Beginners climbing gear

All the equipment covered in this section is based mainly on safety equipment, except for shoes that are for the purpose of enhancing your climbing ability. Never use any equipment without being fully trained in its safe usage.

Shoes: Climbing shoes are a useful piece of climbing equipment; due to the continuous improvements in climbing shoes climbers have been able to complete climbs that would once have been impossible. They have a stiff smooth rubber sole that protects the feet and also provide enhanced friction between you and the rock. Price varies depending on make and style although reasonable all rounds shoes are all you need to begin with. Climbing shoes fit tightly, which can make them slightly uncomfortable to wear. Your foot should not move around in the shoe, as this would reduce the amount of control you have when climbing. The vastly improved control and friction they give you will make the fact that they are a little uncomfortable worthwhile! Choosing the correct size can be difficult as sizes vary depending on style; many people go for the same size as they wear in trainers or ½ size down depending on how tight you want them.

Harnesses: To safely attach themselves to a rope, climbers always use a harness. A harness has a wide belt that fits around the waist and a pair of leg loops that are worn around the thighs. This ensures that most of the weight is supported by the legs to make it more comfortable should you have to hang around for some time. The price of harnesses varies; the more expensive harnesses generally have more features like increased number of gear loops, adjustable leg loops and more padding. The traditional knot that is used to fasten the rope to the harness is called the “figure of 8 follow through”. It is essential that you know the correct way to tie this knot before commencing a climb, failure to tie the knot correctly could result in a serious accident. If you are planning on indoor climbing only it is not essential to purchase a harness that has padding or a variety of adjustment options. If you are planning on wearing the harness for longer periods of time or outdoor climbing, padding will become more important along with the ability to adjust the leg loops and the number of gear loops. The more adjustable the loops the more freedom you have to wear different layered clothing and still adjust your harness to fit correctly.

Belays: A belayer is the person who is holding the rope to ensure the climber will not fall should he lose contact with the rock. A belay device is relatively simple, the majority work by using friction and the way the rope is held to stop the climber from falling. There are many different types of belay device all of which are relatively easy to use which makes them safe. One common type of device is the ATC (also known by various other names). These devices have two holes that are large enough for two rope loops to pass through (they can then be used with single ropes or double ropes). The loop/s of rope are passed through the hole and clipped into a locking karabiner that is securely locked to the load bearing loops of the belayer’s harness. This is a relatively simple belay device that keeps rope twisting to a minimum. Another common type of belay device is the figure-eight, this is easily identifiable as it is simply two metal rings one larger than the other making a shape like the number 8. A loop of rope is passed through the main large loop and then passed under and than over the small ring. The small ring is then securely fastened with a locking karabiner to the belayer’s load bearing loops on the harness. The rope can twist while using a figure-eight so care should be taken as with all belay equipment that you are confident in its use before using it in climbing situations.

Karabiners: Karabiners are used all the time in climbing and there are two main types. One can be opened freely the other has a screw gate or twist locking gate, both prevent the gate from being opened easily by mistake. There are variations of both, some area simple D shape with a straight gate opener; these are harder to clip the rope into but also harder to open accidentally. The others have curved gates and are ideal for situations when you want to attach to the rope quickly. A karabiner is safe until it is open, one way to make them safer is to interlock two karabiners to the rope with each gate opening in the opposite direction to each other, something is far less likely to happen that would cause both of them to open at the same time. Most quickdraw sets that you will see have a D shape on one end that you attach to the protection you place when lead climbing, the other end of the quickdraw has a curved gate to make it easier to clip to the rope (see quickdraws later in this section). Wire gate karabiners are the same as the solid gate except that they are generally lighter in weight. The locking karabiner has an additional mechanism which is used to make it harder to open accidentally. These are the safest karabiner to use in most situations where you have the time to fasten them correctly. Karabiners are very strong with most having strength ratings over approx 22Kn or 2.2 tonnes.

Slings: Nylon or dyneema slings are widely used in climbing, like karabiners they are very strong with strength ratings in most cases of approx 20-22Kn or 2 tonnes. Shorter ones are used as part of quickdraw sets to attach two karabiners together. They come in various lengths and are primarily used for spike, thread or tree placements and also as long extenders in situations where the typically short ones on quickdraws would mean too much rope drag or the displacement of safety gear/protection. The 3 main lengths for quickdraw sets are 10cm, 15cm or 20cm The 4 main lengths for use as extenders are 30cm, 60cm, 120cm or 240cm A top tip is to carry a few quickdraw sets made up of 30-60cm slings doubled up, which can be extended if you need them. All can come in very handy in many situations, longer ones can be worn over the shoulder while climbing. The two main types - nylon and dyneema - both can have similar strength ratings, but dyneema is just lighter in weight that nylon.

