GEAR RENTALS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO COLUMBIA POLICY

Eligibility

You must be an official member of the club. This means you have paid this semester's dues. You must also have prior knowledge of how to use gear used in safety systems (i.e. ropes, the trad rack). YouTube tutorials alone DO NOT COUNT!

Conditions

• Failure to return gear on time and in good condition will result in the end of gear rental privileges. If you break it or lose it, you buy us a new one (of equal or greater quality). We are strict because this is safety equipment and it's important that this gear is taken care of so that it can keep people alive. It's an extreme sport after all.

• Club gear is for club members! You must be physically present at all times when the gear is in use, and you must not loan the gear to anyone who is not in the club!

• You are responsible for the gear while you have it. Be nice to our gear. We want to continue offering this system for club members who don't have their own. Keep the ropes clean, dry, and ON A TARP NOT DIRT. Don't throw quickdraws or helmets. Don't set up an anchor that rubs against a ledge or sharp rock... 

Of course we know accidents happen, and if anything does go amiss please tell us ASAP, no later than when you are returning the gear and ideally as soon as anything happens via text, call, or email to a board member. Unless you were being intentionally reckless, we won't ask you to replace the gear but we need to know so we can replace anything deemed unsafe. Remember all this gear sees hundreds of uses every year, so we need to be extra vigilant about its condition to make sure we are as safe as possible!

HOW TO RENT

1. Fill out the request form linked in the club emails and let us know you want to rent some club gear. Tell us what gear you want (or think you might want), where you are going to climb, and how long you would like to rent the gear.

2. One of the club officers with take you to the club locker in Dodge and check it out for you. This is so we can control the movement of gear in and out of the locker and so we can ensure nothing is damaged whenever gear is exchanged.

3. Climb to your heart's content and commune with nature.

NOTE: You may not loan club gear out to non-members. You must be present, and you are completely responsible for the gear and its condition.  Be mindful of how you store gear when it is not in use, keep it clean, be wary of sharp edges with ropes, please do not drop trad gear etc. you get the picture.

4. Return the gear on time with the same club officer who checked it out to you.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Club Events

Club events take priority so if there is a sport climbing trip coming up, you likely won't be able to rent a dynamic rope or helmets that weekend.

The Trad Rack

Trad Climbing is one of the more dangerous schools of climbing we do so we are going to be a bit more particular about who can rent the trad rack. Don't be surprised if we casually test your trad climbing knowledge, it's not that we are trying to give you a hard time. We just want to make sure that you have experience and won't deck while you are climbing with club gear because so long as you are climbing with our gear, we are LEGALLY liable for your safety.

If you want to learn how to use any of the gear, trips are a great opportunity to ask for guidance and gain (incremental) experience, and our clinics are a great resource for you aspiring rope guns. But you should be sure to take multiple classes or guided trips to be as safe as possible first!

A note on asking for mentorship

Please don't expect anyone to teach you everything they know about climbing just because you ask. We try to help everyone achieve their climbing goals, but sometimes people don't have the time to teach skills or don't have the experience to safely mentor. We're happy to teach top-rope skills whenever, but if you're itching to learn more then you should consider hiring a guide for a day or weekend or take a class through a climbing gym.