Petzl Contact Standard Climbing Rope - 9.8mm

I have used this a few time and really like it. The rope is easy to handle, flakes easily, and runs smoothly through a grigri. I have used it indoors and sport climbing outdoors. The color is also fantastic - looks even better in person.

I gave this to my buddy as a gift and he absolutely loves it! He said: "This rope has been awesome! I went from a 10.1 Mamut and was nervous to move to a thinner rope but have loved it so far. This rope is easy to handle on the draws and anchors and flakes like a charm. Petlz does not fail to impress!"

I personally have used several Petzl ropes and think they are great quality. If you have questions about this rope or any other, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email.

aleblanc@backcountry.com
801-204-4582

The Contact Standard Climbing Rope is one of my favorite Petzl ropes thus far. I like how supple it is, which makes belaying and coiling the rope a lot more enjoyable. The 9.8 diameter is perfect, and runs through the Grigri nicely when giving out slack! I also really love the light blue color! :)

I bought this rope to climb in the gym, and take on my weekend trips. I was surprised by how light it was compared to my previous rope. I use it about three times a week in the gym and on trips outside almost every weekend. It's been almost 6 months now and its not frayed on the sheathe at all. The climb ready coil is great for the first use after purchase!

I got this rope nearly 5 months ago, and it's been used usually several times a week since. It's been used for a lot of sport climbs, top ropes, trad climbs, and gym climbing , taken multiple falls on it (mostly small), and still a solid line. Sheath has definitely taken a beating, but other than minor fraying has held solid, and the core still feels good everywhere. Might be trimming it soon, but going on 5 months of use, that's not too bad. The middle marker is still clearly visible, and the stretch is a good for taking whippers - you'll feel fine after the catch. Having an electric blue rope means it's always easy to sight too, stands out great against, well, pretty much nature in general.

So overall it's a solid, reliable rope we've used for all types of climbing. When this one gets retired, I'm probably going to get another.

This rope is the worst i've ever owned. We took 4 belays on one end and the sheath pulled from the core 10-15ft from the end on the climber side. switched ends of the rope, took 4 belays on the other end and the SAME thing happened! sending it back to petzl so they can 'evaluate' if there's anything wrong with the rope. I'm irritated with their customer service and will never buy another Petzl rope. see photos. Remember, rope was brand new, taken out of the box the day we used it. 8 total belays.

I've been thinking for a while about grabbing a 70m rope, so it was an awesome opportunity to do a review of one. Thanks to Backcountry.com and Petzl for allowing me to review this 9.8mm sport cord for the Backcountry.com community.

Probably the first thing you notice is the sweet color. It's electric blue. Right out of the plastic, when coiling and packing it, I could tell it has good hand. No stiffness at all and the sheath has a nice feel. I re-stacked and re-coiled it several times to get a feel for it over a few uses. It coils well and had a noticeable lack of twisting and tangling. For a 70m rope, it is surprisingly lightweight. I would bet that it weighs about the same as my older 9.2 x 60m.

Taking it out for its first run on some rock in Boulder Canyon, it performed as expected from a high-quality line. It knots and hitches solidly and unties easily. The cool color stands out well on the rock in Boulder. The half-mark is obvious due to the contrast of black on blue.

For lack of a better word, I would call this line a "noodle" - but that is a good thing - a property I really like in a rope. It is the opposite of stiff, which leads to very easy clipping. Even in difficult or awkward stances, I feel solid clipping this line.

I took a couple of forced falls in order to feel the forces. The rope has a nice, soft catch.

On the belay, the cord felt good through the ATC and had good grip in the brake hand. With such a nice sheath, I wondered how fast this rope would be on rappel. I think it was spot-on. Not too slippery, not too sticky. Also on rappel, I kept an eye out for any sheath slippage - but noticed none.

The only downside I've found so far is the bulk. This has nothing to do with this particular rope however. It's just a factor when carrying a 70m. Let's be honest though, it's a sport-climbing specific line. So how much am I really concerned with bulk?

After climbing, when packing everything back up, still no kinking, or tangling. I think the sheath really excels. I'm looking forward to taking this rope out a ton over the Spring and Summer. It's early in the game, but just from the initial impressions, I have a lot of confidence in the durability and longevity of this cord.