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Advanced
Rock Climbing Gear |
These
notes are intended to assist the climber who has already
gained some knowledge of rock climbing and is fully
aware of its risks but still wishes to progress further
up the grades, and indeed the mountains. They are brief
and not designed to be comprehensive in any way. Ultimately
climbing is a dangerous sport and claims many casualties
each year. One of the guiding principals of British
climbing and mountaineering is that it is the individual
climber is responsible for his or her own safety. If
you cannot accept this then this site and probably climbing
in general is unlikely to suit you. May we refer you
to this
very interesting site instead!
This
section should be read in conjunction with the page
on Basic
Climbing.
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Virtually
every climber reckons their rack is the best! And so
it is - for them at least. So these notes are very personal
and are only intended to give an idea of a suitable
rack for leading long pitches at the upper end of your
grade ability. It goes without saying that not everything
would be carried on every route - there is little point
in carrying all this lot on a 15m pitch.
Professional
Mountain Guide Colin Wornham starting the crux pitch
of Goodbye to All That (E1, 4c,5b,5a,5b) Pillar Rock,
during the second ascent. Note the extensive selection
of gear needed to protect a long high mountain route
of this sort. Also that he is climbing on double 'half'
ropes.
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An Advanced Rack for High Mountain
Areas: |
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(or
their equivalent), sizes 0 - 3.5 inclusive each
on its own krab.
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set
on wire 1 - 10
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all
these "wires" should be racked on two
krabs, sizes 1 - 5 on one, and sizes 6 - 10 on the
other. |
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on wire 1 - 8
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set of 0 - 5
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RP
type eg BD Microstopper (aka Swedges) - all these
micros should be racked on one krab. |
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Sizes
0 & 0.5
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7,
6 & 5 on Dyneema are handy for belays - best
all racked on one krab.
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To
extend the wires you will need 4 x 10cm (useful
at the wall too), 4 x 15cm and 4 x 20cm.
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For
threads, and tree and spike belays 3 x Long (120cm)
each with one krab, and 3 x Short (60cm)lings
each with two (the latter can be used as extra
long extenders).
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4, small (10mm) for setting up belays.
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2
"half" ropes for preference as this
greatly increase your safety (less drag, and double
length abseils possible). This is what is known
as double-rope technique.
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1
check out devices like the Black Diamond ATC XP
which grive much better friction on narrow ropes.
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1
large one (11mm) for use with the belay device.
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Set
of 2 (and the knowledge of how to use them!).
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1-
you will soon get the cost back!
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Well
worth considering.
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| For
Gritstone and Sandstone Outcrops and Granite Crags
add: |
| Camming
Devices |
Double
up on sizes 2, 2.5 & 3 if you can borrow them,
or consider buying them
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| Rockcentrics |
8
& 9 if you can't afford extra cams
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| Wires |
You
will probably need fewer wires, and RPs only on
certain very hard routes. |
| Friends |
Size
4 (and even 5) can be handy, though the latter
should definitely be considered to knock at least
a grade of any off-width it is used in.
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Limestone and Slate add: |
| Camming
Devices |
may
or may not be useful (depending on route). Ultra
small Camming Devices such as Micro-Camalots and
Zeros are also great - if you can afford them!
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| Wires |
More
small wires will almost certainly come in handy
on a long pitch. Consider trebling up on Rocks 1
- 7. |
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Marking
your Gear: |
A
final point: as your rack grows you will find it
hard to remember just exactly what is yours and
what belongs to your climbing partner. If you are
an easy-going sort this can soon lead to the size
of your rack diminishing whilst your partner's grows
accordingly! To avoid this we recommend that you
mark your gear: but not by using spray paint, or
cutting notches in it with a hacksaw (we know of
people who have done both these things!). Most people
use electrical tape to mark kit.
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Photo: Jeff Appleyard on the final
pitch of Dream of White Horses (HVS, 4c), Gorgath, North
Wales,
a good place for lots of gear and extending your runners
properly!
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| To
put yourself into a situation where a mistake
cannot necessarily be recouped, where the
life you lose may be your own, clears the
head wonderfully. It puts domestic problems
back into proportion and adds an element of
seriousness to your drab, routine life. Perhaps
this is one reason why climbing has become
increasingly hard as society has become increasingly,
disproportionately, coddling. |
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Al
Alvarez
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