Going ultralight on hiking or backpacking trips allows for a bit of extra gear - lets call them luxuries. Be it a packraft to go for a paddle, that enjoyable softcover book, an extra lens and small tripod to practice some photography, a Platypus of wine or some extra delicacies in the food department - when you go light, a little extra luxury is not an extra burden and makes your trip a more memorable experience. This summer I decided I will take some UL climbing gear with me, so tackle some boulder problems, go for a small scramble, and generally have some ultralight climbing fun. In this post I will showcase some of my lightweight climbing gear, and hopefully animate some of you to try this fascinating sport!
As with hiking, packrafting, skiing and backpacking, you're well advised to know what you're doing when you go climbing. There's a lot of potential to seriously injure yourself when you go climbing without proper training and instructions. You're best off to do a beginners course at your local climbing centre, to get a proper introduction and training. Even after that, you always should consider the safety of yourself and your climbing partner. You have been warned!
I made my first forays into climbing as a kid. Trees, and later rocks, hills and mountains were always a preferred destination to climb and play on for my brother and me. My parents took us in the holidays usually to Austria, Switzerland, South Tyrol and Italy, all being prime destinations for scrambling about on those pointy bits. The highlight always were the hikes in the mountains - be it in the Italian Dolomites, or in a picturesque Austrian valley with a raging white water river and beautiful mountains surrounding us, with the occasional waterfall falling down a cliff guaranteeing
Ahs! and
Ohs! from us kids. The mountains are spectacular, an element of landscape of such grandeur and beauty that there is possibly no other landscape which fascinates us humans so much, and I often long to visit them - be it our Nordic mountains, the Alps, or the amazing landscape that are the rocks and canyons of Utah.
At the age of nineteen I finally managed to visit a climbing centre with my brother and friends, and we did a beginners course in climbing. Learning about proper safety, how to put on a harness, how to belay, the figure-of-eight-knot, and climbing technique. A few more visits to the climbing centre were in order to satisfy our thirst for this new, exciting hobby. And then I moved in the winter to Jyväskylä, Finland. There was no climbing hall. It was -30°C outside. I knew nobody who was interested in climbing. And so, except the rare visit to a climbing centre in another city, or a scramble up a rock, the climbing virus was silently slumbering away inside of me, unsatisfied. Three years ago I then moved to Tampere, a proper city, with two climbing centres. But still no climbing mates. That changed with a job in Helsinki, where a good friend was a passionate climber, and after a few visits to the climbing centre together with him I again was hooked. I decided that it is time to get my own climbing gear, and start visiting the local spots for bouldering, and practice my climbing when down in the capital.
So nowadays, even when I have two climbing & boulder centres in town, I often can not be bothered to get all the gear packed, cycle to the centre, climb for an hour or two and then head back home. That's why I decided to get a
Trainingboard from
Bergfreunde.de. I went for the
Metolius Simulator 3D Trainingboard and a pair of
Metolius Rock Rings 3D. The former is a state-of-the-art board, to be attached to an overhanging wall or above a door. It takes a bit of time and some extra material to get it attached correctly, but once the 3D Trainingboard is in place your workout can start! A lot easier to attach are the Rock Rings - I used two carabiners to attach them to my stairs, though you also could attach them to a tree outside! They are very nice for workouts, and have two, three, four and full hand holds all in one. Really nifty, and by far my favourite way to train at home.
However, when I venture south to Helsinki I usually also take a
harness, shoes, belay and other gear with me. As said, most (all) of my climbing friends live in Helsinki, so when I visit the city for work, we often go for a climb before or after work. Helsinki has a few climbing centres, though I always end up going to the one in Ruolahti - it is a ten minute walk from the office, and has some really nice walls over several floors. So what do I bring? [
Prepare for a deluge of gear advice]
The
Scarpa Feroce (550 gram for the pair in Size 41) is my climbing shoe of choice. Climbing shoes are a fickle thing: They need to be tight-fitting so that you can get a good hold on small holds, but too tight and it hurts, too loose and you might not get the best hold when climbing. The common guideline is that it should be a "bearable" pain. I started at two sizes lower than normal and sized up until the pain was bearable, the fitting comfortable and I was able to get a good hold on litte protrusions. They get more comfy the more I use them, so it is all a matter of breaking them in. The shoe itself is easy to put on and off, and has a superb grip on boulder and inside walls, and is comfortable enough for me to wear it over several routes without breaks. A very fine shoe. Get the
Scarpa Feroce here.
