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As part of our article series featuring gear for multipitch and alpine rock climbing here is a mini review of Petzl’s top of the range Volta 9.2mm rope.
Petzl say:
“Ultra-lightweight, multi-type 9.2 mm rope for performance climbing and mountaineering
The VOLTA 9.2 mm single rope is lightweight, meeting the needs and climbers and mountaineers. Its Duratec Dry treatment gives it longevity and performance under a variety of conditions. Excellent grip and great handling make for easier manipulation. It is available in several lengths, depending on user needs, from 30 meters for classic mountaineering to 100 meters for multi-pitch climbing.”
I’ve used the Petzl Volta a lot this year for multipitch and alpine rock climbing and guiding on limestone and granite, with some glacier approaches too.
I like the simplicity of a single rope for bolt protected multipitch routes or trad routes that are relatively direct. The Volta 9.2 really feels like a great rope for this.
I can’t comment a lot on the Dura Tec dry treatment as I haven’t used it in winter or wet conditions, but its performed admirably on soft glaciers where the snow has warmed up in the afternoons, never wetting out or losing it’s handling performance.
The first thing that impressed me was how well this rope handled, being super easy to use in a standard belay device such as a Petzl, and an absolute dream to belay with using Petzl’s Neox. It knots well (easy to cinch the knot up and doesn’t feel like it creeps loose if not dressed super tight), isn’t prone to kinking and the 9.2mm diameter is reassuringly fat looking (haha) whilst not feeling too chunky or heavy for modern use.
The only negative that I have noticed was a relatively rapid initial wearing of the sheath. Nothing terrible but just a general slight furring of the whole rope which seemed to happen in the first few days of use but then never got any worse after that. I put this down to having used it on granite a fair bit, but not sure. Anyway, it hasn’t got worse.
The Volta 9.2 passes the tests for use as a single, twin and double rope and as such it is “triple rated”. I don’t think I’d use a rope of this diameter in a twin or double application that often as I’d rather go for something with less weight eg, Beal Opera or Edelrid Swift, but when guiding 2 clients in parallel it works well and it’s good to have the option.
In short, the Volta 9.2 is my go to single rope for multipitch and alpine rock climbing. The diameter feels like a sweet spot, it handles beautifully and despite the initial surface wear, it’s proving to be durable. It’s available in 30,50, 60, 70, 80 and 100m lengths and in 2 colours.
Price: 50m €205
To read more about the technical specifications – visit the Petzl website.
To learn more about rope systems for alpine and multipitch rock climbing check out our article here.
About the author
If you want to learn more about rope systems for multipitch and alpine rock climbs, Kevin Averyis an IFMGA Mountain Guide based near Chamonix, France. He specialises in bespoke multi-pitch and alpine rock climbing adventures. You can check him out @kevinavery.mountainguideon Instagram or email truenorthalpine@gmail.com to make a booking enquiry.
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