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MrEction
Jun 25, 2013, 1:26 PM
Post #1 of 11
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Registered: Jun 25, 2013
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I've scoured the forums for information on getting my first rope. Been climbing since January, and have SLOWLY been putting together my gear. (Could I have picked a more expensive hobby!?) Shoes, harness, biners, chalk, GriGri... Now I need a rope.
From what I've read I should (generally) get anything 10-10.5mm, at at least 60m long (70m if I can get a deal). That will eventually be what I go get (unless enough of you scream at me for my poor decision making skills...  ), but I've found a place where I can get the ends of spools cut to odd lengths for next to nothing.
Since I live in Indiana, and haven't been climbing all that long I pretty much stick to the gym at this point. (Hoosier Heights Bloomington) My question is (Finally): If I'm climbing 35' walls, what's the minimum rope length I could feel comfortable with?
The obvious answer is >70', but with no lead climbing skills (yet) I was curious how much EXTRA is needed to be safe, without being overkill?
*** I understand this will be a gym rope ONLY, and I plan on getting a full length rope before my first trip outdoors!! ***
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Marylandclimber
Jun 25, 2013, 1:36 PM
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Don't know why you dropped 100$ on a grigri right off the start but anyway you can just get a 60m rope for 140$ or so. http://www.rei.com/product/735478/new-england-equinox-102mm-x-60m-dry-core-rope
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MrEction
Jun 25, 2013, 1:58 PM
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I wouldn't have got the Grigri before the rope under normal circumstances, but I found a lightly used one online for like $30 and didn't want to pass it up.
I plan on dropping $140-$200 on a decent rope when the time comes, but I thought if I could get a short gym rope for $40-$50 it wouldn't be a terrible idea.
If the general consensus is to just hold off a bit, and get the longer rope... That may be what I do.
I am still curious though about how much extra rope you should have after X2 the length of the climb to be safe.
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lena_chita
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Jun 25, 2013, 2:43 PM
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MrEction wrote: I wouldn't have got the Grigri before the rope under normal circumstances, but I found a lightly used one online for like $30 and didn't want to pass it up. I plan on dropping $140-$200 on a decent rope when the time comes, but I thought if I could get a short gym rope for $40-$50 it wouldn't be a terrible idea. If the general consensus is to just hold off a bit, and get the longer rope... That may be what I do. I am still curious though about how much extra rope you should have after X2 the length of the climb to be safe.
If you are lead-climbing regularly in your gym, and plan to do so even after you start climbing outside, it is not a bad idea to get a short rope for gym climbing, if you can get one of those odds/ends deals. Why carry your 70m rope to the gym if you only need 1/3rd of that?
It is NOT a money-saving option, because you will have to buy a full-length rope, anyway, for climbing outside, but it is definitely convenient.
On the flip side, are you SURE that the gym lets you climb on your own rope? Some gyms insist that you only climb on the ropes that they provide, and obviously, they give you rope that is long enough for your needs. Double-check with the gym, because otherwise, it would be a complete waste of money.
As to how much "extra" you need to be safe, well, figure double the height of the walls, plus extra ~10 ft will be just fine. But your best bet is to ask at the gym. Even if they let people climb on their own ropes, they probably have some ropes they provide for lead climbing, and they will be able to tell you how long they cut them.
My limited experience with only a few gyms that i have lead-climbed in, indicates that they have ropes of different lengths, and they ask you what walls you plan to climb, if you want to do long roof/arches that many gyms have, they will give you a longer rope than if you are only planning to climb shorter walls. One gym had a warning posted on the wall at the beginning of the longer arch routes, telling people that they needed a long rope for that climb... But there seem to be as many rules as there are gyms out there.
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shotwell
Jun 25, 2013, 5:00 PM
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Registered: Jan 6, 2009
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MrEction wrote: I've scoured the forums for information on getting my first rope. Been climbing since January, and have SLOWLY been putting together my gear. (Could I have picked a more expensive hobby!?) Shoes, harness, biners, chalk, GriGri... Now I need a rope. From what I've read I should (generally) get anything 10-10.5mm, at at least 60m long (70m if I can get a deal). That will eventually be what I go get (unless enough of you scream at me for my poor decision making skills... ), but I've found a place where I can get the ends of spools cut to odd lengths for next to nothing. Since I live in Indiana, and haven't been climbing all that long I pretty much stick to the gym at this point. (Hoosier Heights Bloomington) My question is (Finally): If I'm climbing 35' walls, what's the minimum rope length I could feel comfortable with? The obvious answer is >70', but with no lead climbing skills (yet) I was curious how much EXTRA is needed to be safe, without being overkill? *** I understand this will be a gym rope ONLY, and I plan on getting a full length rope before my first trip outdoors!! ***
HHB may only be 35' tall, but some of the lead routes are pretty severely overhanging and several climb out onto a roof. Your best bet for figuring the required rope length is to ask at the desk. They should be able to help you out.