Ropes: A climbing rope is a key piece of safety equipment. It is made up of the inner section which contains the majority of the strength and the outer sheath which protects the core from the elements. Climbing rope is dynamic, it is able to stretch slightly under pressure, and this is to prevent the climber being subjected to a violent jolt during a fall. There are two main types of rope: Single (dynamic) - Great for use on single pitch routes, indoors and pretty much everywhere. The thickness if these single ropes can vary between 9.5mm – 11mm. The lighter the rope the more expensive it is. Lighter ropes are just as safe but may not have as high a fall rating (the number of falls recommended before replacing the rope). Double (dynamic) - These ropes are designed to be used in pairs, they are around 9mm in size. Double ropes are more widely used for multi pitch climbing and routes that zigzag, they allow gear to be placed at varying points and using the two ropes independently you can keep the line of each rope as straight as possible without missing protection opportunities. Static rope - These are for abseiling only, never attempt to climb using a static rope! Dry treatment - Dry treated ropes are “supposed” to repel water compared to normal ones that absorb it. I can tell you from experience that all ropes soak up water and are very heavy when wet!!!! Dry treated ropes are advisable if climbing in winter, if it is not dry treated they may freeze leaving you a very compromising position unable to tie knots or use the rope safely. All ropes come in various lengths:- 30m - ideal for indoor or short routes 50m - indoor or outdoor crags 60m - the majority of UK crags 70m - ideal for multi pitch and long routes Remember: the longer the rope the more it weights. If you plan on climbing short routes do not go for 70m it is far too long meaning more chance of tangling up the rope.

Cams/Friends: There are two main types of protection, ones that have no moving parts, commonly called nuts or hexes (come in various sizes and shapes). The second are commonly called friends/cams or spring loaded camming devices. A spring loaded cam consists of a stem with an axle at one end that holds in place four semi circled shaped cams, on the other end you have a sling which can be clipped to a quickdraw using a karabiner. They are placed in cracks with the stem pointing down. The lever is pulled that releases the camming mechanism before the cam is placed, once this is released the cam fits securely in the crack. In the event of a fall the cams are forced even harder into the rock making it even more secure and difficult to come loose. They are far easier and safer to use than nuts or hexes and can be used in situations that nuts and hexes could not. Each size will fit a range of cracks making the number of sizes needed far less than nuts or hexes. Cams and friends are quite expensive, although prices do range immensely. Do not be fooled into thinking the more you pay the safer they are, they can all have the same strength rating and must meet stringent safety standards. You do not have to spend the earth to get a good cam.

Nuts: Basically tapered wedges or hexes that are wedged into cracks in the rock so that they are difficult to move should force be applied in a downward motion, yet easily removed by pulling up. They come in various sizes and are generally made of lightweight aluminum although some are brass. They are relatively inexpensive but can only be used in crack that taper.

Climbing Helmets: A climbing helmet may save your life. You do not have to fall off to need a helmet, rocks can fall from above or an irresponsible person could drop something onto your head. Some will take repeat impact and some will only take one, the best advice is to buy a new one so you know what has happened to it, it is then your choice when to replace it. The more you pay the lighter they get and also the cooler they look, it depends how much of a poser you are! Most can be adjusted to fit various sizes, the fit should be snug but not too tight, the last thing you want is to stop the blood supply to your head while climbing. The helmet should sit about ½ inch above your eyebrows and not fall off even if the strap is not fastened, this is a good sign that the helmet fits correctly. Always ensure you fasten the helmet while climbing.

Quickdraws: A quickdraw is simply a relatively short sling that connects two karabiners. They are used for connecting nuts, cams or other forms of protection to the rope. For short traditional sports routes, short quickdraws are fine. We would suggest buying various length slings so you can vary the length of quick draws you have depending on the climb. To keep the rope in the straightest possible line or to apply the least movement to protection longer slings 20,30 or 60cm are sometimes needed. A good piece of advice is to vary the sizes of the ones you carry on your rack or use longer slings that can be doubled or tripled up depending on the situation you find yourself in.

Never use any equipment without being fully trained in its safe usage. Failure could result in serious injury or death. Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing and Mountaineering are dangerous and hazardous. It is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or user of any climbing equipment to get proper instruction and to act safely and with caution while using this equipment.