Personal gear

Introduction

There is a lot of choice when it comes to buying climbing equipment — and also a lot of variation. Not every rope is the same: for example, a tow cable has different properties than a bungee cord. It is therefore essential that you know something about gear. In general, for all climbing gear you purchase, the manufacturer’s manual will answer many of your questions. It is always wise to read it carefully. This is nicely summed up by the term RTFM (Read The Frickin’ Manual).

Safety requirements

Climbing equipment is extensively tested and must meet certain requirements. In Europe, these are the so-called EN standards for personal protective equipment. You can tell that your gear meets an EN standard if it carries the CE mark. There are also UIAA standards for climbing gear, which you may also find marked on your equipment. In Europe, the UIAA standard is not mandatory, but manufacturers often choose to have their products comply with both standards. For those interested, this is a great article to start your further exploration. Warning: the rabbit hole goes very deep. See also the close-up photo of the carabiner with CE mark and UIAA logo from the article (or take a closer look at your own gear).

Forces

Climbing gear is very strong — meaning it can withstand enormous forces without tearing, breaking, or (significantly) deforming. These forces are measured in kilonewtons (kN). One kN is roughly equivalent to the static hanging weight of about 100 kg. In the close-up photo of the carabiner above, you can see that it can handle a load of 21 kN along its major axis. In the practice of outdoor lead climbing, the forces involved are much smaller. Your body would not be able to withstand a sudden impact of 21 kN either. One of the greatest advances in climbing safety was the introduction of dynamic rope (see Ropes below), which significantly reduces the forces on the body during a fall.

For enthusiasts, here’s a 20-minute video that goes much deeper into the topic than is necessary for the OVS course.

Lifespan

The starting point for determining the lifespan of your gear is the maximum lifespan specified by the manufacturer. However, the way and intensity with which the gear is used have a major impact on how long it will last. Inspect your gear regularly, and consult others if you have doubts.

In general, metal components have a much longer lifespan than components made of rope or webbing. For example, a belay device will last much longer than a climbing harness. Sunlight and dirt can significantly reduce the lifespan of your gear, so store it in a dark, well-ventilated place — not, for example, on a sunny windowsill. If your gear becomes very dirty, you may sometimes be able to clean it — check the manufacturer’s manual for instructions.

As a general rule: replace any gear if you cannot rule out doubts about its safety. After all, you and your climbing partners are trusting your lives to it.

Climbing harnesses

The strongest part of your climbing harness is the belay loop (in Dutch zekerlus), which can handle at least 15 kN, and often much more. On most harnesses, the belay loop runs through two tie-in points (in Dutch inbindpunten) on the harness. Make sure that anything your life (or your partner’s life) depends on is connected to the belay loop or to both tie-in points. The rest of your harness is not designed for this! The tie-in points and the belay loop are usually the first parts of a harness to wear out.

A harness also has gear loops to carry your climbing equipment. Try to develop a consistent system for where you place your gear, so you can always find it quickly.

For those who want to learn more, here’s a useful video.

Carabiners

Carabiners come in all shapes and sizes. They generally consist of two parts: a solid metal body and a movable part that allows them to open and close (the gate). They are used to connect two separate components — for example, your climbing harness to a belay device, as you are probably already used to doing. During the OVS course, you will also use carabiners to connect yourself to the rock.

When we refer to a “carabiner,” we usually mean a locking carabiner (see the first figure). On this type, the gate can be screwed open and shut. There are also locking carabiners where a plastic latch holds the gate in place. With these, an extra step is required to open the carabiner — we call this a safebiner. However, there are many types of safebiners. One example is the ball lock (see the second figure), which also requires three separate actions before the carabiner opens.

Usually, when we say “carabiners,” we do not mean the snappers from a quickdraw (see Quickdraws), even though those are also a type of carabiner. These are just much more prone to accidental opening. The notes below on the correct use of carabiners largely also apply to snappers.

Correct use of carabiners

Carabiners can be loaded in different ways. They are strongest along their major axis (lengthwise) and weakest along their minor axis (sideways). A carabiner with the gate open can still be surprisingly strong. On every carabiner, you will find markings that indicate the maximum load it can withstand in each of these directions (see the photo under Safety requirements above). 

The key principle is to load your carabiners only along the major axis, as they are designed for this. Some situations to avoid when using carabiners are nicely illustrated in the Petzl carabiner manuals.
Here are a few additional instructions: 

• Always close your locking carabiners immediately after use, or as soon as possible. 

• Make sure the gate is unobstructed. For example, don’t let a rope run along it, and position the gate so that it faces away from the rock. 

• You can hang a screwgate carabiner upside down; this is also called gravity loaded. For further discussion on this, see the box below. The most important point is to keep the screw mechanism facing away from the rock. 

Ropes

In climbing, ropes are used. There are roughly two types: dynamic and static. Dynamic rope stretches, which helps ensure a more “comfortable” fall. During the OVS course, you will use 70-meter dynamic ropes provided by the ASAC.

Dynamic climbing rope

Dynamic climbing ropes are sold in various lengths. For sport climbing areas, a 70-meter rope is usually long enough. This allows you to climb any route shorter than 35 meters. However, you will occasionally encounter longer routes up to 40 meters, which require an 80-meter rope. This is usually indicated in the topo. Many ropes have a middle mark (see photos). While belaying, you can use this to check whether you can still safely lower your climber to the ground. But as mentioned earlier, you should always tie a knot in the end of the rope to prevent accidents.