I have two harnesses for different applications. My go-to harness is the
Arc'teryx R 320 harness (330 gram in Size M). It has four gear loops and a small loop in the centre back, which I use for my chalkbag. It is fully adjustable, and has a wide belt and leg loops, which make it very comfortable to wear. And that is why I chose this one, and why I usually use it - it is really comfy. If you're abseiling then the wide belt and leg loops make that a very comfortable experience, as your own weight is distributed a lot more evenly than on narrow-built belts. The build quality is excellent, as you expect it from Arc'teryx.
To keep my hands dry and ensure a good grip inside & outside, I find chalk indispensable. Nowadays there's even environmentally acceptable chalk if you climb outside, so environmental concerns are also kept in check. The
Arc'teryx C80 Chalkbag (108 gram as bought, 88 gram after cutting off the cord) was my choice, as it has a big opening which is easy to open and close with one hand behind your back, and I can get both my hands in the opening, which is convenient. A chalkbag would also make for a fine MYOG project which could result in a lighter chalkbag, though I am at the moment rather short on time so I bought one. There's different sizes of chalkbags on the market, from S to L, so it is best you try the one you wanna get.
On the hardware side of things, the
DMM Phantom keylock carabiner (41 gram) and the
DMM Phantom carabiner (25 gram) are my 'biners of choice. Light, easy to use with one hand, and high strength, these were easy choices. I use a
Petzl Verso (54 gram) as my belay device. I prefer this lightweight, manuel belay device over automatic devices who are a lot more heavy and also tend to have more parts to break than the simple Verso. With the Verso, it are skills and knowledge that matter, not fancy technology which can fail.
For climbing (& packrafting) I use a
Camp Speed Helmet (238 gram), which is probably the lightest helmet on the market. Climbing outdoors without a helmet is dumb and asks for trouble, so get one. Its little weight means it is not a burden when climbing, plenty of ventilation holes let you keep a cool head, it is also comfortable - and hey, it is orange and makes you look cool! So no reason to not wear a helmet.
Get the CAMP Speed Helmet at Bergfreunde.de.
The other harness I use is the
Camp Alp 95 harness aka The lightest CE certified harness in the world at 114 gram in Size M. This harness gets used on fast and light trips where I plan to do a bit of bouldering outside, to have a place to put my chalkbag and hardware. It also will come in handy on future ski trips where glaciers want to be traversed, and hence a light belt which allows me to strap myself in is immensely useful. For climbing it is obviously also very well built, so if you find that you really only need the lightest harness in the world for your adventures, then you won't need to look any further. You can
get it at Bergfreunde.de.
Ropes then. If you're only going bouldering, or climb in halls, chances are you won't need one. If you're venturing outside for your climbing adventures or traversing glaciers, chances are you want a rope. I have a
Tendon 9.7 dynamic single rope. A high resistance to abrasion, great handling qualities and a good knotabilty characterize this rope, and with a weight of 61 gram per meter it is on the light side of ropes. You can use it for your climbing in the hall, your outdoor adventures and even for "
extreme ascents in the mountains" as Tendon assures me. I use it for the first two endeavors, and should everything work out as I want, I might even give it a go when trying out ice climbing next winter. Get the Tendon 9.7 rope at
Bergfreunde.de or at
Camu.fi.
