The Best Rock Climbing Rope

Ultimately, all of the ropes in this review were top notch, so the content of these reviews is about the nit-picky details where a few ropes edge ahead of the others.

Handling
This category may seem a little vague, but it measures the suppleness of the ropes and the overall feel of the rope while carrying, climbing, and belaying. We gravitated towards the lighter ropes, such as the Mammut Revelation and the Petzl Fuse, because they were much less arduous to backpack, coil, carry, and climb with simply because they did not weigh as much. These ropes also took up less space in a pack because they were thinner. Overall, in whatever situation these ropes were used, they were easy to pack and handle, which made us want to use these ropes more than some of the others.

Glide/Feed
How well does your rope feed through a belay device when giving out slack to the leader and how well does it glide through pieces of protection while climbing? Usually you want the rope to feel as smooth as possible so things are easy on the leader. While you are up there giving it their all, the last thing you want is a rough rope adding extra friction and pump. Here the skinny ropes seemed to take the lead. The lighter and thinner the rope, the easier is is to give out slack. Also, ropes with a coating finish, either a dry coating or the Mammut Teflon coating had a much smoother glide and feed, and kept this feel much longer than ropes with no coating.

Lock-Off
The opposite of glide and feed is lock-off, which is how much friction the rope has when locking in a belay device (maybe one of the most important functions of a rope). Ideally climbers would like a rope that is great at both. Obviously the skinny ropes do not lock-off very well in a first generation gri-gri since it is only rated to catch falls in ropes down to10mm, but every rope held up well in an atc style belay device. The fatter ropes got better scores in this category, simply because locking-off is easier in any type of device than with the skinny ones.

Durability
Obviously, when you throw down a good deal of money on an expensive piece of equipment, you want it to last you a while. Ropes seem to be the piece of climbing equipment that gets retired most often. However, some still last longer than others. Ropes like the Mammut Infinity and Mammut Revelation stood out because of their Teflon coating, which made the sheaths hold up better when being dragged over rough rock. The same is true of the Maxim Glider with its one-over-one sheath weave, a detail that makes the sheath more durable, and the BlueWater Pulse, which has a 40-bobbin sheath that is extra burly.

The Bottom Line

Editor's Choice Award


The 9.5 mm Mammut Infinity wins the Editors' Choice award because it is one of the most durable and versatile ropes we evaluated. The medium diameter allows it to handle any type of climbing, and the Teflon coating keeps the rope feeling fresh longer than most other ropes. It handles smoothly while being lightweight, making it the perfect choice for long approaches or climbs. If we had to buy just one rope, this would be the one we would put our money on. While we appreciate the super-skinny sending ropes, like the Metolius Tendon and the Sterling Fusion Nano, and find uses for workhorse ropes like the Sterling Marathon Pro and the BlueWater Eliminator, this rope performs better over a wider range of applications, which is what wins it top billing.

Best Buy Award


The Best Buy Award goes to an inexpensive yet extremely versatile all-around rope. The Mammut Tusk is medium diameter at 9.8 mm, so can be used for any climbing discipline and will last longer than a much thinner rope. The Tusk also is rated to hold more UIAA falls than any of the other ropes we evaluated, belying its strength and proving it has a long life ahead of it. A standard 60 meter will only set you back around $200, which is reasonable for a dynamic climbing rope. We feel that the Tusk gives you the most rope for your money.

Top Pick Award for Best Skinny Sending Rope


The 9.2 mm Sterling Fusion Nano is hands-down our favorite skinny sending cord. It only weighs 53 grams per meter and feels much thinner than the specified diameter. With smooth, supple handling, this rope is just plain fun to climb with. It will help you send your project or accompany you on an epically long push in a day, and still provide a soft catch.

Top Pick Award for Best Workhorse Rope


The 10.1 Sterling Marathon Pro takes the cake as the best workhorse thick diameter rope. It hovers just under the other workhorse ropes with a diameter of 10.1 instead of the standard 10.2 and above, which also keeps the weight down. It is burly enough for jugging or repeated top-roping, and comes with a dry core, that keeps the weight of the rope down in the event of a surprise downpour.