Preferred Rope Lengths?

[Fish Boy]

I just moved from Oz and am needing to buy a cord. As an avid double rope user I was dismayed at the MEC guru's advice that folks out here don't use doubles, ever, but use a single with a retrieval line. So, do I purchase a 70m 9.whatever and ? as a retrieval line? Is a 70m really needed, it seems there is a lot of bolted stations all over the Chief where a single 60 will suffice, or if it's longer two 50s/60s are needed, not just a slightly longer single?

Thanks for the schooling, see you out there...

Nick

[Lurch]

Don't let the mec guy dissuade you fishy, doubles work great around here, there are lots of wandering pitches but everyone just slings everything and deals with the rope drag cause no one really knows how to use doubles, so they don't buy them. They are expensive too! You pay the same price for one half rope as you do for a single?

I have a pair of 8mm maxim 1/2's which I love but must admit I don't use much as a result of climbing
with parters who don't have enough experience to use them or simply don't like them because they are not familiar with them. They are amazing for rope drag and fun to do easy multi's with three people.

I say go with what you know! Hopefully you have a partner who likes them too or you can teach.

[BlahMatt]

My partner and I started using doubles this year and it's been great. Amazing for managing rope drag and the 60m rappels sure speed things up. Though, most of the time they are not necessary as a lot of the routes (especially the classics) have 30m rap options or walk offs.

[avit]

Typically everyone climbs on a single rope here, sometimes bringing a second rope for retreat on long rappels. If you're going to have some kind of "retrieval line", it might as well be full strength since it's still another rope to carry anyway and you need to rappel on it, right?

Doubles are great, I climbed a few seasons with a partner who had them. You just don't see them as often for some reason.

I haven't run into a situation where I needed 70m yet. I'm sure there are some 35m raps out there, but you can get by with 60m just fine.

[Lurch]

Oh yeah. I forgot to address the length question. 60m is definetly the norm around here and most pitches are setup for it. I only buy 70m ropes though, and the reason is more 35m pitches are starting to go up these days, and when you start stringing together pitches on multi's that extra 10m comes in handy.

A couple weeks ago a friend and I did diedre after work in 3 pitches. A little simul from the second was needed to accomplish this probably 3 or 4 meters per pitch. I have climbed this route many times and this was by far the most fun diedre send yet.

Mike

[Fish Boy]

Good stuff guys, thanks for the info. Think I'll grab some doubles again, though I guess it won't help in my quest the find partners.....! Happy climbing!

Nick

[Lurch]

Hey Nick,

do you like twins or halfs and why?

Mike

[Fish Boy]

Mike, climbing back home in Oz there are lot's of very wandery sandstone routes which work well with doubles. Most raps are 50m/60m or you have to walk. Aside from that, being able to sew up sketchy routes without worrying about drag and being able to clip one rope without increasing the fall distance at that moment helps in the head department! Sooo many pitches can be strung together...it's pretty rare to do a pitch shorter than 45m on multi pitches. Climbing with three people is a breeze etc...

They were very popular in the 70's and 80's, and still many folks will use them...

I guess it is what you get used to, but I find the pros far out way the cons once you get systems down pat.

Never used twins, never seen anyone use them in oz either.

Nick

[Fish Boy]

Oh, when I say doubles I mean half ropes, I use the term interchangeably...

[Lurch]

Nick
Ya apparently twins you clip as one rope together and halfs you don't want to do that cause it creates more forces. The other nice thing about halfs is less forces so sketchy pro is better too.

Send me a pm maybe I can get out with you after work sometime next week.

Mike

ps +1 Bearbreeder that's what I said! We gotta get out sometime soon too, sounds like you're sending these days!

[Fish Boy]

That's it, and if you clip them individually then clip them both after and fall, the different rope speeds running through the single biner will create some nasty friction....

I'll drop you a pm later on, cheers, pretty keen for anything.

[Lurch]

Hey Eric, as long as you can get to the belay it's good enough for me.

I'm just scrapping my way up most harder 10c/d's but the fact that I can do that, I find impressive since when I started I never imagined being able to accomplish that. I had to aid the crux on the 10d on Upper Echelon but I got up it!

I'll shoot you a pm.

Mike