I pack it all in my
Salewa Apex 28 BP pack, which I really love. At 752 gram (excluding the 45 gram removable hipbelt) it is a lightweight climbing pack, which can take a lot of abuse. Made of tough Cordura this pack is made for the mountains, but it is equally at home on dayhikes, UL trips of up to four days and I also use it for shopping & work trips where it makes a good figure. An internal hydration bladder pocket, and a small inside net pocket ensure some order, and the lid pocket is a really multipurpose wonder, with a waterproof pocket and a net pocket you have three separate pockets in the lid, which, yes, rocks. If time allows, I will do a video about this fine pack, though if you can't wait,
get the Salewa Apex 28 here.
I also have a
Camp Corsa ice axe for some mountaineering adventures, though more on that later! You can
see more photos of all the gear in this Picasa Album.
Well, there you have it. A complete run down of all the gear I use for climbing. With me starting to eye increasingly climbing in the outdoors, the gear will expand, and start to include express sets, more 'biners, nuts, and another whole host of other stuff. But this gear will be the base from which to build upwards from, and it is a high quality, lightweight base - which in climbing, where you go upwards & need to carry everything, and your life can depend in some situations on your gear, is of utmost importance. And remember: Gear does not replace knowledge and skills, so do courses or go climbing with people from whom you can learn! Other than that, enjoy =)
Brands to look out for:
Camp from Italy. THE ultralight climbing company, excellent and lightest quality since over 100 years.
Tendon from the Czech Republic. High quality ropes for affordable prices.
DMM from Wales. My choice for 'biners.
Petzl from France. Experts in headlamps, mountaineering, caving and climbing gear.
Arc'teryx from Canada. Climbing gear and fine garments.
Salewa from Germany. Backpacks, clothing, soft goods and hardware.
Scarpa from Italy. My preferred climbing shoes - light and comfy.
Going ultralight on hiking or backpacking trips allows for a bit of extra gear - lets call them luxuries. Be it a packraft to go for a paddle, that enjoyable softcover book, an extra lens and small tripod to practice some photography, a Platypus of wine or some extra delicacies in the food department - when you go light, a little extra luxury is not an extra burden and makes your trip a more memorable experience. This summer I decided I will take some UL climbing gear with me, so tackle some boulder problems, go for a small scramble, and generally have some ultralight climbing fun. In this post I will showcase some of my lightweight climbing gear, and hopefully animate some of you to try this fascinating sport!
As with hiking, packrafting, skiing and backpacking, you're well advised to know what you're doing when you go climbing. There's a lot of potential to seriously injure yourself when you go climbing without proper training and instructions. You're best off to do a beginners course at your local climbing centre, to get a proper introduction and training. Even after that, you always should consider the safety of yourself and your climbing partner. You have been warned!
I made my first forays into climbing as a kid. Trees, and later rocks, hills and mountains were always a preferred destination to climb and play on for my brother and me. My parents took us in the holidays usually to Austria, Switzerland, South Tyrol and Italy, all being prime destinations for scrambling about on those pointy bits. The highlight always were the hikes in the mountains - be it in the Italian Dolomites, or in a picturesque Austrian valley with a raging white water river and beautiful mountains surrounding us, with the occasional waterfall falling down a cliff guaranteeing
Ahs! and
Ohs! from us kids. The mountains are spectacular, an element of landscape of such grandeur and beauty that there is possibly no other landscape which fascinates us humans so much, and I often long to visit them - be it our Nordic mountains, the Alps, or the amazing landscape that are the rocks and canyons of Utah.
At the age of nineteen I finally managed to visit a climbing centre with my brother and friends, and we did a beginners course in climbing. Learning about proper safety, how to put on a harness, how to belay, the figure-of-eight-knot, and climbing technique. A few more visits to the climbing centre were in order to satisfy our thirst for this new, exciting hobby. And then I moved in the winter to Jyväskylä, Finland. There was no climbing hall. It was -30°C outside. I knew nobody who was interested in climbing. And so, except the rare visit to a climbing centre in another city, or a scramble up a rock, the climbing virus was silently slumbering away inside of me, unsatisfied. Three years ago I then moved to Tampere, a proper city, with two climbing centres. But still no climbing mates. That changed with a job in Helsinki, where a good friend was a passionate climber, and after a few visits to the climbing centre together with him I again was hooked. I decided that it is time to get my own climbing gear, and start visiting the local spots for bouldering, and practice my climbing when down in the capital.
