Climbing Gear

When purchasing climbing gear, look for the UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme) certification label. The UIAA is also known as the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation. This organization has very strict and rigorous testing procedures for products. You can be confident that these product designs have been well tested and meet high standards.

Your equipment won't last a lifetime, but with proper care you'll get more and safer use out of it. Never store any of your climbing gear, especially your nylon harness and rope in direct sun light, and keep them clean. Make sure to always follow the manufacturer's instructions on proper care. Always keep your climbing equipment in the best condition; after all it will be save your life.

Harness

Keep in mind that not all your falls will be straight up and down. You may fall upside down. Your harness must hold you no matter how you fall. The standard harness is designed for a body that's shoulders and hips are wider than the waist. Of course bodies come in all shapes and sizes. If your waist is larger than your hips, the force of an upside down fall may cause you to slip out. If this is the case, you'll need to look into a chest harness.

If you plan to climb during the winter with additional clothing layers, you'll need a harness that will adjust for clothes.

Harnesses offer few options. Some have a Velcro and buckle closing. Easy to use, but can also be easy to forget to fully secure the closing. A harness should have gear loops for attaching climbing equipment. These are typically designed for carrying lead climbing gear. Gear loops are not designed to take any pressure. You should never attach a belay or repelling line to a gear loop.

Climbing Shoes

These are your "dancing" shoes. Shoes fall into several different categories and are designed for different uses. The categories include sport routes, cracks, long routes, bouldering, gym, and all-purpose. To begin with you'll want to look for an all-purpose shoe. It will do a little of everything and allow you to get your feet in shape. Yes, that's right there is one more area of the body that needs to be exercised. The more you climb the stronger your feet will get. Until your feet are strong you'll want a shoe that provides support.

Fitting shoes is a bit tricky. You're not looking for comfort, but a precise fit. You also need to consider that most shoes will stretch at least half a size. And, unlined shoes will stretch more than a lined shoe. Some of the newer models are being made with synthetic leather, which stretches very little.

There are some women's shoes on the market, not a lot but some. Since women's feet are much different than men's, this is a good place to start. Women typically have narrower heels, high arches and smaller feet. This is not to say that you can't find a man's shoe that fits right.

Climbing shoes run about 120.00 US$. They're not made for walking around in them. So to get the most out of them, only wear them while climbing. They'll last longer. You can also have your climbing shoes resoled when they start to wear out.

Chalk and Chalk Bags

The chalk bag is just a "fun" purchase, nothing too technical here. The bag should close securely to keep the chalk inside and out of your gear bag. Other than that you should find one that best represents your personal style. There will be a lot to choose from! Bright colors and cool designs. Go wild!

Helmet

For some reason in the past, helmets weren't thought of as mandatory safety gear. This is hard to understand with climbing, because falling is part of the sport. Between you falling off the rock face and rocks being dislodged and falling on top of you, helmets should be a requirement. Consider it part of your standard gear.

The climbing helmet is designed to protect you head from sideways impacts such as a fall and direct top impacts from falling objects. The UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme) certifies helmets that have met their extensive testing. Make sure the helmet you purchase has the UIAA label.

The most important element when choosing a helmet is proper fit. The front should fully cover your forehead. It's common to see helmets that have been pushed back exposing this critical area. Proper fit also means that is stays in place. Not too snug to give you a headache, but it can't be sliding around. You won't have any free hands to move it back into place.

The helmet should be low profile. You can get your body into pretty tight places on the rock. You don't want your helmet to be in the way. Air vents are a nice option for the summer. And if you plan to climb in the winter, you'll want to find a helmet that will adjust so you can wear a fleece cap underneath.

Remember that the helmet won't protect you unless you wear it. You should wear it when you're belaying as well as climbing. Standing below the wall you become a prime target for falling rocks.

Rope

The rope is your lifeline and the quintessential equipment of climbing. You should learn as much as possible about your rope. Become an expert.

All climbing ropes used today are of kern-mantle construction. They have a core that provides the load baring ability, and the outside sheath that protects the core fibers. The core is usually white and the outside sheath is colorful. This allows you to easily identify the rope's condition. If you can see the white core, the rope's strength maybe jeopardized and you should retire the rope immediately.

Ropes are designed to stretch. If the rope didn't "give", the climber would stop suddenly. Speeds of 60 to 70 mph are possible to reach in a fall. A sudden stop would put such incredible forces on the body, that the "stop" would kill you. Not only does the stretch reduce the stresses on the body it also reduces the stresses on attached equipment.

Standard ropes are 50 meters and 11mm to 10.5mm thick. However, the lead climbing trend is towards longer and thinner ropes. The 11mm traditional rope size is standard for top roping, designed for heavy use. Ropes will be identified as Single, Double or Half, and Twin. The Single ropes are marked with a 1, double or Half with a 1/2 sign, and Twin with an infinity sign or sideways figure 8.

As you would think a single rope is used by itself. The double ropes are used in pairs and allow the lead climber to alternately clip into gear. The twin ropes are used together as one. While top roping you'll only be concerned with a single rope. When you begin lead climbing, double and twin ropes will come into play and provide added safety.

Dry coated ropes are a new option available. As you would think, the rope has a coating that repels water. Not only does it reduce the amount of moisture absorbed and thus weight, but it also makes the rope slicker. This may help to reduce drag in some climbing environments.

Care and store your ropes properly. You really need to baby your climbing gear. Dirt can damage ropes in a similar way it damages rugs. The dirt gets worked into the rope and begins to cut the threads. If your rope gets dirty you can carefully wash it and then dry it properly. Follow the manufacturer's directions for washing. You should never store or dry your ropes in direct sun. The sun brakes down the material over time.

If there is any doubt about the condition of your ropes, they should be replaced. The outside is designed to take some abuse. If the outside sheath shows quite a bit of abuse or any of the inner core is showing, it is time to replace the rope. It should also be replaced if the rope has been subjected to a major fall. A major fall exerts tremendous forces on the rope and does considerable damage to the core. Don't use a rope that is over 5 years old. Time wears down the rope's strength and ability to stretch. Also, never exposure your rope to chemicals, especially battery acid, which might be stored in your car trunk next to your climbing gear. There's a case where a rope failed because car batter acid had weakened it. The rope had been stored near a car battery.

Belay Device