Hey guys,

I just took SMI's snow travel class and am now looking to cheaply get a rope for short roping type stuff. For a rope team of 2 (dangerous, I know, but not on glaciated terrain) and up to maybe 5. I was thinking about using a rope that I currently have, wich would be a 60m 9.5mm rope that I already have. It is 2x dry treatment so it should be pretty good in snow. Or the other option i was looking at was 30m of 8mm cord from my local A16. But would the 60m rope work, or should I invest in something smaller?

Thanks guys!

-CS

So would the 60m be too long? Or would it still be usable?

-CS

A 60M dry-treated rope would work fine. Just tie in as you would for a two-person rope team and shorten the rope between you using Kiwi coils.

60m is fine, just heavy. As Brad said, coil up the remainder. For a group up to five (if I read correctly) you would actually want the longer rope.

YA, I thought the 60m rope would work, ya its a but heavy but we deal. Maybe I could make some meaningful raps if I had too? So my friend, who doesn't have crampons or an ice axe wants me to take him up San Jacinto, but when I was up there it was SUPER icy. I was wondering if maybe I could go up and trail the rope, set up an anchor with my ice axe, and then pull him up? Would that be safe? Or should I say no, untill he gets the stuff. I realize that the belay method would take twice as long, but be safer, any ideas?

-CS

climberslacker wrote:So my friend, who doesn't have crampons or an ice axe wants me to take him up San Jacinto, but when I was up there it was SUPER icy. I was wondering if maybe I could go up and trail the rope, set up an anchor with my ice axe, and then pull him up? Would that be safe? Or should I say no, untill he gets the stuff. I realize that the belay method would take twice as long, but be safer, any ideas?

Besides taking a ridiculous amount of time, you would be creating a situation where one team member is completely helpless. Bad idea.

Ok cool, I was just kind of thinking aloud, never a good idea. He just wanted to come with me and i started thinking of ways.

-CS

climberslacker wrote:Ok cool, I was just kind of thinking aloud, never a good idea. He just wanted to come with me and i started thinking of ways.

-CS

Have him learn snow skills and buy crampons and ice axe. There should be time for that before the winter season ends on San Jacinto. You have at least a couple of months, I think.

Don't get 8MM off the roll at A16, that stuff is static. If you want a small piece of cord check out the Mammut Phoenix 30M or Beal Rando 30M. I've used something like that on San Jacinto for practice and always carry it for class 3/4 in the Sierra.

Ok cool, i wasn't sure. I guess because I would rather suffer then drop 80 bucks, i will use the 60m rope. Its a nice rope tho, so Im happy its going to be getting some use! Also, do you use a rope on San. J? I can imagine using one going up snow creek but not so much from round valley. But having one could never hurt.

-CS

Try this: http://www.barrabes.com/barrabes/product.asp?pf_id=27966&idvariedad=108979&opt=d&dept_id=1258

I am personally OK with a static rope for glaciers. The falls are extremely dynamic anyway.

I do like dry-treat, because it will get wet. I also like beefier rope, like 9mm or thicker, because it can be hard to get prusiks or ascenders to grip skinny ropes, especially when wet and icy.

Gear Express sells the ends of Sterling spools - including dry-treated static. This is my glacier plan.

http://www.gearexpress.com/Merchant2/me ... ry_Code=SR

http://www.mra.org/services/grants/docu ... sFinal.pdf

I don't know where you were told it's okay to use a static rope for potential crevasse fall situations. Low-stretch (6-10% elongation) is okay but static (less than 6%) is not. Plus, why are carry a static rope? What if you decide to belay? There is no way a screw or picket will hold if you fall on to it with a static rope. This approach seems very limiting.

That data is not very useful. The test was performed with a solid anchor (which a self arresting rope-mate is certainly not), and used a solid "crevasse edge". If a crevasse has enough snow to let you get partway across, the rope will cut deeply, absobing a lot of energy.

I would also use a SuperStatic line, which is not all that static. Even the most static nylon kernmantle ropes have some give, and when using a dynamic hip or boot/ax belay to bring up a seconding climber rope stretch is not the primary means of force-control anyway.

Now, if you may have to belay the leader, things change dramatically. You will need a real belay, with an anchor, and some dynamic rope.

squishy wrote:Something like this...

http://www.rei.com/product/737306

I have this rope for glaciers and a New England 10.2mm 60m for other stuff. They both work great for what I use them for.

-Mark