The Basics: Ski and Glacier Travel Ropes

Knowing the Ropes – Ski Mountaineering and Glacier Travel

In this gear starter, we’re eyeing ropes for skiing that serve double duty as a glacier travel rope. The realm of climbing and skiing goes hard and fast, from general touring to gear-specific missions. Gear for lower angle meadow skipping differs from a day outing rapping into couloirs. For some ski missions, sometimes you’ll want a rope.

Generally, think of a high-functioning ski or /glacier travel rope as 6mm in diameter. Skinny? Yes. Fabricated from modern materials, they are light and functional and plenty strong. Most importantly, these ropes are not dynamic. For a refresher, a dynamic rope stretches in a fall, absorbing some force when the rope comes taut — the rope stretch cushions the impact of the fall.

The ropes presented here are hyperstatic lines, with the Edelrid offering categorized as a low-stretch rope. In other words, these ropes do not stretch much; therefore, if and when you fall, static/hyperstatic ropes don’t absorb a notable amount of impact force. Much of the force is directed into your body. Taking a fall with any slack in the line could result in injury. Do not lead climb on these ropes — they are not certified lead ropes.

The exception to that rule is the Edelrid Rap Line Protect (RLP) Pro Dry, and only when the rope is employed as a twin rope when making upward progress or the anchor is fixed. (Twin rope — two Rap Line Protects are clipped to each piece of protection). If all this is getting too technical, email us, we’re glad to recommend a guide in your area to learn the ropes. These specialized ski ropes require some know-how and gear to use safely. We’ll touch upon those techniques and gear, but this guide is not a tutorial.

The Skinny Rope Beta

Basics uses for these ski/glacier travel rope

• Rappelling
• Glacier Travel
• With training- belayed ski cut
• With training- cornice exploration
• Crevasse rescue
• Tag line applications ($$$ for a tag line)

At 6mm in diameter, these ropes are skinny. A smaller diameter means less friction as the rope runs through a belay device. But for weight-conscious skiers/riders, it also means less overall weight. The use of modern materials further reduces the weight. The materials in all three ropes are similar. They are light, durable, and offer superior cut strength. The materials are hydrophobic; even without a dry treatment, like the RAD Line, these ropes do not absorb water like sponges, which keeps the weight down if/when you employ them for roped glacier travel. However, the Edelrid and Mammut ropes are dry treated, if that is a concern. With standard dynamic ropes, which do not use hydrophobic materials like HMPE, a dry treatment helps minimize water absorption.

Skinny Rope Dynamics

The rope construction also means they are not dynamic. The RAD Line and Glacier Cord Dry are static lines stretching ~2%. You’ll even hear them referred to as hyperstatic lines. According to Petzl, known for releasing excellent technical spec sheets, a single rope is considered static if it has less than 10% stretch. The Rap Line Protect Pro is modestly stretchier and is a low-stretch rope at ~6% stretch. Dynamic ropes, on the other hand, stretch between 10%-40%. If you’ve ever taken a whipper on a dynamic rope, and the system works as designed, you don’t experience impact when the fall is caught. That’s the rope stretch and likely a soft belay working in concert.

The lack of stretch, when applied to rappelling and glacier travel, can be an asset. You’ll experience less bounce rappeling, making you feel more secure, especially with skis on your feet. For glacier travel, you’ll want to keep the rope slack free between you and your partners. In the event of a crevasse fall, the lack of rope stretch is advantageous when considering the likelihood of hitting the crevasse floor. Further, since no fixed anchor is in play, the partner(s) at the surface are pulled in the direction of the fall, making the system generally more dynamic. It is also likely the rope will cut into the crevasse lip, which will absorb some of the falling force too. The entire system, not the rope, creates the dynamic elements.

When it comes time for hauling or ascending, these ropes are more efficient since they do not stretch. If you are keen on rock climbing, the ropes can serve double duty as a tag line.

The Skinny — On Rappel

Back to the skinny. As noted, the sheaths on the three ropes resist cutting and tearing and can be used with progress capture devices like a Petzl Mini Traxion, NanoTraxion, or Tibloc, and an Edelrid Spock. The ropes feel pretty similar when rappelling. Due to their high-tech sheaths, each rope generates some fraction as it runs through a bare hand. The two dry treated options are marginally more slippery by feel. But used in the field, consider their hand-feel nearly identical.

Rappelling with these ropes requires a setup that increases friction. Standard practice includes using two carabiners clipped through the rope rather than a single locker clipped to a belay loop and the rappel device. (See Photos.)

And if using a prusik/autoblock is not your standard operating procedure, please make it your SOP when using these 6mm lines. Clip a carabiner to a leg loop, attach the autoblock to the rope, and clip the autoblock’s tail end to the carabiner. Although this doesn’t increase friction at the belay device-rope interface, it does provide a backup if you lose control of the skinny line on rappel.

Additionally, you can employ a Munter or Supermunter and forgo the rap device. But get ready for some rope twist. These skinny ropes do like to tangle. Take time to coil, stack, and perhaps store these lines in a dedicated rope bag.

Besides price, the most significant difference among the ropes is the fall rating for the Edelrid Rap Line Protect. Used as a twin rope on lead (two strands of rope, with both strands clipped to each piece of protection), the RLP is rated to withstand “two required standard falls for dynamic twin rope tests according to EN 892.” Just so folks are not misunderstanding the application and fall rating hare, a single RLP used on lead is not rated to hold a fall: the RLP must be used as a twin rope for this rating to be accurate. Although we’ve not tested a fall on the RLP, the sheath, not the core, is designed to fail and absorb some of the falling force making for a relatively “soft” fall compared to what one would normally experience using a static or hyper static rope.

Look for tutorials on using these ropes and the special gear needed to use them properly.