Mammut Tusk Review

The Tusk stands out for being standard and generic. It is a high quality, medium diameter, versatile rope. It is an excellent choice for those on a budget who want a lasting rope.

Performance Comparison

9.8 All-Around Rope

Weight

This is an all-around decent rope that stands out in its average medium-ness. It has a medium diameter, average durability, average weight, and a slightly lower than average price. That being said, this makes it one of the most versatile ropes in this review. It is thin and light enough to not be noticeably heavy while climbing, yet thick and durable enough to withstand jugging or a lot of heavy usage. At 9.8mm and 64 g/m, it exemplifies the all-arounder rope.

Catch

The one feature that does really stand out about the Mammut Tusk is its strength. Rated to hold 9-10 UIAA falls, this rope earns the highest strength rating of any of the ropes we evaluated. This also indicates that the rope will likely last longer than other ropes with a lower strength rating. With an impact force rating of 8.8 kN, the Tusk provides a solid catch, though not as soft as the really low impact force ropes like the BlueWater Pulse and Lightening Pro.

Handling

The Tusk comes with the Mammut proprietary SuperDRY coating, which adds to the life of the rope and makes the rope handle very smoothly, especially at first. This coating, while not as protective as the Teflon COATINGfinish that comes on the Infinity, resists dirt as well as water, and does keep the rope feeling newer longer. The dry coating also makes the rope useful for ice climbing when the rope may be sitting in snow, because it prevents it from taking on water, which makes the rope heavier, harder to handle, and also reduces strength.

Durability

The SuperDRY surface treatment adds some durability to the rope, but the Tusk is likely to fatten up and collect dirt sooner than the ropes with a Teflon coating, such as the Editors' Choice Mammut Infinity or the Metolius Tendon. Overall we found this rope to hold up to our tests and usage quite well. Since it is such a strong rope, it is perfect for long days top-roping or projecting.

Options and Other Versions

The Tusk is available in 60 or 70 meter lengths and either comes with a printed middle mark or a bi-pattern weave. It always comes with the dry surface treatment at no additional cost.

Best Application

As a medium diameter rope, this rope can be used in situations where you would want a fat rope or a skinny rope. It handles well on sport climbs or longer multi-pitch climbs. It also works well as an ice climbing rope due to its dry coating. Since it is not particularly lightweight, it is not the best rope to schlep long distances, but it handles a top-rope train of people beautifully.

Value

The Mammut Tusk is one of the less expensive ropes we evaluated. It is an excellent price for a versatile, notably strong rope that can be used for any climbing discipline, which is why we gave it the Best Buy Award. This rope is very similar in features to the other two 9.8mm ropes we tested, the Petzl Nomad and Sterling Velocity 9.8 and is comparable in price to both.

Other Versions

Mammut makes a variety of ropes, including the 9.2 mm light rope, the Mammut Revelation, $220. The Revelation is a great sport climbing or long alpine route rope.

The Mammut Infinity costs $240 and wins the Editors' Choice Award. This rope takes our Editors' Choice for a variety of reasons: its medium diameter makes it versatile enough for any type of climbing, Mammut's proprietary COATING finish gives it smooth glide, extra durability, and keeps it feeling new longer, and it remains light enough to not be cumbersome on the approach.

Conclusion

The Tusk is a wise choice for a beginning climber buying their first rope, for someone who is only going to own one rope and is on a budget, or for people who aren't as confident in the skinnier ropes.