So nowadays, even when I have two climbing & boulder centres in town, I often can not be bothered to get all the gear packed, cycle to the centre, climb for an hour or two and then head back home. That's why I decided to get a
Trainingboard from
Bergfreunde.de. I went for the
Metolius Simulator 3D Trainingboard and a pair of
Metolius Rock Rings 3D. The former is a state-of-the-art board, to be attached to an overhanging wall or above a door. It takes a bit of time and some extra material to get it attached correctly, but once the 3D Trainingboard is in place your workout can start! A lot easier to attach are the Rock Rings - I used two carabiners to attach them to my stairs, though you also could attach them to a tree outside! They are very nice for workouts, and have two, three, four and full hand holds all in one. Really nifty, and by far my favourite way to train at home.
However, when I venture south to Helsinki I usually also take a
harness, shoes, belay and other gear with me. As said, most (all) of my climbing friends live in Helsinki, so when I visit the city for work, we often go for a climb before or after work. Helsinki has a few climbing centres, though I always end up going to the one in Ruolahti - it is a ten minute walk from the office, and has some really nice walls over several floors. So what do I bring? [
Prepare for a deluge of gear advice]
The
Scarpa Feroce (550 gram for the pair in Size 41) is my climbing shoe of choice. Climbing shoes are a fickle thing: They need to be tight-fitting so that you can get a good hold on small holds, but too tight and it hurts, too loose and you might not get the best hold when climbing. The common guideline is that it should be a "bearable" pain. I started at two sizes lower than normal and sized up until the pain was bearable, the fitting comfortable and I was able to get a good hold on litte protrusions. They get more comfy the more I use them, so it is all a matter of breaking them in. The shoe itself is easy to put on and off, and has a superb grip on boulder and inside walls, and is comfortable enough for me to wear it over several routes without breaks. A very fine shoe. Get the
Scarpa Feroce here.
I have two harnesses for different applications. My go-to harness is the
Arc'teryx R 320 harness (330 gram in Size M). It has four gear loops and a small loop in the centre back, which I use for my chalkbag. It is fully adjustable, and has a wide belt and leg loops, which make it very comfortable to wear. And that is why I chose this one, and why I usually use it - it is really comfy. If you're abseiling then the wide belt and leg loops make that a very comfortable experience, as your own weight is distributed a lot more evenly than on narrow-built belts. The build quality is excellent, as you expect it from Arc'teryx.
To keep my hands dry and ensure a good grip inside & outside, I find chalk indispensable. Nowadays there's even environmentally acceptable chalk if you climb outside, so environmental concerns are also kept in check. The
Arc'teryx C80 Chalkbag (108 gram as bought, 88 gram after cutting off the cord) was my choice, as it has a big opening which is easy to open and close with one hand behind your back, and I can get both my hands in the opening, which is convenient. A chalkbag would also make for a fine MYOG project which could result in a lighter chalkbag, though I am at the moment rather short on time so I bought one. There's different sizes of chalkbags on the market, from S to L, so it is best you try the one you wanna get.
On the hardware side of things, the
DMM Phantom keylock carabiner (41 gram) and the
DMM Phantom carabiner (25 gram) are my 'biners of choice. Light, easy to use with one hand, and high strength, these were easy choices. I use a
Petzl Verso (54 gram) as my belay device. I prefer this lightweight, manuel belay device over automatic devices who are a lot more heavy and also tend to have more parts to break than the simple Verso. With the Verso, it are skills and knowledge that matter, not fancy technology which can fail.
