I have owned a rope or two in my time and without wanting to do a trip down memory lane, we all started on double 9mm 45-50m in Scotland. You would buy one and your mate would. Always different brands, depending on whatever was cheapest. If you went sport climbing, someone would have an 11mm 50m or maybe 60m. This seemed to work, they seldom broke and everyone seemed happy. In the following 30 years, ropes got longer, thinner, more specialist and mostly mostly cheaper.
Single, Double, Twin, Triple
Is it a rope, or is it a bed. As far as I can work out, there are four basic types of rope. Singles, which are used one at a time, typically for sport climbing, straight up crack climbing, or by Americans for everything. Doubles, which are used in a pair, with the leader clipping each rope separately into the runners. Twins, which are used as a pair, with the leader clipping both ropes into each runner. Triples, which can be used as singles, twins or doubles. Confused? Well yes. Chances are you turn up at the crag, with the wrong tool and get laughed at, or worse end up with several kilometers of rope in your cupboard.
Skinny vs fat
In a weight obsessed world, we are conditioned to think thinner is better than fatter. This is true until you take some big whips!! However, thinner longer, dry treated ropes on ice and alpine, where you are really hoping not to fall have been game changing. Less frozen ropes, which was horrific, lower impact forces and easier to carry up the hill. However, this is really a specialist piece of kit, that requires attention and probably a specialist belay device. Remember, the leader is hoping not to fall, but when they do, its going to be memorable.
Single ropes
Single ropes have progressively got thinner and longer. Where the standard used to be an 11mm 50m, it is now sub 10mm 60, with many climbers opting for 70m and 80m and occasionally 100m. One pitfall of the longer rope is that it may take you down the path of buying a skinnier rope. This is often justified on the 'weight on my harness' argument, but may be simply be about the 'weight up the hill' one. Regardless, when looking at the best sport rope, the main consideration is where you are going to climb, as different locations will adopt different approaches. Also, best think about the routes you will actually climb. There are a lot of mega long sport routes in France, but also a lot of great ones under 30m. You don't want to be carrying extra rope for no reason and trashing a long expensive rope, will always be more painful than a short one.
Triple rated ropes
All the strength of a single, with the weight of a double that can be used in as a single or a pair. Sounds perfect, but this is really a specialist piece of kit. Guides use them for durability and safety and for bringing up two seconds at once. They are also great in the circumstance where you may or may not think you need a rope, like an easier alpine climb, an simple ice climb or a scramble. I hear the occasional sport climber talking about them being great for the 'send' on their 6b+ project, but really this isn't the tool for the weekend warrior sport climber. They lack durability and are hard to belay with. They are also, mostly quite expensive.
So which rope?
Depends on many things, but mostly how much money you want to spend. I like to own my own, so I know the history, but I think for most in most circumstances a sport rope in the 9.4mm-10.1mm that is 60m long will do most jobs. For trad climber and alpine rock climbers a pair of 50m double ropes; and for alpine and ice a pair of 60m dry treated twins.
What do I currently own? Well too many. A 70m sport rope in 10mm. A 60mm sport rope in 10.1mm. A 50m sport rope in 9.6mm. A 40m sport rope in 9.5mm. Two 50m double ropes in 8.5mm. Two 60m twin ropes in 8mm (dry treated). And a 40m semi static for top rope solo and taking pictures. That's a lot and I habitually retire when they look worn and / or reach five years of ownership.
In terms of brands, I have used a few. Mammut are always excellent and I have had great experience with Sterling and Tendon. However, I also have a very good experience with Beal, Edelrid, Petzl and Decathlon. Petzl and Decathlon being made by Edelrid and Simond. For sport, I typically go with value as they take a beating and I like to replace before they get too old. My worst experience has tended to be with the wrong rope for the wrong job, especially taking skinny ropes on granite sport projects, or non-dry treated on winter climbs. Weighmyrack has a good summary of all the brands here - Rope Brands.
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