Sterling Solid

Down and Out Ben Rueck We are a company who supports failure. Without the expectation of falls, a slippery foot, or the hold that blows – we would not be the … read more about Down and Out

Our Athlete Manager, Heidi Shingleton (dubbed “Minister of Culture” here at Sterling), scooped up our youngest team member, Abigail Humber, (with her mom and coach’s pe … read more about Expanding Horizons: Heidi and Abigail's Colorado Adventure

Every piece of gear you buy has some information written on it, and probably comes with a bunch of paperwork included too. If you are like most of us, when that shiny new carabiner or bea … read more about Goodbye NFPA 1983 (Sort Of)

H3 Tech 11 | Klementovich As part of our commitment to making the best quality life safety products, we recently received 3rd party certification for th … read more about The H3 Tech11 is 3rd Party Certified to ANSI Z359.15

Sterling Athlete Anna Pfaff Summer, 2022 I had always wanted to climb in Alaska. With its epic peaks and stories of alpine endeavors, I knew my time to … read more about Dyad Performance Review on Mount Huntington, Alaska

Sterling Athlete Rob Pizem climbed over 100,000 vertical feet on an early prototype sample of XEROS and never even trimmed the ends. He did this as an … read more about XEROS Climbing Rope Testing

Photo taken by Joe Stylos Congratulations to Sterling Athlete Kevin Lindlau on sending his long-term project "A Line Above the Sky" D15 in the Italian D … read more about Kevin Lindlau Sends "A Line Above the Sky" D15

Send Ready Coil is Sterling’s new process for hanking a new dynamic rope that’s ready-to-climb, straight from the factory. No uncoiling and flaking needed. Photo taken by Will Saunders … read more about What is Send Ready Coiling?

We sat down with the talent and director of the award-winning FCX Fire Escape films for a look behind the curtain at what it was like to make these videos. Ste … read more about FCX Escape Systems: Q&A With Cast and Crew of the FCX Videos

In honor of Sterling’s 25 years of making the world’s finest rope and cord, we are celebrating our partners who have helped us get to where we are today. We w … read more about 25 Years, 25 Partners. Profile #1: Colorado Mountain School

Kyle McCabe Owner of Northern Arboriculture In honor of Sterling’s 25 years of making the world’s finest … read more about 25 Years, 25 Partners. Profile #3: Kyle McCabe

Liz is back and hosting Matt Hunt, Sterling's Work Market Manager. Matt recently came back from his trip to the International Technical Rescue Symposium. Watch the video to see what report … read more about Between Two Hanks, Episode 3: ITRS Report

The issue It has been brought to our attention that in one instance a Sterling Lanyard was missing a sewn tack under the plastic keeper. This resulted in the appearance of a fac … read more about Notice to Inspect your TriTech Lanyard

Profiling 25 dealers and partners Photo credit: Jared Alden, 2010. In honor of Sterling’s 25 years of making the w … read more about 25 Years, 25 Partners. Profile #2: Jim Shimberg

For the past three summers, Veterans Expeditions (VetEx) has run a Pacific Northwest climbing series where teams of veterans have tackled many of the classic climbs in the area including … read more about Veterans Expeditions: Summer Missions in the PNW

Growing up in northeastern Ohio in the 1980’s with a climber in the family was rare. That was not my experience. I participated in traditional sports and never learned about rock c … read more about Rob Pizem: Focus on What's Important

Despite the heat warnings in Squamish and a thick smoke that filled the air from BC wildfires, we stuck with the plan to climb a line that deeply peaked my curiosity. Described as a “ … read more about Leslie Timms: Into the Mystic

Olivia Hsu, climbing 22 weeks pregnant, Cannibal Crag, Las Vegas, NV, Aero 9.2 mm. Photo: Botsy Phillips An elite-lev … read more about Few Things Stop Olivia Hsu. Including Pregnancy.

