I guess I never thought of taking spectra rope - its pretty cheap on ebay and I use it for my hammock harness - and its a darn sight lighter than climbing rope BUT unless you understand climbing and falling, climbing on a non-stretch rope can be harardous to your health. Spectra does not stretch, thus the rope cannot absorb any force, instead the force of a fall will be applied to your guts and your anchor, either one of which could fail.

I realise that most backpackers won't be in territory where a rope might be of much use. But I've been climbing in a hiking area and heard someone screaming for help (a hiker in over his head). Because I had a rope I could climb above him, rap down to him and use a body belay to help him down with a bowline in the end of the rope around him, I was anchored from above, and there was adequate places for him to step getting down that it wasn't a "free rappel".

I have a piece of that fluorescent pink Mammut avo cord that trails along behind you. I guess I didn't know that no one uses it anymore, but come to think of it, I haven't seen any snowboarders trailing rope.

And yes you can get into some hairy situations with a rope! Once I rappeled out of the mouth of a cirque in Yosemite. I had 80 feet of 4mm and doubled it for a 40 foor rap where I tied off to a tree and then did another 40 feet down. A double length sling for a harness and 4 biners is about the minimum you need for free rappels. Anyway five minutes after clearing the debris area below the cirque, there was a major rockslide down the chute with refridgerator sized boulders. that went through the same path that I had, only faster. I was 100 yards to the left of the chute when it happened.

I was reffering to the diameter of the rope being sufficient to get a grip on it with your hands and if not directly ascend it, to use it for an aid that can bear weight. A going up rope needs to be large unless you have other gear.

I was just up on Mt Bachelor at the ski park skiing through fir trees and examining the snow holes. We don't have enough snow yet but its coming. A buddy of mine wants me to help him set up a semipermanent snowcamp up near the snowpark on Friday. I may do some firtree hole camping next week.

Jim