REASONS TO BUY
Soft catches
REASONS TO AVOID
Very stiff
Poor clipping action
Edelweiss Curve Unicore Supereverdry Review
A stiff rope that is not great for top roping
Edelweiss Curve Unicore Supereverdry
Credit: Edelweiss
RELATED: Best Rock Climbing Ropes of 2024
Our Verdict
The Edelweiss Curve Unicore Supereverdry is one of two “Unicore” constructed rope in this review (see the description below). While we like Beal's Unicore Joker rope and are impressed with the suppleness of that line, this was not the case with the Curve. It is extremely stiff, similar to a static line in feel, which made feeding it out and clipping a chore. On the other hand, and weirdly somehow, this rope has one of the highest elongations. The catches are soft, but when top roping on the line there is just too much stretch. If you are looking for a great all-around rope, we much preferred our Editors' Choice winner, the Mammut Infinity, and if you are looking for a rope specifically for top-roping, check out our Top Pick for that, the Black Diamond 9.9mm
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Edelweiss Curve Unicore Supereverdry uses “Unicore” technology in its construction. This process bonds the sheath to core, which eliminates sheath slippage and keeps the two bonded together even if the sheath is cut or torn. This rope is 9.8 mm in diameter and weighs 64 g/m. It's rated for 8 falls with an 8 kN impact force rating and 9.4% static elongation.
Performance Comparison
This rope was one of our least favorites due to poor handling.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Handling
We often poll a group of people when testing gear, as many of our ratings are subjective, and as the saying goes, one person's garbage is another's treasure. However, we were unanimous in our dislike of the way this rope handled. Over ten people tried out this rope, and we all found it stiff, difficult to feed through a GriGri or other belay device quickly, and unpleasant to clip. Compared to our Top Pick for Sport Climbing, the Maxim Pinnacle, it felt like a static rope rather than a dynamic one.
Oh the joys of handling this rope. It was stiff, kinky, and was everyone's least favorite rope to clip or belay with.
Credit: Lisa Davidson
Catch
We took some whippers on this line and were prepared to be jarred due to the handling issues, but we were surprised that they felt quite soft for such a stiff rope. This rope has an 8 kN impact force rating and a 9.4% static elongation. While we weren't able to really tell the difference between an 8 and say, an 8.5 or 9 kN rating in the field (so many other factors determine the “softness” of a catch), we could tell that there was a lot of elongation, particularly when top roping. If you've ever been on a top rope with no slack in the line, weighted the rope and then felt like you still fell a couple of feet, that was probably due to a larger static elongation. This is great for soft catches on lead, but can be dangerous or even scary for a seconder, particularly if there are obstacles on a climb that you don't want to hit, like a block or slab.
While falls up high on a route felt great, we were worried at the bottom of every pitch due to the greater elongation, which could make the difference between hitting the ground or not.
Credit: Lisa Davidson
Weight
This rope is one of the heaviest ones in this review. It weighs 64 g/m, and it's not the “Unicore” technology that makes this rope heavy, as the standard Curve rope also weighs 64 g/m. Obviously, a skinnier rope will weigh less per meter, so if you are trying to cut some weight then check out a 9.5 or smaller rope, like the Beal Joker or the Sterling Fusion Nano IX.
You're probably not going to notice the extra weight of this rope on a short sport climb, but you'll feel it in your pack or on longer routes.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Durability
In one sense, this rope is very durable, because you'll never want to use it! Kidding aside, we forced ourselves to take it out and put over 60 pitches on it, hoping that it would soften up a little a least (that didn't happen). It didn't get a lot of surface wear on the sheath either, so that is a definite plus. In fact, it was one of the ropes in the best shape after our testing process, except for the middle marker, which quickly faded off and is difficult to detect now.
We were mostly impressed with the durability of this line - there was minimal sheath wear or fuzz, however, the middle marker quickly faded.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Pocket pulling in Ten Sleep, WY. This rope works okay for moderate sport climbs where you don't need to make desperate and quick clips (it's not supple enough for that), and for people who like soft catches.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Value
This rope is one of the more expensive lines in this review, but not one of the top-performing.
Conclusion
We were excited to try out the Edelweiss Curve Unicore Supereverdry, but boy did it disappoint. We can't confirm if it's the “Unicore” construction that makes it so stiff since we didn't test the regular Curve rope, but this one was just too difficult to handle.
—
Cam McKenzie Ring
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