A few years ago the Joker was the only rope in the world that ticked all boxes for dynamic ropes, allowing it to be used as a single rope, double rope or a half rope.
As with all good ideas, it's not long before others cotton on. In response, Beal have added industry leading UniCore technology to the mix. thus bringing an undeniable gain in security and confidence. The Unicore process involves bonding the sheath and core together which dramatically increases the rope's strength if the sheath is cut or torn...and all this is done without affecting rope suppleness.
With a standard rope, if the sheath is cut by abrasion over an edge, it can slide and gather over some metres and when this happens, the areas affected become impossible to pass. If this problem occurs near the rope's end then the sheath may slide of completely off, meaning the user will fall to the ground in an uncontrolled descent. With the UniCore process, the sheath remains in place and the user may escape, either by descent or ascent, taking all necessary precautions.
As well as UniCore this rope has also been given the Dry Cover treatment. This treatment provides superior water repellency and is added to every sheath fibre prior to manufacturing. It is then polymerised at high temperatures to ensure it stays put and resists wear. Dry Cover is important because If a rope absorbs water it will get heavier. Not only that, if you are in cold snowy conditions then your rope may freeze making it completely unmanageable through your belay plate.
The Joker is designed and loved by experienced climbers seeking a lightweight, slick running rope. At 9.1mm in diameter, this rope is on the thin side. This makes it harder to handle/manage so is therefore not suited for the inexperienced climber. The thin diameter also means that it is not suitable for all belay devices either so please be aware of device compatibilities.
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Sold by the Metre
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Lightweight
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Durable
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UniCore construction
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Dry cover water repellent treatment
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Can be used as a single, twin or half rope