For climbing (& packrafting) I use a
Camp Speed Helmet (238 gram), which is probably the lightest helmet on the market. Climbing outdoors without a helmet is dumb and asks for trouble, so get one. Its little weight means it is not a burden when climbing, plenty of ventilation holes let you keep a cool head, it is also comfortable - and hey, it is orange and makes you look cool! So no reason to not wear a helmet.
Get the CAMP Speed Helmet at Bergfreunde.de.
The other harness I use is the
Camp Alp 95 harness aka The lightest CE certified harness in the world at 114 gram in Size M. This harness gets used on fast and light trips where I plan to do a bit of bouldering outside, to have a place to put my chalkbag and hardware. It also will come in handy on future ski trips where glaciers want to be traversed, and hence a light belt which allows me to strap myself in is immensely useful. For climbing it is obviously also very well built, so if you find that you really only need the lightest harness in the world for your adventures, then you won't need to look any further. You can
get it at Bergfreunde.de.
Ropes then. If you're only going bouldering, or climb in halls, chances are you won't need one. If you're venturing outside for your climbing adventures or traversing glaciers, chances are you want a rope. I have a
Tendon 9.7 dynamic single rope. A high resistance to abrasion, great handling qualities and a good knotabilty characterize this rope, and with a weight of 61 gram per meter it is on the light side of ropes. You can use it for your climbing in the hall, your outdoor adventures and even for "
extreme ascents in the mountains" as Tendon assures me. I use it for the first two endeavors, and should everything work out as I want, I might even give it a go when trying out ice climbing next winter. Get the Tendon 9.7 rope at
Bergfreunde.de or at
Camu.fi.
I pack it all in my
Salewa Apex 28 BP pack, which I really love. At 752 gram (excluding the 45 gram removable hipbelt) it is a lightweight climbing pack, which can take a lot of abuse. Made of tough Cordura this pack is made for the mountains, but it is equally at home on dayhikes, UL trips of up to four days and I also use it for shopping & work trips where it makes a good figure. An internal hydration bladder pocket, and a small inside net pocket ensure some order, and the lid pocket is a really multipurpose wonder, with a waterproof pocket and a net pocket you have three separate pockets in the lid, which, yes, rocks. If time allows, I will do a video about this fine pack, though if you can't wait,
get the Salewa Apex 28 here.
I also have a
Camp Corsa ice axe for some mountaineering adventures, though more on that later! You can
see more photos of all the gear in this Picasa Album.
Well, there you have it. A complete run down of all the gear I use for climbing. With me starting to eye increasingly climbing in the outdoors, the gear will expand, and start to include express sets, more 'biners, nuts, and another whole host of other stuff. But this gear will be the base from which to build upwards from, and it is a high quality, lightweight base - which in climbing, where you go upwards & need to carry everything, and your life can depend in some situations on your gear, is of utmost importance. And remember: Gear does not replace knowledge and skills, so do courses or go climbing with people from whom you can learn! Other than that, enjoy =)
Brands to look out for:
Camp from Italy. THE ultralight climbing company, excellent and lightest quality since over 100 years.
Tendon from the Czech Republic. High quality ropes for affordable prices.
DMM from Wales. My choice for 'biners.
Petzl from France. Experts in headlamps, mountaineering, caving and climbing gear.
Arc'teryx from Canada. Climbing gear and fine garments.
Salewa from Germany. Backpacks, clothing, soft goods and hardware.
Scarpa from Italy. My preferred climbing shoes - light and comfy.
Ultralight Climbing
Nice one Hendrick.
ReplyDeleteI thought it worth pointing out that using a fingerboard for training at home is great. But extra care should be taken, especially if you are new to climbing, as finger tendon and pulley injuries are very easy to get!
I'm jealous of your Arc'teryx harness as I can't afford one.
The more outdoor climbing you do, the harder it is to take a light load (especially while Trad climbing!)
I look forward to reading more about your future climbing adventures.
Cheers
Simon
Cool post! I have that exact rope, it's great, although a little fuzzy these days.
ReplyDeleteInteresting harness, (the camp one), how comfy is that? I have a corax and dig it, but it's certainly no light-weight harness.
I find the Alp 95 plenty comfy - not as comfy as the Arc'teryx, but then this it is over 200 gram lighter. A friend of mine is using it as well and finds it fine.
ReplyDeleteRe: Rope, great minds think alike =)
Thanks Simon! I follow the Metolius 10 min workout programme, which comes with the gear, and warm up appropriately before & after, so - knock on wood - so far no injuries or anything.
ReplyDeleteMore outdoor climbing + photographic gear = back in the old days of carrying a lot of heavy gear :/ Minimize, minimize, minimize is the mantra =)
Great post, I'm excited as I see your posts expand post hiking. Love the packrafting and now climbing posts. Have you considered using a Munter hitch? I don't have much experience with it, but it would mean you could leave behind the Verso.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jon! I have also not any experience with the Munter Hitch, so it is something to try out the next time I'm climbing with friends. It looks like a neat way to save weight, though curious to see if it is as practical and convenient as the Verso. Thanks for the idea =)
ReplyDeleteGood post Hendrik!
ReplyDeleteExcellent to see that climbing is alive and kicking in Finland too.I'm a tad sceptical about the title, though.The post is more about a standard climbing set-up (including weights) than anything ultralight IMHO.
Nice Post Hendrik !
ReplyDeleteI use http://www.cilao.com/baud_oz33.php to climb & for alpinism.
Only 165g & pretty comfy.
they also have a nice 82g harness :)
The Munter is an essential knot, but you wouldn't want to use it for a day of climbing - the wear is relatively high, and it twists the rope pretty badly. That said, you should definitely do a practice rappel with it (2 stranded - and *please* back up with a prusik!), and belay your second if you get a chance - otherwise when the day comes and you drop your Verso...
ReplyDelete@Simon - those Arc'teryx harnesses have been on sale on The Clymb a couple of times for around $80. Shoot me an email (cjw at i-cjw.com) if you want a login, there are some great bargains on there occasionally.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback, Karl. As far as I know and my research has gone, the gear presented showcases some of the lightest available gear for climbing (except the shoes, slippers would be lighter), hence I believe the title is justified. My friends all have heavier gear than the one I use, even if not by much (climbing gear being inherently light because of what it is needed for). What are you using (me being curious =)?
ReplyDeleteOf course the only real UL climbing is Free Solo ;)
Thanks Fils! Wow, that harness looks fine - half the weight of my R320! What else are you using (and why not make a post about it ;)?
ReplyDeleteSome feedback I got on Twitter from a Japanese mate is that he for example wouldn't trust the Alp 95 in a case of a fall - how do you evaluate your 165 g harness in a fall - is it fine, or is it borderline?
I use Mammut Smart. It is a nice, simple, light(ish) assisted braking belaying device. Sure, at 82 grams it weighs double what your Petzl weighs, but still less than half of GriGri2. I consider the additional safety (in case of some accident to the belayer) worth 40 grams.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/221000670_v_0044/Smart.html
Since Camp harness doesn't have adjustable legloops it is not that usefull during winter. You can't put it on or remove while wearing skis or crampons and getting it fit over thicker winter clothing might be an issue..
ReplyDeleteI would recommend BD Alpine Bod instead, quite a bit heavier but alot more user friendly.
Also bouldering with harness on sounded bit weird.. Maybe more popular piece of prusikcord would do the trick? Or leaving the chalk bag on ground and chalking only between laps?
This bit "I prefer this lightweight, manuel belay device over automatic devices who
ReplyDeleteare a lot more heavy and also tend to have more parts to break than the
simple Verso. With the Verso, it are skills and knowledge that matter,
not fancy technology which can fail." isn't really fair. Leaving aside the recent recall of the Grigri II which did have a fault, "fancy technology" belay devices fail just like non-locking ones do - when the user f***s up. Grigris and the like have their place in climbing - if you've ever belayed someone aid climbing or working a project for many hours you will know exactly what I mean! :-) I climbed for I guess 15 years before I used a grigri, but for sport climbing these days I wouldn't be without one.
