Climbing

Performance: We refer to ropes as “buttery” when they’re lightweight, supple, and easy to clip, and the Serenity embodied this. One guide tester chose this cord over his 12 others time and time again. It’s the thinnest and lightest (51 g/m, so 6.8 lbs. for 60 meters) single rope that our testers have climbed on; they used it at crags like American Fork, Utah, and alpine-heaven Mt. Whitney in California, where they praised it for not adding considerable weight to already-overloaded packs. One..." go to full review

The rope you bring to the sport crag depends on what phase of the redpointing process you’re in: Toproping and working a project requires a nice fat cord while send attempts are much better with a pleasantly skinny cord. Instead of lugging—and buying—two separate lines, take the Opposite TRX 9/10, which is an 80-meter cord with two different diameters. One end is 50 meters of 9mm thickness, and the other is 30 meters of 10mm thickness, so you can carry one cord for two vastly different..." go to full review

With 30 meters of 10mm rope on one end and 50 meters of 9mm cord on the other, you’re getting two different ropes that any committed sport climber needs: his trusted fatty for taking tons of falls and a lighter, skinnier rope for send attempts.” Read the full review in our Editors' Choice Awards...." go to full review

When a respected rope manufacturer sets out to make an all-around cord that is friendly to every type of budget, this is what we call a win-win-win situation. The 9.5mm diameter is ideal for toproping and projecting when it will experience substantial abrasion and abuse, but it’s light enough at 57 g/m that on a 30-meter pitch, you’ll only be dragging about 3.7 pounds behind you at the very top. Testers thought this rope felt and handled like a skinnier cord, too: “It was easy to clip, even..." go to full review

If you’re looking to slim down in rope size but have been hesitant because of durability concerns, look no further. By upping the amount of sheath on the rope with a super-tight braided structure, you get more stiffness, less flop, and ultimately a longer lifespan. While the core still provides the strength of your cord, a denser sheath will add rigidity so it has a thicker feel without added width or weight. It also means more material standing between the core and agents of abrasion...." go to full review

With a complete overhaul of their rope line, Petzl is focusing on striking a perfect balance between durability, minimal weight, and overall feel, and the Contact is right on the money. Testers found this rope “unusually resistant” to the rope-ruining sand and dirt of the Moab and Indian Creek desert areas, and one said, “My ropes usually get absolutely wrecked in the desert, but after a full week of towers, cracks, and bolt-clipping, the Contact still looked like new.” That’s thanks to the..." go to full review

Don’t fret about the thin diameter on the newest rope from Edelrid’s Pro Line; they’ve put three different finishing treatments on it to optimize durability. “It still has a supple and flexible feel,” one tester said after taking it to a new secret crag in the much-traveled Boulder Canyon, Colorado. Pro Shield, Dry Shield, and Thermo Shield treat both the entire unit and individual yarn fibers to increase dirt and water resistance while maintaining easy clipping, knotting, untying, and..." go to full review

Light is right in the high country, and the Gully 7.3mm half ropes have the lowest weight of any other rope on the market at 36 g/m. Yep, that’s right, less than 5 pounds for 60 meters. Since it’s rated as a twin rope as well, testers took it on ice in New Hampshire and wandery routes in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado, and loved the stiff and durable feel. “Even though it’s the thinnest rope I’ve ever climbed on, it still felt substantial in my hands and running through the belay device,” one..." go to full review

Summary: Metolius TCUs were some of the first ultra-small cams available to climbers in the mid-1980s and they continue to be a thin-crack staple. On average, Metolius uses a slightly smaller cam angle than other manufacturers, so during a fall the cam lobes push harder against the rock. The compromise with this design is a small loss of camming range. The cams are made with a highly durable aluminum, and the faces are quite wide for added grip.
A narrow head width on the micro sizes..." go to full review

Summary: Metolius TCUs were some of the first ultra-small cams available to climbers in the mid-1980s and they continue to be a thin-crack staple. On average, Metolius uses a slightly smaller cam angle than other manufacturers, so during a fall the cam lobes push harder against the rock. The compromise with this design is a small loss of camming range. The cams are made with a highly durable aluminum, and the faces are quite wide for added grip.
A narrow head width on the micro sizes..." go to full review