Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8 Review: Workhorse Climbing Rope Made From Castor Oil

The Birdlime 1R 9.8 climbing rope follows a host of products that Edelrid has released to be more sustainable. From using bio-based and renewable raw materials to eliminating PFC/PCAs to reusing and recycling materials in production, Edelrid has made considerable efforts to improve climbing gear sustainability since 2019.

The Birdlime 1R 9.8 is currently the German brand’s coup de grace. A climbing rope that meets all safety standards and has fewer petroleum-based materials is significant. This is especially true if Edelrid continues down the path it’s forging now.

The brand hopes to expand its more sustainable product offerings. How cool would it be if all the gear required to climb contained more renewable materials?

I tested the castor-oil-containing cord by sport climbing for 3 months indoors and outdoors, on lead and on top rope. The rope received the concentrated abuse of hang-dogging on routes near my or my climbing partner’s limit, and we only tied in on one end. It also got dragged over rough and sharp features while lowering or top-roping at my local crag.

In short: The Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8 proved to be a durable workhorse rope for the gym and sport crags. It has all the characteristics of a high-quality sub-10mm single rope with the added benefit of being more sustainable.

Looking for a new cord? Check out our guide to the best climbing ropes!

Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8 Review

Why Does Edelrid Use Castor Oil?

Making plastics (like nylon) from plant-based materials is surprisingly similar to making them from petrochemicals. I explored this method when the Birdlime 1R 9.8 was introduced in January. Edelrid claims that over 40% of the rope’s content originates from plants.

It’s important to note that Edelrid didn’t produce the Birdlime 1R 9.8 to break down easier or be more recyclable. The rope is more sustainable because it uses less petroleum than a raw material. So, it addresses the sustainability issue from the front end instead of the back end.

This is why Edelrid uses the “1R” nomenclature, which equates to a first step. In this case, 1R signifies a reduction in the amount of petrochemicals used to make the rope. “2R” means reusing items during production, and “3R” means recycling on the back end.

The renewable materials in the Edelrid Birdlime will break down, but they require higher temperatures than would naturally exist. A commercial composting facility would do the trick.

Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8 Specifications

The Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8 has similar numbers to high-performance ropes of comparable diameter.

• Number of falls: 6
• Impact force: 8.5 kN
• Sheath proportion: 41%
• Weight per meter: 60 g/m
• Static elongation: 8.9%
• Dynamic elongation: 35%
• Certification: EN 892
• Material: 60% polyamide / 40% biobased polyamide

One significant omission is dry treatment. Edelrid officials commented that a first-of-its-kind product typically starts with a single product with a relatively low production volume. And it’s still figuring out the supply chain. This may explain the lack of an Eco Dry treatment option on the Birdlime.

Edelrid applies its Thermo Shield treatment to the Birdlime. This heating and cooling process, the brand claims, better aligns the core and sheath yarns, delivering a more compact, supple, and durable cord.

The rope comes lap-coiled, eliminating the frustrating task of getting it flaked out without tangles and twists. The Birdlime also has a middle marker.

In what seems like an improbable feat, the 60 g/m statistic Edelrid states is incredibly accurate. My 70m sample weighs what the math pencils out to: 9.3 pounds. This puts the Birdlime on the slightly lighter side of other 9.8mm x 70m non-dry ropes of the last few years.

The 70m non-dry climbing rope, with an MSRP of $220, is in the middle compared to other 9.8mm non-dry cords. The Mammut 9.5 Crag Classic 70m non-dry climbing rope lists for $200, and a Sterling VR9 9.8 70m non-dry is $228.

The Edelrid 1R 9.8 Birdlime in Use

The Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8’s significant aspect is its reduced petrochemical content. So, my main objective was to see if it functioned like other high-end single dynamic ropes of the same diameter. I had a lot of ropes to compare against, as I use 9.8s as daily drivers.

Handling

The Edelrid Bridlime 1R 9.8 handled pretty much like my other ropes of the same diameter. It wasn’t as supple as sub-9mm ropes, but it was easy to form tight knots. Repeated hang-dogging falls cinched up in Figure-8 follow-through knot like other 9.8mm ropes. To me, untying was relatively frustration-free, unlike with some smaller cords.

Clipping the Birdlime was also the same as similarly sized ropes. The rope acted predictably regardless of clipping orientation. It didn’t flop over when pushing it past the gate, and the sheath didn’t snag on the nose of the carabiner.

Feeding the rope through various belay devices also delivered a familiar and confident feel. My climbing partners and I didn’t have to adjust our belaying style. Again, similar to my other 9.8mm ropes, the rope delivered a comfortable catch on both the climber and belayer end.

The one thing that stood out was that the rope felt slicker when lowering on an assisted-braking belay device. On both the Petzl Neox and Edelrid Pinch belay devices, I had to be more mindful while lowering, compared to other ropes of the same diameter. This was especially surprising since Edelrid doesn’t put a dry treatment on the Birdlime.

Dry treatments can add to the slickness of the sheath. Everyone who belayed me on the rope commented the same feeling while lowering.

Durability of the Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8 Climbing Rope

The Birdlime received concentrated use on one end; we purposely tied into the same end for the duration of the test period.

The section of rope a few feet above the tie-in point took the brunt of our hang-dogging falls on lead. The Birdlime proved very resistant to kinking or getting a soft spot in this section.

It still made wide arcs when I held this section in a loop, and it flaked out the same way at the end of every day. The Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8 was more durable in this aspect than other 9.8s in the recent past.

The sheath was also very resistant to abrasion. Many ropes will start to develop fuzzy sheaths after only a few lowers when the top of the route is sloping, or there is no way to avoid rubbing an edge.

The limestone in my area can have sharp water droplet features that quickly eat into sheaths. But the Birdlime’s sheath remained more fuzz-free than others.

Unfortunately, this sheath was more prone to picking up fine, talcum-powder-like dust that commonly covers the bases of the local routes when it’s really dry. This was the case every time I went to the crag during the test period.

This light-colored dust quickly dulled the brightly colored sheath. I postulated that this was from the lack of a dry treatment. The perception of the rope becoming dusty was also stark since the color was so bright initially.

The Final Say on the Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8

The most significant aspect of the Edelrid Birdlime 1R 9.8 was that it performed equally as well as other 9.8mm single dynamic ropes. It was also as durable or more durable than the other “daily workhorse” ropes I had used over the last few years.

The price was similar to non-dry workhorse single dynamic 9.8 climbing ropes from other brands.

In conclusion, Edelrid created a single rope option that uses significantly less petroleum in its production. This gives climbers a more sustainable choice without any negative tradeoffs.