On chalk bags, a good tip is to string them on some cord that is thick enough to be used as a prussik. For climbing beyond the gym, having prussiks is always sensible, and for multipitch its pretty much essential, so having at least one as your chalk bag string makes sense.
If you clip your chalk bag to the bag off your harness with a krab - be careful. A number of people have been seriously injured by this, if you fall onto your arse, the krab can be rammed into the bottom of your spine. I've heard UK walls tell people not to put their chalk bags on krabs as a result. Much better on string because you can pull it round to which ever side you need when in squeeze chimneys or offwidths and the like!
BTW, keep an eye on your Verso. My Reverso III is sharpening to a worrying edge - something the original reverso also did. I've had a BD ATC Guide for much longer and this doesn't do that. The new version is lighter too!
ReplyDeleteMaking a post about it, nice idea ! I'll work on it :)
ReplyDeleteI do really trust this harness even in a fall.When I lead a climb I get some little fall without any problem.
Thanks for the idea with the Prusik, that indeed sounds good (and a bit more safe =).
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Camp Alp harness, I wear in winter seldom more than a baselayer and shell layer when skiing/ snowshoeing/ hiking, so I am confident that the harness will fit over that. It also doesn't bother me much to stop and put it on, so that is not a disadvantage for me - maybe my opinion will change with more winter trips, who knows!?
Interesting evolution! Hoping to read about your climbing adventures soon ;)
ReplyDeleteMaybe I can give you a (well known) tip: maybe you want to use a rope bag (to keep your rope clean while belaying, to keep your rope tidy when stored and to easily find the 2 ends of the rope)? Then an UL solution (and an ultra cheap one as well) would be using a blue Ikea bag!
All harnesses that are CE rated should be able to hold a fall, so to trust a harness or not is very subjective...
ReplyDeleteMy reason for not buying an Alp 95 is that I think it's not very comfortable when you do fall, and also it's not adjustable.
So I would say it's a great harness for occasional use, e.g. ski mountaineering, but for sport- or alpine climbing it wouldn't be my cup of tea.
I currently use a Camp Air CR, which is fully adjustable, but still very light at 260 grams for a size L.
Damn, 2nd try as first draft got lost :/
ReplyDeleteI 'm sure the GriGri has its place, though I question if it is the right thing to teach every beginner only with it. Sure it is fine if you only go climbing once, but more than that and you should know how a verso, munter hitch or else functions. When we go climbing one day, you may show me how to use your GriGri ;)
Thanks for the idea of prusik cord for the chalk bag & the danger of the 'biner on the bag + injuries, will implement this asap.
Also will keep an eye on the Verso's edges to make sure to not have nasty surprises.
Kiitos Visa, that looks pretty interesting! Will have a look =)
ReplyDeleteAgree - if you learn to belay properly with a normal belay device, you will be a super safe belayer when moving on to a grigri but they aren't failsafe so are not an alternative to teaching a beginner properly!
ReplyDeleteThe Alpine Bod is a very dated design now, I bought my first one in 1991, and my second in 2001! The new BD Colouir (if I remember the name correctly) has all the advantages of the bod, few of the disadvantages and is lighter.
ReplyDeleteThe alpine bod used to be light, but now you can get fully adjustable, fully featured harnesses that are only 100 grams more and much much more comfy. Some new full adjustables are lighter.
What I'm using? Well, here goes:
ReplyDeleteRope: Mammut Infinity. Absolutely brilliant rope. My only thoughts is how long it's going to last for. Seems to be wearing a bit fast.
http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/201001360_v_4120_100_95_0/9.5+Infinity.html
Shoes: Saltic Spirit. Cheapos that I got on a sale. The rubber isn't very good in them.
http://www.saltic.cz/catalog.php?category=climbing&product=14
Harness: Black Diamond Ozone. Comfy for me. Mine is in a horrible orange.
