Tendon Master Pro 9.2mm

Photo: Jo Neame on The Valkrie 8c, by photographer Rob Knowles

After a hard start to the year coming back from surgery, I spent spring and early summer this year training hard indoors to get in top shape for my first ever rock climbing trip lasting longer than 3 weeks. With the vast majority of my sport climbing experience coming from climbing at Malham and Kilnsey, I was excited and curious to see how my abilities would translate to the completely different style of the famous cave climbs of Flatanger. 

Having booked a 3 week trip where I intended to combine hard projecting with mileage on easier grades, I knew I would need a rope durable enough to withstand repeated falls when projecting, long enough for the insane endurance pitches and light enough to perform on redpoints, as well as fitting within my flight luggage allowance. I opted for Tendon’s Master Pro 9.2mm as it seemed to combine these features perfectly.

The rope’s Complete Shield technology ensured that even after 3 weeks of Norwegian weather (Norway is a beautiful country, but definitely not the sunniest!) and being dragged through a muddy cave, it still felt slick and easy to clip when I redpointed The Valkyrie and Nordic Flower. While projecting The Valkyrie, a pure roof climb, I put the rope to the test, ascending it several times and frequently bouncing on it to work upper sections. The Simple Braid System sheath reduced the impact of abrasion caused by its heavy use on The Valkyrie, meaning that it still felt slick and ran smoothly when I sent the Flower, a long and winding route with a rope change and the potential for a lot of drag in the upper sections.

With not enough room to pack two ropes for working and sending routes, I found the Master Pro 9.2mm to be the perfect choice for my Flatanger trip and despite its heavy usage, it remains in top condition and will continue to be my choice of rope when getting on my local projects this autumn!