to climbing routes on unnamed cliffs in the wilderness and scrambling class IV and V mountains. In addition, I’ve researched ropes and kept up to date on the latest trends and technologies and have talked with numerous manufacturers to learn more about the manufacturing practices and testing processes to make sure ropes are safe.
I’m an outdoors writer covering adventure and gear, who writes regularly about the outdoors and I enjoy outdoor activities all year round, including skiing on the slopes and backcountry, snowshoeing, and ice climbing. I’ve authored numerous gear guides for Treeline Review, write for Popular Mechanics, Bicycling Magazine, Popular Science, Backpacker, and other outdoor publications/organizations.
I have authored multiple outdoor guidebooks. My most recent Falcon Guide also is a climbing guidebook, of sorts. "Colorado’s Best Front Range Adventures: The Greatest Hiking, Climbing, Paddling and More From Denver to Colorado Springs and Fort Collins," covers the best hiking, biking, climbing, and rafting in the region.
I’m also the author of Falcon Guide’s “Climbing Colorado's Fourteeners: From the Easiest Hikes to the Most Challenging Climbs” and edited Justin Lichter’s excellent guide to thru-hiking titled “Trail Tested: A Thru-Hiker's Guide To Ultralight Hiking And Backpacking.” All of this experience has helped me become a first-rate gearhead and product tester.
Overall, I have 20-plus years of exploring, skiing, climbing, mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, guiding, and playing in the wild. I worked with National Geographic and their mapping division in developing their Colorado 14ers Map Pack Bundle. I’ve written about hiking and climbing for Elevation Outdoors, including stories about Colorado 14ers and outdoor apps to boost adventures.
At Treeline Review, we strive to offer unbiased reviews to help you find the best product for the price. The author, nor anyone in his family is not sponsored, an ambassador, or an employee of any of the companies here.
You can read more about Chris on his author page.