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-eur/shop/climb/harnesses/ozone-harness
Helmet: Camp Startech. Getting on a bit this one. Was among the lightest in its days. Luckily mine is a post 2000. The pre 2000 ones had a security issue.
http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/showPart.asp?part=PN156
Backpack: Osprey Talon 33. I like to carry everything inside my pack, hence a slightly larger one. And I really like this backpack.
http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/multi-use/talon_33Chalk bag: A century old Edelrid job. No idea what model it is.Carabiners: Mixture of Black Diamond, Mammut, Wild Country, Petzl and what-nots. The same goes for my expresses.Belay device: Don't use one. I use the Munter hitchIf you want to save a serious amount of weight, ask yourself if you really, really need a 70m rope. If yes, for going up or for rapelling? If rapelling, consider using 2 pcs 50m half-ropes instead. And have your climbing partner carry one of them ;-) Saves yourself from carrying weight, and gives you an extra 15m rapelling length compared to your 70m rope.If the mountaineering adventures you mention don't include "real climbing", consider very carefully if you want to bring that 70m behemoth of a rope of yours. Or maybe bring something shorter instead.
My first reply got eaten by the internet, so here's trial number 2.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm using? Here goes:
Rope: Mammut Infinity. Absolutely fantastic rope. The only thing I have about it is I'm not sure how long it'll last for, because it seems to wear a bit faster than I'd like.
Harness: Black Diamond Ozone. Comfy and easy to work with. Mine is in a horrible orange.
Helmet: Camp Startech. One of the lightest when I bought it. It's getting on a bit now, so I'll have to think with what to replace it. Maybe a Speed...
Shoes: Saltic Spirit. Got them cheap on sales. The rubber is so-so, but the fit is good on my feet.
Backpack: Osprey Talon 33. I prefer to carry everything inside the pack, hence a slightly larger one. I really like this one.
Belay device: Dont use one, I use the Munter hitch.
Carabiners: An assortment of Black Diamond, Petzl, Wild Country, Camp, Mammut and what-nots. The same goes for my quick-draws and slings and nuts and friends and stuff.
Chalk bag: A crusty old Edelrid job. Don't know the model any more.
If you want to save weight, thing about if you really, really need a 70m rope. It might be worth going with two 50m half-ropes instead, and have your climbing partner carry one of them ;-) Less weight for yourself to carry, and it gives you an additional 15m rapelling length compared to your 70m rope. But this depends on where you climb, so I don't know.
Great post - I've wanted to get into climbing for some time, but the initial equipment costs always put me off. Maybe you can entice me along to the climbing center in Tampere sometime...
ReplyDeleteThat'd be great, Mark! I am sure you will like it, it is a fine sport and the feeling of having mastered a difficult wall or boulder problem is very satisfying!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the hint, Steven! *is-off-to-search-for-an-IKEA-bag*
ReplyDeleteNowadays they only seem to use GriGris when teaching Beginners (at least at the few climbing centres I have visited in Hki, Jkl and Tre). I get that for a person going to climb once a GriGri is fine, but anyone who does it more often knowing other tools is a benefit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback, Sieto! You make a good point about comfort, hence I use the Arc'teryx most of the time.
ReplyDelete(The first comment got eaten because of the links - sorry! - you're now on the Whitelist =).
ReplyDeleteThanks Karl, a nice list! You make a good point about the rope. It is seventy meter as thats what I got - I obviously will make someone else carry it if it is more than four kilometers to walk :D I will look into getting something shorter - your Mammut rope e.g. looks nice.
a little post about my ul climbing gear : http://www.lightaddict.net/?post/2011/08/25/Climbing-Gear
ReplyDeleteHere there is a post on my ultralight climbing gear : http://www.lightaddict.net/?post/2011/08/25/Climbing-Gear
ReplyDeleteHere is a post about my ultralight Climbing gear : http://www.lightaddict.net/?post/2011/08/25/Climbing-Gear !
ReplyDelete