If you take a 40-foot (12-meter) fall, you’ll reach speeds of 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour). Add just 1.6 seconds, and you’re looking at a 130-foot (40-meter) fall at 70 miles per hour (115 kilometers per hour). Imagine hitting 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour) — the ultimate speed — and you’ll feel uneasy.
No piece of gear is more important to a climber than the rope. For many climbing activities, a nylon-sheathed rope is what connects us directly to life or death.
Yet, the climbing rope is one of the pieces of equipment we understand the least. Many climbers only have a vague idea about the rope testing process and don’t really know the practical meaning of most product specifications. Choosing a good rope means much more than its color or price, but often, how to choose a rope presents many technical judgment issues for climbers.
Types of Ropes
Terminology-wise, many climbers often confuse ropes with the techniques used to employ them. According to standards set by the International Federation of Climbing and Mountaineering and the European Union, there are only three types that can be designated as dynamic ropes: single ropes, half ropes, and twin ropes. Half ropes and twin ropes are actually the same thing — it’s just an old official distinction. Different types of ropes require different handling techniques for climbing. No single rope or technique suits all climbing scenarios, so you should choose your rope wisely and appropriately.
Single Rope Without a doubt, the single rope is the most popular. Its diameter typically ranges between 9.4mm and 11mm, with a weight of 60 to 80 grams per meter. Many climbers initially opt for single ropes because they are simple and easy to learn. Using a rope with a larger diameter allows for easier handling, longer lifespan, and effective performance on difficult moves.
Half Rope Half ropes usually have a diameter between 8.1mm and 9.1mm, and most weigh between 47 and 54 grams per meter. The biggest technical advantage of half ropes is that they offer maximum safety when the rope is damaged by ice tools, rockfall, or sharp ridges. Proper use of half rope techniques reduces the forces on the rope in zigzag, multi-pitch terrain. Two ropes provide better protection for both the lead climber and the second. When protection points are obviously dangerous, impact and force can be significantly reduced. A pair of half ropes can protect both the lead and two seconds. Full-length rappels are possible, allowing for faster descent.
Protecting a lead climber from below using two ropes becomes more challenging — you must hold one rope while letting the other go. It's common for the ropes to get tangled unless you’re highly skilled with the whole protection system. In terms of overall weight and bulk, a pair of half ropes is much greater than a single rope.
Double rope technique has been widely accepted by mountaineers and ice climbers around the world. In Europe, double rope technique was once commonly used in traditional crack climbing. However, few American rock climbers use half ropes. If a climbing team is ascending a glacier, half ropes are the best option. Single ropes are too heavy and do not adequately protect against sudden falls into crevasses, while the sheath of double ropes doesn’t help much in aiding upward progress using ascenders.
Twin Rope Ultra-thin twin ropes typically have diameters between 7.4 and 8mm and weigh only 41 to 43 grams per meter. Used alone, they may not always inspire confidence. However, specially made twin ropes contain more nylon than other types to enhance climber protection.
When used together, twin ropes function almost like a single rope. This technique is as convenient as single rope technique but offers more protection in case of sudden cuts. So far, twin rope technique hasn’t gained widespread popularity, mainly because it is relatively new compared to other techniques in the climbing world. (The testing standards for twin ropes were only slightly revised in 1991.)
Never use two single ropes (or half ropes) together as if they were twin ropes — this is a very wrong idea. If one of the ropes gets stuck, your protection will bear much more force than usual. This has proven to be a very risky practice when climbing walls or ice.
Static Rope Dynamic ropes are designed to reduce impact during falls and facilitate handling. Therefore, they have high elasticity and are less than maximally rigid. When used as fixed ropes, they endure dragging loads on large walls, cliffs, or caves. That’s why it’s worth using rougher ropes with minimal stretch.
Ropes with very little stretch are called static ropes, which typically extend only about 2% under body weight. To withstand extra wear, these ropes are usually made thicker and fitted with rough protective sheaths. The core consists of two thinner twisted fibers, which helps reduce the effects of immense pressure.
Static ropes usually have diameters between 9mm and 11mm, making them suitable for ascending, descending, and using pulleys. Thinner ropes are the best choice for high-altitude mountaineering, where weight is a primary concern.
Some expedition teams use ropes made of loosely structured polypropylene as fixed ropes — these are lighter and cheaper. My biggest gripe is that these ropes wear out quickly, tangle severely, and are sometimes hard for climbers to grip. Recently, CEN approved certifications for static ropes. A notable feature is that static ropes must have a main color covering at least 80%, with no more than two secondary colors on the entire rope. Dynamic ropes, on the other hand, come in bright, multi-colored patterns.
Although static ropes can be used for top-rope climbing, they are not the best choice due to the high impact forces on the body and protection points.
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