Matt Hunt, Sterling Work Market Manager tells us about the features and benefits of the 3/8", 7/16" and 1/2" WorkPro static rope series. Ideal for rope access technicians … read more about WorkPro Ropes for Industrial Safety

Amity climbing Psycho B (5.13b). The first female ascent of the 6-pitch line in Yosemite. Photo credit: Samuel Crossley … read more about Get to Know Amity Warme

Sterling Athletes All-women’s team Sterling is proud to support the first all-women’s team to compete at GRIMP NA, an international rescue … read more about Spotlight: GRIMP's First All-Women's Team

Sterling Athlete Abigail Humber Trebuchet (First Female Ascent) 5.14b/8c ✔Abigail Humber ticks the box for the first female ascent of Tr … read more about Abigail Humber Nabs the First Female Ascent of Trebuchet 5.14b

Sterling Athlete Kevin Lindlau Cinematographer Nathan Norby Sterling Athlete Kevin Lindlau met up with Cinematographer Nathan Norby is to make … read more about Kevin and the Cave

We're proud to have Sterling's world headquarters be a dog-friendly place. They make the offices more cheerful, social and lively. Here's your chance to get to know some of these pups a li … read more about The Dogs of Sterling

Sterling Rope Company, Inc. unveils a Design Clinic project through Smith College’s Picker Engineering Program. As a leading US-manufacturing company, Sterling will work with a team … read more about Press Release: Collaborative Project with Smith College

The life-safety manufacturer that built the first ever 100% Technora® fire escape rope for FDNY, now offers the FCX Rescue Device; a competitively-priced and advanced self-rescue dev … read more about Press Release: Sterling Gives Back to Fire Departments in Need

Overview – This training was held for Sterling staff with the purpose of familiarizing all in attendance with the standards, practices, tools, regulations, and lingo of rescue perso … read more about Training Report: NFPA Operations Level Rescue Training

Last month, we supported the first Rescue from Trees program, hosted by the Summit Township Fire Department in Jackson, Michigan. Sixteen firefighters, representing both career and volun … read more about The Inaugural Rescue From Trees Program Training Recap

Climb: Pure Imagination (Red River Gorge) @acutclimbing Photos by: Dylan Connole @dconnole8 "Set a Goal so big that you can't achieve it until … read more about Andy Cutler: Big Goals

Mike Libecki in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica on the first ascent of Bertha's Tower, named in honor of Libecki's Grandmother. Photo by Cory Richards … read more about Mike Libecki: Climbing "In the Now"

I love the concept of The Freedom to Focus, as it reminds me of what I’ve been working on in all my climbing pursuits this year, which is complete focus and absolute joy. A few year … read more about Ann Raber: Climbing with Joy

I turn around and see the flash of light as if the unforgivable curse, "Avada Kedavra," has just been uttered right next to me. I look out directly in front of me and a kilometer away I s … read more about Jesse Grupper: Lightning on the Mountain

Photo Credit: Will Saunders @willsaundersphoto I lay in blood and excrement on the floor of an old Omani Royal Air force Eurocopter. The deafening drone … read more about Gaz Leah: Life and Death in Oman

Originally posted on Pete Whittaker's Facebook page. Photo credits: Helliker/Whittaker collection (c) Standing at the bar at Kendal Mountain Fi … read more about Pete Whittaker: Winter Climbing?

Photo credit: Jeff Rueppel I was trapped. I traced the two lines attached to my harness back to China’s Zhangjiajie National Forest’s floor … read more about Ben Rueck: Dental Floss and Shoe String

In partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation, we helped plant nearly 665,000 trees in an important ecosystem devastated by Hurricane Michael. This year marked a … read more about Arbor Day Foundation Recap 2021

Looking for the perfect gift for the rock climber in your life. Here are a few of our favorites. … read more about Holiday Gift Ideas for Rock Climbers

We have been a sustainable rope company since day one and today we’re thrilled that we’re able to join 300+ other Climate Neutral Certified brands by going through the complete Cli … read more about Today We Are Climate Neutral Certified

XEROS Review Part II Rob Pizem Piz wrote an in-depth initial review after 21,100 feet of climbing over the course of 13 … read more about XEROS Climbing Rope Review from Rob Pizem

