Safe but a twister

By crtolson809902 Ranked #255 - Single Ropes March 28, 2010

I purchased this rope a few years ago. The teflon gives it a slippery feel at first but after a few climbs it feels 'normal'. It is the first Mammut rope I've purchased. I like knowing this line has everything a company can put into a modern rope to make it less prone to failure. I've used it on sharp limestone, waterfall ice, and glaciers and it provides a little more piece of mind; especially now that I'm climbing with my adult kids. I also use another brand of line in a twin setup when situations are appropriate.
The only reason I would not buy this rope again is because it has a huge tendency to twist very badly. I uncoiled it for the first time using the method Mammut recommends for uncoiling a new rope but it still twists badly. I thought maybe after a dozen rappels or so it would get better but it hasn't improved. I've even rapped on it as a single line just to try to "untwist" or reset the fibers. As I rap down the line I can see the spiral twists of the sheath and dread the cluster I know will be at the bottom. When belaying there's always a cluster twist as the leader nears the end of a pitch. I've actually untied to rid the twists before following a pitch. Hopefully this drawback has been taken care of. I would definitely buy this again if it weren't for this issue.
The ads state this is the first rope to meet the UIAA fall test over an edge but some time ago, I had an Edelweiss that claimed the same and that was back in the late 1980's. Maybe there are more stringent UIAA edge fall tests now or Mammut and Edelweiss are referring to different tests. Given this twisting with the Mammut, I think I'd recommend ensuring somehow it had been fixed by Mammut. This will be a rope I consider next time around but I'm sure I'll be looking at what Edelweiss or others have to offer in as similar 'supersafe' thread.

View Details: Mammut Supersafe Climbing Rope - 10.2mm

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes