REASONS TO BUY
Durable sheath
Supple feel
Highly versatile
Affordable
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Not versatile for alpine climbing
Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic Review
This rope is a winner due to its superior handling, durability, and affordability
The Mammut Crag Classic 9.5 is a solid performer across the board, and our favorite climbing rope.
Credit: Jack Cramer
RELATED: Best Rock Climbing Ropes of 2024
Our Verdict
The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic is our favorite climbing rope, and so naturally, the one that we recommend as our Editors' Choice Award Winner. It has a soft and supple feel, but it is thick enough to put our minds at ease when climbing high above the ground. It shows excellent durability, with many of our testers using their rope for years. And, it's versatile enough to be used for single-pitch cragging, multi-pitch climbing, and gym climbing. With plenty of useful sheath color options and a good dry treatment, this rope has enough features to keep us satisfied. This excellent rope is the consummate all-arounder and should please all sorts of climbers on all types of terrain. However, it weighs more than most skinnier ropes due to it's relatively thick diameter, which means that it's not the best for alpine climbing and routes with long approaches. Get the scoop on how it stands up to the competition in our review of the best climbing ropes.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on October 30, 2024, after fully retesting the rope.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Rock Climbing Rope |  Best for Alpine Climbing |  Best Bang for the Buck | Best for Multi-Pitch | |
| Price | $149.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $109.95 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $250 List $219.95 at Backcountry | $249.95 at Backcountry |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | No rope does a better job of including all the attributes we want – durability, great handling, and a reasonable price | The best lightweight rope for alpine climbing on the market | An excellent deal on an environmentally friendly and high-performance rope | This rope hits the sweet spot between weight and durability for long multi-pitch routes | An eco-friendly and surprisingly durable skinny rope for long routes |
| Rating Categories | Mammut 9.5 Crag Cla... | Beal Opera | Mammut 9.5 Crag We... | Beal Joker | Edelrid Swift Eco Dry |
| Handling (30%) | |||||
| Durability (25%) | |||||
| Versatility (20%) | |||||
| Features (15%) | |||||
| Weight (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Mammut 9.5 Crag Cla... | Beal Opera | Mammut 9.5 Crag We... | Beal Joker | Edelrid Swift Eco Dry |
| Length Tested (m) | 60 | 60 | 70 | 60 | 80 |
| Diameter (mm) | 9.5 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 8.9 |
| Weight (g/m) | 59 | 48 | 58 | 53 | 52 |
| Lengths Available (m) | 50, 60, 70, 80 | 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, 200 | 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 | 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, 200 | 60, 70, 80 |
| Dry Coating Option | Classic, Dry | Dry Cover, Golden Dry | Classic, Dry | Dry Cover, Golden Dry | Eco Dry |
| Middle Mark or Bi-Pattern Option | Bi-pattern, middle mark | Middle mark | Middle mark | Middle mark | Middle mark |
| Certified Use | Single | Single, Half, and Twin | Single | Single, Half and Twin | Single, Half, and Twin |
| UIAA Number of Factor 1.77 Falls | 6 | 5 (single), 20-22 (half), >25 (twin) | 6 | 5 (single), 20 (half), >25 (twin) | Single 7, Half 22 |
| Impact Force (kN) | 7.7 | 7.3 (single), 5.5 (half), 8.8 (twin) | 7.7 | 8.2 (single), 6.0 (half), 9.5 (twin) | 8.8 (single), 6.7 (half), 10.4 (twin) |
| Static Elongation % (in use) | 7.5 | 8.4 (single), 8.4 (half), 5.1 (twin) | 7.5 | 8.5 (single), 8.4 (half), 5.0 (twin) | 9 (single), 8.6 (half), 5.3 (twin) |
| Dynamic Elongation % (first fall) | 33 | 36 (single), 32 (half), 28 (twin) | 33 | 35(single), 32 (half), 28 (twin) | 35 (single), 30 (half), 28 (twin) |
| Sheath Proportion % | 42 | 38 | 42 | 35 | 34 |
| Calculated Weight of Sheath (g/m) | 24 | 18 | 24 | 19 | 18 |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
This rope offers supple handling, good durability, and useful features. It's also versatile enough for most types of climbing, especially when the approach is short. The only downside to this rope is the weight, which makes it less suitable for alpine climbing. Otherwise, it's the perfect rope.
Performance Comparison
If you're making quick clips from tenuous positions, a supple rope is key. Brendan O'Neill gets a fast clip with the Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Handling
The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic is a soft, easily bendable rope that feels comfortable in the hand right out of the box. Whether you are tying into the rope or feeding it through a rappel device, it is soft enough to bend tightly, making life with pumped forearms a lot easier. It's slippery enough to easily slide through a GriGri or similar belay device when belaying and feels really nice in the hands. It hits the sweet spot between stiff ropes that promise durability and ropes that are too soft to inspire confidence.