Inspect your rope carefully before and after climbing. Look and feel for any damage. A rope that is folded to make a loop should spring open on its own. And as always: when in doubt, do not use it. If you notice that an ASAC rope is damaged, contact the gear commissioner (materiaal@asac.nl) immediately.

Prusik rope

Static rope stretches (almost) not at all and is therefore not suitable for belaying someone. It is used for various other purposes, such as hauling gear or certain climbing techniques.

During the OVS course, you use prusik rope, which is thin static rope. You need such a prusik as a backup during abseiling (see chapter 5).

Prusik rope is not suitable for catching a fall! Not only will your body experience a heavy shock because it is static rope, but prusiks are also much weaker than regular climbing rope.

Slings

A sling is usually made of webbing material with the ends joined together, forming a loop. The most commonly used materials are nylon and dyneema. Nylon is more dynamic than dyneema but less strong. That is why nylon slings are much wider than dyneema slings. During the OVS course, you can use a sling as a self-belay (see below). You will also use a sling to connect two bolts when setting up a top rope (see chapter 5).

Lifelines

A lifeline (in Dutch zelfzekering) is a piece of webbing or rope. It is attached to the front of your harness and has a carabiner at the other end. You use the lifeline for certain techniques such as cleaning a route and abseiling (see chapter 5).

There are many types of lifelines available. The simplest and cheapest is a 120 cm nylon sling combined with a screwgate carabiner. A dyneema sling is slightly more expensive but more comfortable to use. You can tie one or more knots in it for use during abseiling or to shorten your lifeline. See this video. Note: if you use a sling as a lifeline for this course, you will also need a second 120 cm sling for certain techniques.

Also commonly used within the ASAC are lifelines made from dynamic rope, adjustable or not, and sometimes with a separate loop for use during abseiling. Many variations are available. Note: if you use a lifeline without a separate loop, you will need a 30–60 cm sling for abseiling (or a longer sling with a knot tied in it).

NB: Lifelines, even those made from dynamic rope, are designed to be weighted gently and not to catch a fall. Do not climb above the point where your lifelines is attached. Lifelines are very strong, so it is very unlikely that they will break during a fall, but your body will experience too much impact.

Want to know more? Watch this detailed video.

Quickdraws

You have used quickdraws (in Dutch: setjes) during indoor lead climbing. They consist of two snappers connected by a piece of webbing, called the dogbone. Because quickdraws combine metal and webbing, it’s good to know that you should replace the dogbones when they reach the end of their lifespan, while the carabiners last much longer. On one side of the quickdraw (the rope side), the snapper is attached to the dogbone with a small rubber piece. This prevents the snapper from rotating, which avoids cross-loading and makes clipping the rope much easier. On the other side is the snapper that clips into the bolts on the rock. It is important to always use quickdraws correctly. The carabiner that is clipped into the bolts (metal on metal) can develop sharp edges over time. It is dangerous to use such a snapper later on the rope side because it can damage the rope.

There are many types of quickdraws available—from ultra-lightweight to ergonomically shaped. Functionally, they don’t differ much.

For the course, you need to purchase 6 quickdraws. Together with your climbing partner, you will have 12, which is enough to lead most outdoor routes. If you want to buy more than six, that’s fine too of course. Consider getting quickdraws of different lengths. Some have a slightly longer dogbone. A few extra centimeters can already be very helpful, as outdoor routes are generally less straight than indoor ones, allowing for a better rope run. Sometimes the snappers rests on a rock edge and can be loaded sideways during a fall. A longer quickdraw can help prevent this.

You might also see climbers connecting two carabiners with a 60 cm dyneema sling, folding the whole assembly and hanging it on their harness. This creates a very flexible extended quickdraw with a variable length. You don’t need to buy such gear for the OVS course. For gear-heads, this video provides a lot of info about quickdraws.

Using quickdraws outdoors is largely the same as indoors. Always avoid back-clipping in every situation! This video is a great introduction and reminder.

Belay devices

There are more belay devices available than ever before, which can make choosing one difficult. For the OVS course, you need a tuber-type belay device with two holes for strands of rope. The two holes are necessary for abseiling (see chapter 5). Many of these devices also have extra “eyes,” usually one small and one large. These are not strictly necessary for the OVS course but are required for follow-up courses such as OVM (multipitch). See the first photo.

If you use a semi-automatic belay device for lead climbing indoors, you can also use it outside. Semi-automatic devices are safer. Note: for abseiling in the OVS course, you still need a tuber with two holes! There are also semi-automatic tubers with two holes available (see the second photo), or you can bring two different belay devices.

Helmets

Wearing a helmet is mandatory when at the rock in a climbing area. At least, this is always the case with ASAC. Often, the helmet goes on at the parking lot! There are two main reasons to wear a helmet: 1) Objects can fall down—onto your head. 2) You might have an unlucky fall and hit your head against the rock, even without making a foot fault. 

Brain injuries are no joke, and wearing a helmet has often prevented trips to the hospital—or worse.

For the OVS course, you do not need to purchase a helmet; you can borrow one from the ASAC. However, it’s very nice to have your own helmet because it usually fits best. Make sure to buy a helmet specifically designed for climbing, as these meet different standards than, for example, a bike helmet. Also, you can consider purchasing a lightweight helmet. A regular climbing helmet weighs about 400 grams, while lightweight models weigh around 200 grams. Over a full day, this can make a big difference.

Also for a helmet applies: if your ASAC helmet has fallen from a height or had something fall on it, report it to the ASAC gear commissioner.