[Updated December 2022] The Edelrid Tommy Caldwell ProDryDT 9.6mm is no longer available.

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Edelrid Tommy Caldwell ProDryDT 9.6mm Climbing Rope Review, by Tom Newberry.

Edelrid TC ProDry DT is a mouthful, so what does it all mean? Over the past 6 months, consisting of various climbing trips, I’ve been testing this top of the line rope to find out. 

TC – Tommy Caldwell

Tommy Caldwell was heavily involved in the rope’s design and thus it became the first of his Edelrid signature line. The rope itself is Elderid’s top-end, go to all-round rope, specifically designed to withstand abuse both working sport routes and multi-pitching in unforgiving terrain yet remain light and supple enough to perform when climbing at your limit. At 62 gram per metre, the rope’s weight is middle of road for a medium-diameter single rope, but the higher than normal sheath proportion (40/60) should give the TC Pro the durability of a thicker, heavier rope. I found the rope to handle well; although there are softer ropes on the market the TC ProDryDT is slick, supple and smooth to belay with (I used the rope with a GriGri 1, GriGri 2, and Petzl Guide in both modes).

ProDry – Dry Treated

Edelrid’s three stage Pro Dry Treatment gives the rope a ‘near impregnable barrier’ to water and dirt. This allows the rope to dry faster, stop it from freezing in cold temperatures, should increase the life span of the rope as well causing less wear on your quickdraws and belay device. Edelrid state the final Thermoshield process helps eliminate the usual problems encountered with ageing climbing ropes becoming fatter, shorter and fluffier. In practice, with heavy use I found the rope did still show these signs, however, as Edelrid advertise, the thicker sheath held up well and ends showed little sign of wear and still haven’t needed to be chopped back. 

DT – DuoTec

DuoTec technology quite simply means the pattern changes at the half way point creating an easily identifiable middle marker. This was particularly useful when setting up multiple rappels and lowering from longer sport routes safely. It also helps prevent lowering off the end of the rope when lowering from longer sport routes - something which unfortunately seems to be happening far too much of late - by easily identifying the middle.

What’s not in the name...

Edelrid’s 3D lapcoil system. This means the TC Pro can be pulled straight from the packaging, thrown on the ground and used straight away without any kinks/twists and eliminating the laborious need for the usual uncoiling procedure. Faff, kinks and twists are a thing of the past with all new Edelrid ropes.

Adhering to both Tommy Caldwell and Edelrid’s passion for sustainability, the TC ProDryDT meets the Bluesign® criteria for sustainable textile production. This means they have eliminated harmful substances from the manufacturing process and met the standards for environmentally friendly production. This is achieved by ensuring that all of the materials used employ as few pollutants as possible, without compromising the quality of the finished product. Through the changes Edelrid have made they’ve been able to make substantial environmental efficiencies, including: a 62% reduction in CO2 output, an 89% reduction in water usage, a 63% reduction in energy consumption and 63% fewer chemicals employed. 

Value

As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, when purchasing ropes you get what you pay for. With an RRP of £220 for 70m (£250 for 80m) the TC ProDry’s price tag is towards the higher end of the market. But for that it comes with the Edelrid’s highest spec. It’s worth noting, that if you only intend on using the rope for indoor use then it isn’t worth investing in a Dry treated rope with this level of tech. 

Conclusion

The TC ProDryDT offers a balance between what I call my mule rope, used to work sport routes and get abused on multi-pitch adventures and the slick, shiny rope pulled out for the all important 'send go'. For most climbers this is what we want, one rope that performs without compromising durability. Pros include top of the range Dry treatment for outstanding dirt and water resistance, Thermo Shield treatment for longer lasting handling and Bluesign® standard for the environmentally conscious.