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Climbing Ropes
Ropes for all activites. If you are unsure of the definitions of Full or half ropes please see the bottom of the page.
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New ropes will normally have a label on each end of the rope whcih contains information about that rope.~
The technical information encountered on rope labels is dictated by two standards.
Manufacturers are legally required to make ropes to the European Standard (European Norms EN 892) and have them tested by an independent laboratory.
Some manufactures also have their ropes tested to the older UIAA standard that, for some tests is more demanding, but this is not required by law.
The different standards of rope are
SINGLE ROPE
Used in single form as the name suggests. Designed
for rock climbing, best suited to relatively
straight pitches and routes that do not require an
abseil descent. | HALF ROPE
Half ropes, as used in double rope technique, are
recommended for trad climbing, mountaineering
and long rock routes where abseil descents are
required. Also recommended whenever runners
are of dubious quality notably on ice and snow. | MOUNTAIN WALKING or TOUR ROPE
Used to assist security on mountain walks, glacier
or ski mountaineering trips. Normally 8mm dynamic,
in a choice of lengths, with and without tie-in markers.
Not suitable for rock or mountain climbing. | TWIN ROPE
Now of limited use, with a requirement to clip
both ropes every time. New low weight half ropes
with greater safety and usefulness have virtually
replaced this type. | This information is taken from an information document produced by Frank Bennett of Beal and the British Mountaineering Council.
The Full Document (pdf) can be found HERE.
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