UKC

Hey - been top rope climbing for a while now. Took an intro to lead class recently and looking to start doing more of that.

I've found a good deal of a basic Beal Karma rope of varying lengths. My local gym only requires 30m rope - this will be where I am 90% of the time. However, I'm lucky enough to live a reasonable distance to Ratho where a longer rope is needed.

My original plan was to invest a 60/70m rope which would have me covered for Ratho, anywhere outdoors I may end up trying and also my local gym. However, given I'd only need the use of a 30m rope for the majority of my climbing, would I end up resenting the longer rope due to the extra weight/management?

Money is obviously a factor, though I'm erring on buying the cheap 30m rope, and then saving for a 60/70m treated rope down the line.

In reply to redberry:

If you go for a 30m rope and do end up at Ratho, what are you going to do then? IMO, once you've climbed indoors there, any other gym won't feel anywhere near as good. And a 30m won't get you up anything there. To me, it's a no-brainer to get a longer rope, but you could go for a compromise in the shape of a 50m untreated rope. In almost 30 years of climbing I've never bought a treated one as I simply don't need it. I now always get my ropes from Decathlon as they're usually the best bang for the buck unless there's a deal on offer somewhere else.

Plus if you get a 60 or 70m, you can always cut it or chop the ends when they (eventually) wear.

In reply to redberry:

The weight certainly won't be an issue for gym use, you only have to carry it from the carpark to the wall. 

In reply to redberry:

If you're going to be a regular wall climber I'd always recommend buying a cheap short rope just for the wall. Buy a 60m when you get to the point you actually need one. There's no point in wearing out an expensive rope at the wall, and while flaking out the extra 30m every climb doesn't sound like a big deal, it gets really boring after a while.

In reply to redberry:

don't assume for a minute you will only end up with one rope.

I'd get a 30m to trash at the wall and then get longer / thinner / treated ropes as required.

In reply to Andypeak:

But it will be an issue if you have to cycle across town with it.

+1 for getting the short one for now just for wall use, then a nice one for outdoors later (perhaps go Dutch with a buddy to moderate the financial blow?)

In reply to Hooo:

You may not realise how high Ratho wall is hence the bigger rope that’s needed.

In reply to redberry:

50m x 10mm. Covers 99% of out and indoor routes, buy more niche ropes when you've exhausted those or the real need arises. 

In reply to redberry:

The correct number of ropes is N+1. Where N is your current number of ropes.

Get a 30m or maybe a 40m now and save for a decent 60m for outdoor crags

In reply to redberry:

Buy the 30m rope and tell your mate to buy a 60.  Yours will only last a few years, if you're keen, at which point you can go and buy another, to even things out.

Appreciate all the advice here - in the end I went for the best of both worlds and bought a 30 and a 60. I've been keeping an eye on rope prices for a while and this seemed to be a good enough deal to just go for it - paid £34 for the 30 and £57 for the 60. Would have been a better deal to buy 2 x 60 and cut one in half but I was already buying more than I initially expected.

In reply to redberry: That’s a good choice, now its down to your mates to buy quickdraws and provide a car for getting to crags (or Ratho?).

Thats such a cheap rope deal, you've paid less than normal 60m price AND you get a 30m for that too!

30m also works outdoors at N Berwick Law (sport) and Limekilns (trad) and most of Benny Beg too I think. Always tie the bottom end to yourself, or to the rope bag (IKEA bag if skint)…will save your bacon if rope not long enough.

Happy climbing!