Edelrid

Hummingbird Eco Dry - 9.2mm

Disappointing Performance for Sport Cli

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I picked up the Edelrid Hummingbird 9.2mm hoping it would be a sweet spot between durability and performance. Basically, a skinny rope that could hold up to frequent sport climbing without the bulk of thicker cords. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. Out of the packaging, the rope was extremely stiff and it never really broke in. This stiffness made it harder to clip quickly, more prone to kinks and twists, and noticeably more cumbersome when packing it into a crag bag. For a rope marketed as lightweight and high-performance, the handling was a major letdown. Durability was also underwhelming. I typically climb 1–2 times a week, with a mix of projecting and volume climbing. Even with that moderate usage, I noticed soft spots developing within a year. While I didn’t run a side-by-side comparison, I’ve used the Petzl Volta under similar conditions and found it to be far more supple and easier to manage, with no obvious trade-offs in lifespan. I give it 2 stars because I still like this rope way better than Mammut ropes, which I find even more stiff and prone to kinking.