Mammut Serenity 8.7

Performance: “Nothing about this rope stood out—and that’s exactly why I love it!” one traveling tester said. “It’s dependable in any trad or sport situation, nothing annoyed me, and I didn’t have to worry about my rope among countless other safety concerns while climbing.” In the first month of use on sport pitches in Sinks Canyon, Wyoming, and full-day routes in Chamonix, France, it showed no signs of kinking—outstanding for a brand-new cord. The rope felt slippery at first due to the Dry Cover treatment, but it locked up successfully in the Grigri 2, and it was easy to lock off and feed slack in the Petzl Reverso 4. The dry treatment upped durability and resistance to water and dirt, too. Knots were easy to tie and untie, even after a few long and rope-cinching falls on a project in the gym. The pleasantly low price tag comes thanks to its eco-friendly manufacturing process: By using less water and power in the dying stage, it saves money and has less impact on the environment. “I don’t climb on anything less than 10mm, and this was by far the best fatty I’ve tied into,” our tester said.