Petzl Arial: a perfect rope for projecting and mountaineering

Striking a good balance between a rope diameter with a good hand and durability and a diameter that will keep the weight down can be a challenge, but the Arial manages to do both.

This durable, 9.5 mm rope for projecting and sending at just 8 g/m and has an 8.8 kN impact force rating.  It’s a little easier to manipulate than some thinner lines, and catches more easily in belay devices than thinner sport ropes. The hand is soft, but grippy from a 40-carrier construction.

The Duratec Dry water-resistant treatment makes this a good choice for mountaineering and increases the rope’s longevity. A thermal treatment to keep the ends from fraying worked well for us, and would be especially useful after long use.