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MrEction
Jun 25, 2013, 5:13 PM
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Registered: Jun 25, 2013
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There are a few routes with 12+' on the ceiling...
I know I'm getting way ahead of myself. I should probably wait till I've taken the lead class before I even start asking questions. See if I can even use my own rope before I go out an buy one, and cross that bridge when I come to it.
Asking the people at the gym seems like a really obvious answer at this point...
Thanks though!
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rsd212
Jun 25, 2013, 5:31 PM
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MrEction wrote: Could I have picked a more expensive hobby!?).
Sailing? Sky diving? Heck, probably paintball when you start tallying the consumables. Just be glad that most of what you buy for climbing lasts a long time. It may seem expensive at first, but spread it out over several years and it isnt so bad.
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MrEction
Jun 25, 2013, 5:39 PM
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Registered: Jun 25, 2013
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rsd212 wrote: MrEction wrote: Could I have picked a more expensive hobby!?). Sailing? Sky diving? Heck, probably paintball when you start tallying the consumables. Just be glad that most of what you buy for climbing lasts a long time. It may seem expensive at first, but spread it out over several years and it isnt so bad.
Fair enough! The problem is probably less 'It's expensive', and more 'I WANT IT NOW'... Patience was never my strongest attribute.
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dagibbs
Jun 25, 2013, 6:12 PM
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MrEction wrote: Been climbing since January, and have SLOWLY been putting together my gear. (Could I have picked a more expensive hobby!?)
Absolutely. Actually, rock climbing is reasonably inexpensive as these things go.
Bouldering: one pair rock shoes/year. What, $100?
Top-rope Climbing: harness/5 years, a rope every couple years, some hard stuff that'll last nearly forever, and some slings. Maybe $200 setup, and $100/year.
Sport leading: Add a rack of 12 draws. Maybe $150. Replace dog-bones every 5 years, for $60.
Trad rack: ok, now you're talking $1000 or more. But, most of it is one-time expense, or close to it, too.
Compare to, say, down-hill skiing. Basic minimum equipment of ski, boots, poles will probably run $500 and up. Then you have to buy lift-tickets. They make a day pass at a climbing gym or national park look absolutely budget by comparison. (Day-pass at Rumney, for example, is $3/car. The Gunks is relatively expensive for climbing access at, IIRC, $17/person/day. Ski lift pass... I'd expect the $60/person and up.)
Or Golf...
Or sailing... what does a sail boat cost nowadays?
Canoe & paddles?
Kayak & paddle?
Hockey... skates, pads, stick, etc.
Ok, soccer is probably not too expensive.
But, really, as sports go, climbing really isn't very expensive at all.
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MrEction
Jun 25, 2013, 6:27 PM
Post #10 of 11
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Registered: Jun 25, 2013
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Yeah, I realize I haven't actually spent all that much on climbing...
$85 - Pair of starter shoes
$40 - Black Diamond Momentum (Ebay)
~$20 - Screwgate Carbiner X2
$30 - Grigri (Craigslist)
~$20 - Chalk bag & chalk
$45/mo - Gym membership
Maybe I just feel like I've spent more than I actually have since I spend a lot of time looking at gear, and planning crazy expensive trips to fantastical climbs that are still years beyond where I'm at...
... Either that, or I'm a tight ass.
(This post was edited by MrEction on Jun 25, 2013, 6:30 PM)
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acorneau
Jun 25, 2013, 9:23 PM
Post #11 of 11
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Registered: Feb 6, 2008
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MrEction wrote: Since I live in Indiana, and haven't been climbing all that long I pretty much stick to the gym at this point. (Hoosier Heights Bloomington) My question is (Finally): If I'm climbing 35' walls, what's the minimum rope length I could feel comfortable with? *** I understand this will be a gym rope ONLY, and I plan on getting a full length rope before my first trip outdoors!! ***
The most you'll ever use is 30' up, 30' out, and 30' to lower down, plus 6 feet for knots. (All approximations, of course.) A 100' rope should be just about right, which just happens to be half of a 60m rope.
You should either buy a short rope or go halve-sies with a friend to buy a 60m rope to chop in half so each person gets one, or you buy one yourself and use one half now and save the second half for later.
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