After four months of rigorous testing that has included at least 200 pitches of climbing, this rope has not stiffened up. Over time, many people complain that their ropes become “cord-like” and less flexible, which impacts their performance, especially when belaying. We have not noticed this effect in any way, and the rope remains just as supple and easy to manipulate through the device or into knots as when we first uncoiled it.
The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic on top, compared with a less supple rope below. The Crag Classic rests in a smaller bight when pinched, compared to most ropes.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi
Durability
We've used this rope heavily over the years, and consider it to be one of the most durable ropes on the market. The sheath weave feels relatively tight, meaning sheath strands won't snag as easily on sharp rock crystals. The sheath still wears over time, but it seems to resists fuzzing more than most other ropes. We reach for this rope over others when we know the rope will be running over abrasive rock types, or when we are prioritizing durability over weight.
As one might expect, we've noticed a bit of fraying and sheath glazing over the years on our testing ropes. The suppleness of the rope remains despite this slight glazing. This model has a 40% sheath proportion, which is on the high end for ropes we've tested, although also in line with some of our other favorite ropes. Having a larger percentage of fibers in the sheath should mean that the sheath is capable of handling more wear.
The Mammut Crag Classic shows wear eventually. Here, the bottom rope is a glazed Crag Classic from lowering through many anchors, but it remains supple.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi
Versatility
The 9.5 Crag Classic is useful across a wide spectrum of climbing disciplines. It feels most at home on single pitch terrain, where we like to use it for all-day top-rope setups, sport leads, and trad climbs. It is a reliable rope that works for both easy climbs with lots of rope drag and harder climbs with desperate clips. It's thick enough to be used as a lead rope for aid and big-wall climbing.
We use a 40-meter length of this rope in the climbing gym, where its durability comes in handy. Running through quickdraws and lowering through anchors all day doesn't wear it out as fast as other options. We also love to use this rope for multi-pitch climbs, where the Crag Classic's smooth handling makes it easy to clip into protection all day long. The vast majority of climbers spend their time at the gym, crag, or on multi-pitch routes closer to the road.
The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic is equally at home on single-pitch sport routes as it is on multi-pitch trad.
Credit: Andy Wellman
Features
The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic comes in three color options and four length options, making it easy to select the rope that you are looking for. The sheath has a middle mark that wears off relatively quickly, but one of the sheath color options is a bi-pattern. If you do a lot of multi-pitch climbing and rappelling, a bi-pattern rope is a nice touch.
This rope comes with an optional UIAA-certified dry treatment, which repels water and grime with ease. We noticed that the non-treated rope option absorbs dirt easily, so we recommend the dry treatment for an extended lifespan. Dirt caught in the sheath fibers makes the rope look dirty and old, and also wears out carabiners and belay devices faster.
The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic's middle mark is easy to see out of the box, but it fades over time.
Credit: Andy Wellman
Weight
This rope weighs in at 59 grams per meter, which is on the heavy side in today's market. However, this weight aligns with that of other ropes of similar diameters. Extended out to a 60-meter rope, it weighs 7.8 pounds (3.54 kilograms) and in a 70-meter length, it weighs 9.1 pounds (4.13 kilograms). If you're looking for a 70-meter rope, we would recommend a lighter option.
The weight of this rope precludes it from being considered by our testers for demanding alpine missions and hikes deep into the backcountry. There are much lighter ropes on the market. That said, we do not hesitate to grab this rope for multi-pitch climbing, especially when the route is below our limit. Only on the longest and hardest single-pitch routes will you wish you were dragging a lighter rope up behind you.
The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic is light enough to use on multi-pitch climbs with relatively short approaches.
Credit: Andy Wellman
Should You Buy The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic?
This rope combines excellent performance with a low price, making it a no-brainer recommendation for our test team. The only reason you shouldn' buy this rope is if you are hoping to spend time alpine climbing. This rope is just too heavy for long forays into the backcountry, especially considering the lighter options on the market. That said, we know plenty of people who use this rope as their only rope, and they get by just fine.
Steep sport climbing is a great way to test climbing ropes. The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic excels in this discipline, and many others.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi
What Other Climbing Ropes Should You Consider?
If you like this rope, but want different color options and a slightly lower price, check out the Mammut 9.5 Crag We Care Classic. It's basically the same rope, but made from recycled sheath fibers, and each individual rope is a different color. If you want a similarly versatile climbing rope that also weighs less for alpine climbing, the Sterling Aero 9.2 Xeros is the most versatile rope out there. And if you are looking for something even more durable, the Sterling Velocity XEROS 9.8 is the best workhorse rope out there. Finally, if you're looking for the lightest rope on the market, the Beal Opera is right down your alley.
—
Jeff Dobronyi
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