There are a lot of very opinionated people weighing in on the debate over single or double rope in ice climbing. I will present a bit of background information on the debate without making too much of a push for one or the other. The rope you choose is a matter of where you are climbing, your personal preference, and your needs.
In an ideal world, an ice climber a rope would be long, light, and durable. It would also have excellent handling and low impact force. Unfortunately, as many of these needs are contradictory, the perfect rope is elusive.
If you are a beginner, you shouldn’t be making these decisions on your own. You need to be working with a support system or team who can assist you.
Single ropes are best if you are climbing something pretty straight-forward without any twists and turns. If you are using a single rope, remember that it halves the distance that you can rappel, so you need to take this into account when calculating length. For most climbs, a single rope is really all that is necessary, but it does limit your ability to move around in a more flexible manner. Ice climbing often means a wide variety of terrain – that can be reason to consider double ropes.
Double ropes extend your ability to get around, and they give you the full length to rappel. There can be considerably less drag and impact on double ropes than on single ropes, giving you a little bit more ease.
Single ropes come in a variety of diameters; the advantage of choosing a larger diameter is that the climber can control the descent more, and the ropes may last a bit longer and give more friction. Remember, they can be a bit heavier and mean more physical work for an ice climber.
Double ropes are ideal for more difficult routes, as you always have ‘back-up’ with you, and the set up can be easy to handle. These ropes run in smaller diameters, and you can choose which one best suits your needs.
Double ropes can be useful to an ice climber, because they are easy to manipulate in a variety of terrains, and can allow you to cover more territory. For two people, they are easy to carry, and they can also give you a greater degree of safety; however, they are also considerably more expensive.
When choosing a rope system for ice climbing, the best thing to do is to test drive them at your ice climbing school. They should be able to give you some tips as to where to begin. If you are looking to invest in your own supplies, it strongly depends on where and what type of climbing you will be doing.
