One important element that has been and still is the concern of many rock climbers is represented by rock climbing rope. You have to know (and I bet you already know) that a rope can hold the fate of your life in its ‘hands’. While in the past that could be a problem, it is not the same today because manufacturers have started to produce ropes that are completely different than the ones that existed with the past climbing expeditions.

One feature that turns the today rock climbing rope into a safe element is the texture it is made of. These days you don’t have to worry any more about the fact that your rope won’t hold your weight and will break with any sudden move you make or any extra weight you add to your body weight. Well, this concern shouldn’t be there with you anymore because this rope is designed to stretch with the heavy weight or even with a fall.

The rope is in fact protected with a sheath surrounding its inner core protecting you against scrapes and cuts. There is one single aspect you have to be on the lookout for: the sharp edges over which a rope can be stretched. These elements are the only ones to make a rope break easily if it is constantly rubbed against them. So keep your eyes wide open in chase of these edges.

Another feature that determines rock climbing ropes to be different than the ones of the past is the length. At first it seemed that with a 150 ft long rope climbers could do just fine, but not anymore. Nowadays you find sport climbing routes that necessitate ropes of about 50 meters long if not more. But the thing is that the longer the rope is, the more expensive this one is not to mention that it is heavier to carry on you. One piece of advice: before you go out there rock climbing, make sure you have the right length.

For towing the gear you will need while ascending a static line which doesn’t allow the rope to stretch while being tied to your gear. So, for climbing you will not use this type of rope but only for towing your equipment.

Other types of rock climbing ropes are:

• Wet rope meaning that the rope can be soaked in rain in case there is rain falling over you. But the inconvenience with this one is that it becomes very heavy the moment it gets soaked wet.
• Dry rope is a rope treated with an agent that makes the rope water repellent but they are usually 20% more expensive than the usual rock climbing rope. It is an unnecessary expense for a typical climbing.