Mammut Phoenix Climbing Rope - 8mm - 2007 BCS

Nice handling, light weight rope but have been dissappointed by the durability. Possibly this is down to rope handling or technique on my part, but after some very ordinary abuse and relatively innocuous raps and pitches it's come back badly scarred (core shot, bad sheath abrasions etc).

In the past I have been a huge fan of Mammut ropes - they are supple and workable, and (especially my favorite, the Infinity 10.0) they last a long time.

These ropes did not even come close to meeting those expectations. I took them on a single trip (the Torment-Forbidden Traverse in the North Cascades) and they were both totally trashed after just five rappels. One took a core shot and the other had an abrasion that is close enough to a core shot that it needs to be retired.

This is frustrating because a. I didn't take any lead falls, b. the damage points were at quite different spots, so it wasn't as though a particularly sharp edge did them both in and c. Mammut has been extremely uncooperative in living up to their warranty which, according to their website, should cover the ropes except in cases of improper use or normal wear and tear.

Well, five low-angle rappels leading to a core shot is not normal wear and tear in my book, and frankly I was expecting a bit more from Mammut as a company.

I've liked their ropes in the past, but these ropes couldn't handle alpine rock and Mammut won't stand by their products. Here I come, Edelweiss.

I don't ever climb on doubles, but I use this rope for light alpine duty as a single (not recommended or condoned by manufacturer), and also as a rap line or rap tag line. This rope is solid, has a nice hand, and is about as durable as you would expect an 8mm Mammut to be (that is, surprisingly). Best of all, it's light when you're carrying it on your back (as light or lighter than 8mm Perlon and more versatile). Not too slippery to rap or belay, either. All in all, a great rope for it's intended purposes. If this is all that's keeping you from the void, there's going to be some "clench" factor, but it still beats having nothing by a long shot!

I have owned many ropes over the years, and Mammut is my consistent favorite. This is one nice rope. They blend high performance, durability, and excellent handling for one sweet total package. The new 8 mil X 60m weighs just about a quarter pound more than the 8.5 mil X 50 m Genesis I'm replacing.

Nice light rope. Like the feel of the rope. Provides a soft catch and piece of mind having two ropes. Seems to be standing up pretty nice through the thrashings of climbing.