Coming up on 2 decades of climbing, I’ve never been seriously injured. I chalk it up to consistently safe practices, great climbing partners, and a lot of luck. I have a few friends who haven’t been so lucky. They live with life-altering spinal injuries, partial paralysis, and chronic pain. These are a result of the most common climbing accident — rappelling or being lowered off the end of the rope. 

I’ve seen it happen to seasoned veterans and new climbers alike. And I’m convinced that if you don’t tie knots at the end of your rope habitually, every time, it can happen to anyone.

The Trango Agility 9.1 climbing rope takes a crack at this problem with its “red flag treatment.” The last 5 m of each end is bright red to indicate when the end of the rope is approaching as it slides through the belay device.  

While there is no substitute for a knot, this is no gimmick. I found the red ends are super-effective at increasing awareness about the approaching rope ends. After 6 months of using the rope at the crag and on multipitch climbs, I discovered a few other rad advantages of the red flag treatment, too. Oh, and the Agility 9.1 has the handling and durability to rival any of my favorite ropes.

In short: This rope is a great option for redpoints or alpine climbing thanks to its durability and low weight (56 g/m). The red flag treatment truly adds an important safety feature I would be happy to see adopted across the industry.

To see how the Agility stacks up against the competition, check out GearJunkie’s guide to the best climbing ropes.

Trango Agility Duo Dry 9.1 Review

Feel

9.1 mm is well within the realm of being a “skinny rope,” which generally ranges from 8.9 mm to 9.4 mm. Manufacturers have a little leeway with this measurement, and sometimes, two ropes of the same stated diameter won’t feel the same. The weave and sheath percentage can also affect how a rope feels in the hand.

To me, the Trango Agility 9.1 feels like a “fat” 9.1, meaning I’ve used 9.2 ropes (like the Sterling Aero) that feel thinner. This isn’t a knock against the Agility at all. The first time I used this rope, it caught and held easily with a Petzl Grigri. Other skinny ropes slid through, especially when they were brand new. 

As I’ve been climbing with the Agility over the last 6 months, it has fuzzed out minimally. But it still felt supple and easy to pay out slack through a Grigri.

Weight

When considering weight, grams per meter (g/m) is the number to look at, not diameter. The Agility 9.1 is a respectable 56 g/m, the same as the popular Sterling Aero 9.2.

I shouldered a 70m length of this rope into the High Sierra for alpine climbing a handful of times this summer and in and out of the Owen River Gorge countless times this winter. I’m glad it’s not any heavier. The low weight was especially appreciated on longer sport climbing pitches when I needed to pull up the entire weight of the rope to make a clip.

The Red Flag Treatment

Trango weaves the final 5 m of both ends of the sheath in bright red. This caught some eyes, elicited many comments from other climbers … and started conversations about safety! The bright red delivered the message, “Oh shit, here comes the end of the rope.” And there were some other advantages to this feature that weren’t immediately apparent.

I always tie a big double figure-eight at the end of my rope after untying it and throwing it back into a pile on my rope tarp. This makes finding the end easier. The bright red ends are even easier to find, particularly after unpacking the rope from the rope bag.

On a multipitch, sometimes the belayer will call out how much rope is left so the leader can start looking for a place to build the next belay. Most times, the belayer is full of it, wildly guessing at how much rope they still have to pay out. But 5 meters is 5 meters, and when the rope reached that point, there was no more guessing.

And when rappelling, it was much easier to see where the rope ends landed. Plus, I had a 5m frame of reference down there if I was trying to guess distances.

Durability

After using the Trango Agility 9.1 for about 6 months, wear and tear has been fairly minimal, and I was not kind to this rope. I used it on a few multipitch climbs and took many falls while sport climbing. My home crag is the Owens River Gorge, a volcanic basalt area where the base of every cliff is covered in fine dust.

When you walk out of the gorge, you’re filthy, no getting around it. I tested the dry-treated version of this rope, and while I never had to use it wet, the dry treatment helped keep dust from working its way into the rope’s sheath. 

After much use, yellow fibers began to show through the end of the rope I tied into most frequently. At first, I was bummed that the red flag treatment seemed to be wearing off, though the end could still be easily differentiated from the rest of the rope.

Upon closer inspection, I found that the sheath had nearly worn through at the place where the most yellow appeared. Another safety benefit of the Red Flag Treatment? Intended or unintended?

Either way, my eyes were drawn to the point of most wear. I had my partner tie into the other end of the rope. Later, I chopped the rope at the worn section (about 3 m in). The near-core shot would have occurred with just about any rope. I had been climbing short, bouldery routes with fixed draws, and not a lot of rope was out, and I fell many times.

It’s important to note with Agility 9.1, if you chop an end off, your red “warning track” will be shorter and might be different from the other end of the rope.

Gripes

The 70m dry-treated Agility 9.1 I tested retails for $450. While I’m very satisfied with the performance and durability of this rope, that’s a real hit to the wallet. I’m unfamiliar with what’s involved in applying the Red Flag Treatment, but apparently, it ain’t cheap. 

This rope has a black middle marker. Much like every middle marker on every rope I’ve used, it fades fairly quickly. How about a Red Flag middle marker?

The Verdict

The weight and diameter of the Trango Agility 9.1 is about perfect for me. Most of the time, when I’m climbing, I’m leading, not top-roping, and I prefer a skinny rope. I would want a thicker rope if I were top-roping or aid climbing.

While the Red Flag Treatment adds to the price, I think it’s a very cool and effective safety feature. If you’re in the market for a skinny cord and the price doesn’t bother you, get this rope.