If you uncoil a brand new rope the wrong way, you could be stuck with a tangled mess and kinks in your rope. The factory coiling process puts a twist in the rope, which will need to be tak … read more about How to Uncoil Your New Climbing Rope

A dry dynamic climbing line is a stronger and safer than a wet rope. It’s a fact. The merits of climbing with a dry rope are many and the pitfalls few. And now the prime pitfall … read more about Why Dry? - Sterling XEROS

Sterling Rope Company created XEROS, which is a new way to manufacture a UIAA Certified dry rope. The XEROS technology is not a coating applied to the rope, or a separate liquid bath tre … read more about Introducing XEROS Technology

Ben Rueck Columns of streaked orange and blue tufa stalactites melted from the cave’s roof. Alluring, fascinating— an amalgamation of crimps, … read more about Do What You Can

Felipe Nordenflycht @felipesh https://www.felipesh.com/ I have dreamt about trying to onsight Moonlight Buttress for years. This iconic route … read more about Onsighting Moonlight Buttress

Ben Crawford Photo credits: Thank you to Savannah Cummins for the photos of Kyle and the climbing team. The Modern Era of Climbing Climbi … read more about The Importance of Mentorship in Climbing

Customers call us all the time asking, “How do I wash my rope?” Our answer is pretty standard throughout the industry: It is okay to use the hot wa … read more about How to Wash Your Rope

Photo credits: Molllie Bailey Summary A quality, durable rope; the Quest 9.6 mm is a fantastic choice for climbers who ‘want it all’ wi … read more about Review of the Quest 9.6mm

Rob Pizem Sterling Athlete Initial Thoughts: The new XEROS felt firm, malleable and precise out of the bag. Easy to feed through be … read more about XEROS Climbing Rope Gear Review

Rope access technicians perform an astonishing variety of work by Ben Erdman Industrial rope access is a term used to … read more about Testing Heat Resistant Ropes

I absolutely love the Sprint, and it has become my go-to training rope. I’ve never climbed with a rope this thick before, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to clip. … read more about Gear Review for the Sprint Gym Lead Rope

The Sterling Helix Small but Mighty Usually, that term is reserved for a cocktail party and snickering amongst friends but in this case, that p … read more about Review of the Helix 9.5 mm

Ten Sleep RJ Griffis @pabloaguilar-esplanada It has been brought to our attention that it is possible that a small numbe … read more about NOTICE TO INSPECT: 6-8mm Accessory Cord Spools

Amity climbing Johnny Lat (5.12c) Adam Pawlikiewicz @adamonthago I love trying really freaking hard. I love digging deep, tapping the last res … read more about Under-fueling: The Ultimate Sandbag

This holiday season, it's more important than ever to give the gift of the outdoors. And what's better than shiny new climbing gear? We've collected an assortment of gift … read more about Gift Ideas for the Climber in Your Life

The AZTEK (Arizona Technicians Edge Kit)multi-use rescue tool The AZTEK was created by Reed Thorne of Ropes that Rescue with Ste … read more about Aramid Fibers Testing for the AZTEK HD

Hayes Range in interior Alaska This spring, four of my closest friends and I were involved in a serious accident in the Hayes Range in interior Alaska. … read more about How Mountain Education Saved My Friend's Life

We put together the following recommendations to help answer some of your questions about your ropes and equipment regarding the novel Corona virus, COVID-19 and other … read more about Cleaning and Disinfecting your Climbing Equipment

Lifesaving Resources https://lifesaving.com/ Here at Sterling Rope, we are committed to producing the best life safet … read more about Q and A with the Owner of Lifesaving Resources

Jesse Grupper, World Cup Photos by Eddie Fowke. CHAMONIX, FRANCE - The second World Cup of the season. I’m coming off of my performance i … read more about Battling Imposter Syndrome in World Cup Climbing

Monique Forestier Tiger Cat (graded 33, 8c, 5.14b) My initial attempts on the 35-meter route called Tiger Cat (graded 33, 8c, 5.14b) were very … read more about Monique Forestier Tames Tiger Cat

