Climbing equipment

Clothing

There are no special clothing requirements for climbing. The practical requirements are protection from the elements and against abrasion, plus freedom of movement.

Footwear

Climbers use foot-hugging shoes with a rubber strip extending over the toe, sides and heel to maximize adhesion to the rock. Poor shoes will hinder your development, as the assumption that feet slide off small holds will take years to overcome if early climbs are undertaken in sloppy rock shoes. You will notice that most climbers put shoes over bare feet to increase sensitivity. However, a pair of shoes brought to fit over a thin pair of socks allows greater warmth and is more hygienic.

Double Back Buckle

Most harnesses have one double back buckle on the waist belt. This permits you to secure the harness so it will not open. Correct placement of the webbing through the double back buckle is critical. Some harnesses have two double back buckles permitting you to center the harness with ease. To check that the buckle has been double backed or locked, look at the metal plate. An ‘O’ shape means open while a ‘C’ shape means closed. Always check your partner and make sure their harness is closed.

Chalk Bag

A chalk bag contains fine grains of chalk of which a climber applies to their fingers to provide grip when climbing. Climbers will often attach their chalk bag to the back of their harness to enable them to apply chalk when needed during a climb.

Climbing Ropes

Modern ropes use a sheath and core type of construction, where the inner core contains braided load-bearing fibres running the whole length of the rope with no joins. The sheath is largely for protection of the inner core, but it does contribute significantly (10-25%) to the strength of the rope.

A longer rope is heavier, but useful for climbing longer routes and running pitches together. Ropes are commonly manufactured in lengths of 50, 55, 60, and 70 metres. Keep rope clean and away from sharp edges. Most ropes are retired because they become frayed, not because of the number of falls held. Watch for sharp edges like rock crystals, bolt hangers, glass and even pack grommets, which can cut a rope's sheath. Retire rope if you can see the core at an abraded area or if the rope feels lumpy or flat in spots. Dirt also shortens rope life by causing internal as well as external abrasion. Never step on a rope as stepping on a rope grinds dirt into the rope fibers, causing excessive wear. If the rope is subjected to big impact falls or shows signs of minor damage then the rope needs to be downgraded.

Carabiner

Both screwgate and snaplink carabiners are essential components of any climbing rack. Providing the link between the various elements in the safety chain, they need to be strong and hard wearing. Screwgate carabiners are used when maintaining connection is vital, notably for attaching the rope to a belaying system. Tighten up the screwgate completely and then back it off half a turn to allow for it to tighten under a load. Some carabiners have a self-locking design usually called a twist lock. 

Belaying Devices

All belay devices work on the same basic principle: by forcing the rope into a tight ‘Z’ shape, opposing forces are created that allow an outwards pull to be easily held using the resulting friction.

The grigri works on a similar principle to car seatbelts, where a shock loading will tighten a sprung camming system and hold the rope. Unlike other belay devices, the grigri functions automatically. It is best used for sport climbing and top-roping.