9.6mm has certainly replaced 9.8mm as the wheel house for climbers looking to traverse seamlessly from the sport climbing of Shelf Road to the splitters of Indian Creek to the granite multi-pitches of the South Platte, all with a single cord.

Black Diamond's super-versatile 9.6mm x 70m - which apparently needs no fancy-schmancy name like the "Lightning Elite" or "Super NIAD" - features  a 2x2 weave construction which bolsters durability but doesn't effect the rope's supple hand. In other words, the 9.6 is thin enough for the hardest sport climbing you can muster, but thick enough to take the brutality of both the desert and big wall. , the 9.6 hits that sweet spot of being thin enough for a hard sport redpoint, but thick enough to take a seasonal beating in the desert. You'll find a triple-dash middle mark, as well, making it a wee bit easier to spot when pulling the rope for rappels.

2023 CLOSEOUT

Specs