Gear Articles tagged ‘sport climbing’
By: Andy Chapman | November 18th, 2011
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Winter is imminent, but you still haven’t done your proj. Don’t despair. Cooler temps are actually quite conducive to “sending.” With a few tricks, you could turn that draw-recovery mission into a productive day of climbing.
What to wear
"Warming-up" on a chilly day at the Motherlode.
The first rule is to bring a lot of clothing for your single-pitch climbing or bouldering session. I typically crag- or pebble-wrestle in cotton as it’s more comfy and less geeky. I rest easy knowing that, since I’m close to the car, weight and moisture management aren’t a concern. If you have a long approach or prefer something up top that wicks, choose a synthetic or merino wool tee. Pack for comfort (and style?), knowing that there’s no harm if extra layers stay in your pack all day. Read More …
Tags: climbing, gear, sport climbing
Posted in Climbing, How To |
By: Adam Riser | November 15th, 2010
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Backcountry.com buyer Ashley Tucker toproping in City of Rocks, Idaho.
Now, before this starts, don’t think for one second that I have anything against top roping. Whether you’re just learning to climb or sussing out the moves before trying to lead some runout horror show, it’s a good way to keep yourself safe while getting better. However, lots of climbers abuse the top rope in ways that damage anchors, trash the rock, or generally piss off a lot of other people at the crag. While climbing may be a game without rules, there are some basics that should be followed but are too often ignored.
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Tags: climbing, sport climbing, toproping
Posted in Outdoor Articles |
By: Andy Chapman | November 9th, 2010
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Greek gear
In addition to crowd control tactics, to climb in Kalymnos you need a few other pieces of gear beyond your standard North American sport climbing kit of one 60m rope and 10-12 draws. Massive tufa routes clocking in at 35 to 55m require a shit load of draws (especially if you want to be able to do more than one route that day ) 70m ropes are a minimum requirement and 100m ropes are necessary for lines that don’t have mid way lower offs. Above all, you need kneepads. Lifetime kneebar total was doubled my first day there. Draws are not fixed, even on massively overhanging routes. This surprised me as cleaning can be nearly impossible while lowering (often requiring a top-rope cleaning burn). Read More …
Tags: climbing greece, destination climbing, sport climbing, travel
Posted in Featured, Gear Guide |
By: Andy Chapman | November 8th, 2010
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Kalymnos Sunrise
It all started innocently enough with a conversation with Diane: Should we get married? We talked objectively, weighing the pros and cons of marriage vs. “partnership”, examined social stigmas, and discussed various forms that unions can take. We largely centered on what we did not like: Materialistic, large-scale, impersonal weddings costing a small fortune, leaving the couple nothing but cheesy photos, an expensive shrink-wrapped dress and some frozen cake. We also bemoaned the lame “immediate comfort” honeymoons that people tend to take: cruises, beach side hotels, all-inclusive Sandals Jamaica. The conversation then turned to the hypothetical honeymoon we might take. Where to go? What to do? I get cagey and intolerable when subjected to cities or beaches without the pressure release valve that is climbing. We took a peek at our ever-growing list of places to visit and Greece jumped to the top. It started to feel like we had begun to plan a trip, not to mention a wedding. Read More …
Tags: climbing greece, destination climbing, sport climbing, travel
Posted in Featured |
By: Adam Riser | November 1st, 2010
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Drilled angle. A common site on desert towers. This one is about as bomber as they get.
Utah’s desert climbing season is in full swing right now, and a couple of recent trips have me thinking once again about whether or not to trust old fixed gear. Every trad climbing location on earth has its share of mank gear, but the desert seems to be sketchier than most. It’s pretty common to clip a decades-old star drive in soft sandstone and then run it out 20 feet on hard climbing above.
No laxative in the world loosens your bowels faster than fixed desert gear. The question is, are you scared shitless for a good reason, or are you just overreacting? You’ll climb a lot more smoothly if you know that a fall won’t lead to a “ping!” sound and an even bigger fall. Then again, it’s good to know if whipping off is off limits.
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Tags: climbing, climbing protection, sport climbing, trad climbing
Posted in Outdoor Articles |
By: Adam Riser | October 18th, 2010
3 Comments »
Andy Anderson trusting his gear while taking a big ride on Isotoner Moaner (5.12 a/b)
Aluminum does not have a lifespan, so aluminum gear can, in theory, last forever. The reality is that gear takes a beating and will need to be replaced from time to time. How often it needs to be replaced depends on how you use your gear. A fixed quickdraw may find the rope-end carabiner worn to the point of being dangerous within a single summer, but the carabiner that you use to rack your stoppers will probably last forever.
In case you missed it, check out Part I:
When To Retire Climbing Gear Part 1: Ropes, Harnesses, Slings, Helmets
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Tags: climbing, climbing gear, gear maintenance, rock climbing, safety, sport climbing, trad climbing
Posted in Gear Guide |
By: Adam Riser | October 15th, 2010
1 Comment »
Dude, they were totally going to throw this out. Free gear, bra!
Skiers often buy a whole new kit every season. Mountain bikers get new frames with surprising regularity. Rock climbers, on the other hand, often use the same cams, carabiners, harnesses, and even ropes year after year after year. This is pretty ironic, considering the fact that of all these groups, the climber are the ones whose lives literally depend on their gear. Nearly every climber out there has at least one piece of gear that would fail an inspection by an industrial rope access technician (the closest thing to climbing that actually has guidelines on retiring gear).
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Tags: climbing, climbing gear, gear maintenance, rock climbing, safety, sport climbing, trad climbing
Posted in Gear Guide |
By: Adam Riser | August 16th, 2010
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Backcountry.com employee Ben Sukow using a properly clipped daisy chain at an exposed belay on Hell Raiser (III 5.11)
Daisy chain safety isn’t exactly a new issue, but I still see people do it wrong often enough that I feel it’s worth the digital print space to revisit the concern. A lot of people use daisy chains on their harness for clipping into belays on the way up a multi-pitch route or at rappel anchors on the way down. There’s nothing wrong with it. You do it, I do it, Tommy Caldwell does it. The key is to do it right so you’re connected in a manner that maintains the sling’s strength.
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Tags: belaying, climbing, sport climbing, trad climbing
Posted in How To, Outdoor Articles |