After doing five free routes on El Capitan, in El Rappitan style (rappelling in from the top to rehearse to moves), I wanted a different experience. After Sonnie Trotter and Alex Honnold pioneered t … read more about Nik Berry on 'Ground-Up' Climbing

From Shannon Johnson We asked Sterling Athletes, Friends and Partners to share some of their top holiday gift ideas, wants and wi … read more about Ideas, Wants & Wishes

STERLING ATHLETE SARAH KAMPF Writing a review about my 2019 climbing season sounded pretty simple to me at first. What could be easier than talking about … read more about The Art of "Unambitious Ambition"

Albert Leichtfried, Sterling Athlete Photo by Hannes Mair, www.alpsolut.com Part I Iceland – where you can feel nature’s force … read more about ICELAND - A Journey Back to the Origin

So, the plan was pretty simple. Climb the 7 main big walls in Yosemite in 7 days. El Cap Leaning Tower Mt Watkins Washington Column Half Dome Liberty Cap El Cap Spire I … read more about Seven Walls in Seven Days

Mike Morin North East Director of the Access Fund Rattlesnake Mountain in central New England is world-renowned for some … read more about Without Further Belay: Rumney Rehab

Sterling Canyoneering Ambassador Josh Allen A few years ago when I was introduced to the sport of canyoneering, I didn’t pay much attent … read more about Sterling Canyoneering Ropes: “Better than Gold”

Climber Rob Pizem I went to Zion National Park to climb with two new partners over the Thanksgiving week of 2018. Our goal was to establish a new multi- … read more about Becoming a Modern Climber's Mentor

Jimmy Keithley, Sterling Ambassador Photo credit: Jonathan Vickers At Sterling, we see the importance safety in climbing, and a part of that is … read more about Ode to the Bolt

As the Technical Advisor here at Sterling, I handle a lot of customer service questions. One that I receive quite often is: Hey, I just measured my rope and it& … read more about How Long is My Climbing Rope?

It has been brought to our attention that it is possible that recently a very small number of the Sterling 30 ft. Web Wheels may contain a taped splice. Specific part numbers are: … read more about Technical Notice: Sterling 30 ft Web Wheels

Matt Hunt, Work Market Sales Manager at Sterling walks us through the WorkPro Series of Static ropes for the rescue world. The 3/8" Diameter is good for backcountry res … read more about WorkPro Series Ropes for Rescue Industry

So, you may be wondering, "When was my rope born? How can I tell, so I know when to retire it?" We're here to help you solve the mystery. Every single rope that comes o … read more about How Do I Read Sterling Lot Numbers?

As part of being a world-class life safety rope manufacturer, the R&D department at Sterling Rope has the ability to carry out a wide variety of tests on rope, webbing, hardware, and systems in a … read more about Sterling Test Facilities

Liz McLellan, Marketing Director and host of Between Two Hanks welcomes amateur videographer and jewelry maker Erin Weimer onto this episode to teach us how to make Sterling accessory cord … read more about Between two Hanks, Episode 6: How to Make Your Own Rope Jewelry

Every fall, Ice Axe Expeditions runs their Antarctica Ski Cruise bringing approximately 25 guides from around the world together with their guests to experience one of the most unique ski … read more about A Trip of A Lifetime: Antarctica

Liz, Sterling's Marketing Director hosts Sterling's R&D Process Engineer, Chuck Weber to talk about the UIAA Certified dry climbing ropes we have, labeled DryXP. Find out what DryXP is … read more about Between Two Hanks, Episode 5: DryXP

Gibbs Knot Kitty Calhoun Also called “pull cords” or “rap lines”, Tag Lines are small and lightweight- most often used … read more about When Would I Use a Tag Line?

