I am looking at purchasing my first rope and I have 2 great deals at my disposal and wanted to get some opinions. First is the Petzl Nomad 9.8mm or the Mammut Supernova 10mm. I know .2mm isn't a huge difference, but I hadn't planned on going lower than 10mm and was thinking that for the mostly top roping and beginning leading I might be better off with a little bit fatter rope.

In general, among the large manufacturers, I'd say a rope is a rope if you consider equivelent grams/meter (its a better measure then diameter) in my book, with the caveat of Petzl. Which is suprising forr me to say since I really like Petzl as a climbing gear compamny. I say it since among my climbing partners and I, we've trashed them out so much faster then any other rope (with Keith destroying his on a one month road trip). Mammut makes great ropes.

Petzl has had some durability problems with their ropes. But beyond that, I think that even a 10mm rope, not to mention a 9.8, is on the thin side for "top-roping and beginning leading," where durability is far more important than light weight.

I just got a Petzl (doesn't someone else actually manufacture them?) this winter. It's been in pretty constant use since then, and is it almost trashed. Seriously, if I didn't know it was only a few months old, I'd be scared to climb on it. I think it was a Zephyr, 10.3. We're getting another pair of doubles in a little bit, and I think this rope might well be retired after that.

According to a comment by Jim Ewing on rc.com, Cousin-Trestec manufacturers both Petzl and Millet ropes.

Chas, sounds like you need to stop falling so much and start holding on longer!!!!

Buy the prettiest rope

Well that's good to know about the petzl, I also sort of figured that 9.8 was a bit on the thin side for starting out. I'm thinking it is probably a better plan to go with something in the 10.5-11 range considering all the use it will hopefully get as I build up my skills.

Ropes are really expensive over here, so I often buy in the States, have them delivered to my folks over there and pick them up when I come over to visit.

I'm not super picky, but I've had good luck with Bluewater over the years, and they almost always have a model or two on sale on line at REI or REI Outlet. I've consistently found their Accelerator 10.5 on sale there for around USD 140 or less. Nice durable rope for general use.

They don't have that one on there right now (in fact, their BW selection looks thin in general), but I just looked and saw a 10.3 called Slimline for USD 157 that looks pretty good:

http://www.rei.com/product/803584

Worth a look, maybe.

Rob,

When you get to my age, hanging on is just a dream. Atleast I can get FA's (Flatulance assisted).

As an update to this, my Petzl that was brandy new in February is now completely, totally done. Fat, hairy and limp, and I can feel the sheath pulling away from the core in places.

I'm horrified at how fast that rope died, under average weekend use.