Rock Climbing Equipment For Beginners

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In this video we will see everything you need to rock climb. What you need to buy at the beginning and what you have to buy later when you have more experience.

List of equipment you need:

At the beginning

  • climbing shoes to do bouldering in the gym (climbing without a rope, when you fall, you land on a mat)
  • harness to tie a rope either with the rope from the climbing gym or with a friend’s rope

If you are going to try rock climbing and you go with someone who already has all the equipment…

  • In addition to your climbing shoes and harness, you will need a helmet to protect your head in case of falling stones or to protect yourself from blows.

When you have more experience or you decide that you want to practice rock climbing on a regular basis

  • Climbing rope between 9.5 to 9.8 mm preferably 70m. Although many recommend thicker to start with, I suggest you ignore them. Climbing ropes get thicker over time making it difficult to belay, imagine what will happen if you buy a thick rope at first, you will end up hating your rope.
  • At least 12 quickdraws, with that you should be enough for most climbing routes.
  • insurance system, the best known are the Black Diamond ATC and the Petzl Gri Gri.
  • HMS carabiner to connect the belay system with the rope and harness. If you can, buy one with an internal trigger so that it does not turn while you secure. You will thank yourself later.
  • 1 lifeline to hang independently from the rope when unequipping a rock climbing route. Daisy Chain no please!! they are not for this. The most typical ones are to use a 7mm by 3m cord to make a pursell prusik or like the “Chain” type that are links of cooked ribbons, like the Sterling Chain Reactor (just in case, it is not the same as a Daisy! Chain! 😄).
  • 2 locking carabiners of the normal ones (other than HMS), one for the lifeline and one for the maneuver of unequipping a rock climbing route.

To set up meetings to climb Top Rope

Assuming you already have all your rock climbing gear:

  • A cord of 7mm by 6m long to make a meeting type Quad.
  • 4 locking carabiners to connect the meeting with the anchor and the rope. Hopefully all four are normal. but two may be HMS and are engaged to put the rope in the meeting. The other two go to the plates.

To abandon a route when we cannot finish it

Here you must have at least the equipment for rock climbing, it is not necessary for the Top Rope

  • A cord of 7mm by 2m long to make a prusik. Make sure the cord is soft. If it is very rigid, it will be difficult for the prusik to block.
  • A maillon or industrial carabiner to leave Preferably holding at least 600 kilos.

To unequip rappelling a route

Only perform this maneuver if you are sure of what you are doing. There are many accidents due to this poorly done maneuver. In addition to rock climbing gear, you will need:

  • 5mm and 2m cord to make a self-locking knot such as the Machard double handle or the Prusik
  • A second lifelineIf you don’t have it, it can be a 60 cm cooked runner or tape.
  • For this maneuver you will need 4 locking carabiners, which you should already have if you have the equipment to climb Top Rope. If you have the equipment to rock climb, you would need 1 more.

If you are starting to climb or want to start, there are a lot of things you need to know like what are the techniques, maneuvers, styles, etc.