Leslie Timms is a professional climbing guide with PCGI and owner/head guide of On the Rocks Climbing Guides in Ontario, Canada. Ensure that you are prop … read more about Outdoor Top Rope Essentials

Leslie Timms a professional climbing guide Ontario, Canada DONT BE THE NEGLIGENT NEWBY! Educate yourself on the necessary skills and ethics … read more about Tips for a Smooth Transition from Gym To Crag

Liz, Sterling's Marketing Director hosts Sterling's Marketing Intern, Lucy the Dog, to talk about Sterling's new dog leashes, made out of repurposed climbing rope. These 6' leashes are Luc … read more about Between two Hanks, Episode 4: Sterling Dog Leashes

Ben Rueck Sterling Athlete Life used to be simple. As kids we’d embrace perceived failures by crying, throwing a tantrum, and then movin … read more about Intention vs. Expectation

Looking for the perfect gift to give the arborist in your life this holiday season? Look no further! Our Arbor Sales manager Dave Vavro walks through some great options … read more about Holiday Shopping Guide for the Tree People in Your Life

In this video, Liz talks to Alex from our Climb and Outdoor Sales team about great gift ideas under $50 for the climber in your life. Scroll down for Part II where they talk about ropes! … read more about Between Two Hanks, Episode 1: Holiday Gifts for Climbers

The most inventive and compact multi-functional kit available. Used for edge restraint, load release, litter rigging and haul systems. … read more about Sterling Bound Loop Prusiks in Rescue Litter Rigging

I hope you can appreciate that we are not at liberty to disclose too much technical detail given the heavy R&D investment we’ve made and the proprietary natur … read more about What Goes Into the DryXP UIAA Water Repellent Treatment

As an AMGA-Certified Rock Guide I demand a lot from my ropes. I need my ropes to be durable, versatile, lightweight and reliable. Working as a full-time guide for Colorad … read more about Guide Review: The NanoIX Gets Put to the Test

With the unexpected early close of the ice park due to high temperatures and melting ice, I was apprehensive about how much I would enjoy this trip. I had had a busy week … read more about A Day in Ouray Climbing With Paradox Sports

Sterling Athletes can be some of our harshest critics, and we love them for that. They are an integral part of our product development process and without them, we woul … read more about Sterling Athletes Rave About DryXP

As you shop for your next climbing rope, you may come acr … read more about What Does Fall Rating Really Mean?

Sterling: What got you into climbing? Kevin: I went to the grand opening of my local climbing gym when I was 10. It was 1995, it was totally packed and I probably only … read more about Interview Session with Kevin Jorgeson

What goes into the best Shannon Johnson Check out our NEW Climbing Rope video! Hear from top Sterling Athletes Angela Hawse and Kevin Jorgeson … read more about Sterling Climbing Ropes:

3-sigma testing, determines the minimum break strength (mbs) of our ropes Sterling Rope uses 3-sigma testing, also known as the t … read more about What is 3-Sigma?

Sterling Athlete Rob Pizem A few weekends ago I made time to meet up with my friends Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall. They were on t … read more about Piz Spends a Day with the Wideboyz

Rob Pizem Sterling Athlete Since bolting this climb in 2015, I have been struggling to open it up properly with a first free ascent. I was draw … read more about The Infinity Round Project

Back tie, also known as tieback, is a method for applying tension on an anchor in order to reduce or eliminate an undesirable leverage (moment) on that anchor. I was recently asked by Re … read more about Tie Back Testing: Which Method is Strongest?

After more than 15 years, Sterling brings David Egan from Perpetual Motion NW back on board as Independent Rep for Pacific Northwest Region. Sterling Rop … read more about Press Release: Sterling Reunites with David Egan as Pacific Northwest Rep

Choosing the right climbing rope As a Sterling Athlete Team member, I have the benefit of having as many as 12 ropes at any given time in my quiver. I kn … read more about How to choose the right climbing rope

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to use a lot of ropes. In that time, I have learned how to destroy them and how to make them last. Since ropes don’t grow on trees and due … read more about How to Make Your Climbing Rope Last Longer

We climbed a route on the Father and Son’s Wall on Denali. It was a variation to ‘First Born’ the initial line of ascent which Eli Helmuth and Steve House climbed in 19 … read more about 73-Hour Adventure on the Father and Son's Wall in Denali