Let’s face it. Tommy Caldwell is basically unimpeachable. I’ve never heard anyone say a negative word about him, except perhaps for the self-deprecating words he levels at himself. He’s got a high bar for himself, his routes, and his approach to climbing. So you can expect that when he puts his name on a product, like the Edelrid Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry Color Tec 9.3mm, you know it’ll be as unimpeachable as the man himself.
This new rope from Edelrid feels trustworthy from the moment you tie in. Despite being just 9.3mm in diameter, the rope feels almost dense, as if it’s so tightly woven as to be impervious to sharp edges and blades of rock. A few years back, I was hesitant to go much under 9.6mm ropes but this Edelrid Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry Color Tec inspires the confidence of a rope that’s millimeters wider than its actual slender lightweight girth. If this is what kind of performance you can expect from the new breed of 9.3mm ropes, then count me in.
Specifications
Low weight, small diameter, and optimum handling
Diameter: 9.3 mm
Weight: 57g/m
UIAA and CE certified.
MSRP: $299 for 60m. Check price at Backcountry.com
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Elite performance on bi-pattern 9.3mm ropes
Of course, much of this confidence owes to the manufacturer. This German-made rope has all the hallmarks of a well-made cord. It doesn’t kink much, it handles well, ties great knots, and most of all, unlike some other ropes I’ve used at this 9.3mm size, hasn’t turned to mush after a few months of hard wear and tear.
The real show-stopper for this rope is the bold bi-pattern color scheme: half the cord is red and half is blue. I’ve gotten tons of comments from other climbers who love this design, which makes identifying the middle as easy as can be. Most bi-pattern climbing ropes on the market retain the same colors but just switch up the design. The Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry Color Tec 9.3mm stands out with this really stark color shift. I would have no problem calling this rope the best bi-pattern climbing rope on the market.
Edelrid has applied its signature Eco Dry coating to the rope, to prevent the rope from absorbing water in wet situations. Wet ropes, by the way, are super dangerous and lose some of their strength. Given that I’ve been climbing in the Western U.S. during a historic drought, I haven’t had much opportunity to test this Eco Dry treatment.
The “eco” in Eco Dry refers to the treatment being 100% PFC free, which I appreciate after reading about PFCs and PFAS and other “forever chemicals” that many of our outdoor products are adding to the environment—including the summit of Everest.
The flip side of dry treatments, however, is that they tend to pick up more dirt and grime than non-dry ropes, at least in my experience. Sure enough, the Edelrid Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry Color Tec 9.3mm was adding a black skid mark of grime to my hand every time I lowered my partner after just a week of use. Again, this isn’t necessarily a specific critique of this rope as much as it is a fact of all ropes with a dry coating. Were a non Eco Dry version made available, this would be a no-brainer for me as a guy who spends a lot of time climbing in dusty, arid climates.
At an MSRP of $299 for a 60-meter rope, the Edelrid Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry Color Tec 9.3mm isn’t the cheapest rope out there, but actually it’s pretty competitive among other bi-pattern climbing ropes. If you’re looking for a bi-pattern climbing rope that is durable enough to withstand big walls, but sporty enough to handle the toughest projects, look no further than this rope.
Pros
Very tight sheath that makes the rope feel extremely solid. This solid feel is achieved, apparently, thanks to Edelrid’s 48-bobbin braiding machine.
No mushy feel, even after a few months of abuse—big falls on old, worn carabiners, etc.
Bi-pattern design is unique thanks to two starkly different colors. The contrast makes it easy to identify the middle.
PFC free: Feel good that you’re not dumping more “forever chemicals” into the environment.
Thin but durable. This 9.3mm rope inspires confidence, holds up to abuse, and can perform really well in any climbing scenario.
Cons
Expensive, and toward the higher end of what you can expect to pay for a rope, but competitive with other bi-pattern ropes.
The rope quickly gets dirty and grimy almost certainly because of its dry treatment.
Hey Andrew,
Thanks for the review. Having loved past Edelrid ropes, I continue to be impressed with their commitment to making excellent products and pushing the industry forward.
Regarding your comments about dry treated ropes picking up more dirt and grime, I can’t say I’ve had the same experience. And the fact that you mention this rope “was adding a black skid mark of grime to my hand every time I lowered my partner…” is a tell-tale sign of oxidized aluminum dust from the carabiner/belay device combo. Unless you are using a steel belay carabiner and/or belay device I’d be less concerned about “dirt” contaminating the rope and more interested to see if it’s other parts of the system that are creating the “grime.”
Cheers!
Andreas
That’s interesting. Yeah, I have had worse experience with dry treated ropes regarding how “dirty” they get. And yeah, I do use steel-plated Grigri.