Gearing up - choosing the right gear at the right time

Rock climbing is about stripping away the complexities of the day to day and focusing on the simple joy of moving against gravity. It’s pulling with your arms. Pushing with your legs. It’s moving fast and light, diving headlong into a challenge, rather than backing away. It’s finesse and strength, technique and skill. And when all the hoopla and preconceptions are removed, it’s about having fun.
Pure and simple.

Starting Out
Venturing onto the crags for the first time ? Whether you’re going with mates or your local climbing school; some basics apply : you need gear that works, but you probably don’t want to spend a fortune in case things don’t work out.

RAM Mountaineering understands where you’re at and we’ve compiled the ideal package to meet your needs :
•    Saltic climbing shoes 1 pair of SALTIC Tanaka or Agra rock shoes
(the hard mid sole of these shoes will provide the support
that your foot needs)
•    Black Diamond sport climbing harness like the Black Diamond Momentum AL
(Primrose for women) or, if you want a bit more comfort, the BD Focus or Aspect
Cheaper Alternative : Singing Rock Attack
•    Black Diamond BD ATC XP belay device (the ATC is generally more versatile)
Cheaper Alternative : Singing Rock Buddy Set (belay device + screw gate
•    Black Diamond Gridlock or Rocklock locking karabiner (use this in combination with your belay device)
•    Black Diamond Chalkbag and a Black Diamond chalk ball
•    2 Black Diamond Positron locking Karabiners
 Cheaper Alternative : Singing Rock Extacy screw gates
•    2 Black Diamond or Beal Plain Slings (1x60cm, 1x120cm)
•    Black Diamond Demon or Epic 45L 32l climbing pack(to throw it all in)
•    1 x helmet - BD Half Dome. This is the only piece of gear that you will never need until you have an accident (and then it’s too late to go & buy one !)
If you’re not sure about things - then go out with a climbing school who will hire most of this kit to you. However it is always valuable to get a pair of good fitting rock boots. Since rock boots are the one item of equipment which will actively assist you to climb, this is one purchase which will make your learning experience more enjoyable and rewarding.

Bolted Route (Sport Climbing) Gear
While not as gear intensive as Trad climbing, the world of sport routes revolves around a few key pieces of equipment - without ’em you’re toast and you certainly won’t get far off the ground.

So before you head out on your first sport-climbing adventure (and rest assured-it will be an adventure) you’ll want to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered-well-designed quickdraws, locking biners and slings are a must, as is a comfortable harness. And of course, you’ll want to bring along a level head-cause the one thing that’s easy to lose while sport climbing is… your nerve. So try your hardest to keep a steady head, remember to breathe and remind yourself that sport-climbing is (suppose to be) fun.

Sport Climbing Gear
To the basic starter kit listed above add or substitute the following gear:
•    Beal Edlinger (10.2 mm x 60 m) or Top Gun (10.5mm x 50m) rope.  Not good to hear: "I thought YOU were bringing the rope." The thicker rope will be more durable, but some times the extra 10m becomes rather burdensome. So it depends on your crag - if you need the 60m, buy the lighter rope.
•    Rope Bag 1x Singing Rock Sport Rope Bag or BD Super Chute. This is the best way to get maximum life out of your most single expensive piece of gear.
•    Black Diamond Quickdraws 10 - 12 BD Quickdraws: The FreeWire draws are a great option (the number that you require depends on the nature of your local crag and the gear that your partner might have).
Singing Rock alternative : Vision quick draws
•    Rock Shoes: as your grade climbs you may want to consider a more, performance oriented rock shoe like the Saltic Vampir or Avax.
•    Beal plain slings Another 4 Beal or Black Diamond Plain Slings (3x60cm, 1x120cm)
•    Goals for the Day-select a few easy warm-up routes that you’ll do before you try routes at your level; warm-down routes are also key (and make for great ego-boosters at the end of a hard day)
•    A Weather Report- if you don’t check, you deserve to get rained out.
Trad Route Gear
Protection is a necessary inconvenience. Most climbers try to carry the least they need in order to do the route comfortably. Take too little, too much, or the wrong stuff and eventually you’re guaranteed an epic.

Fifteen draws will get you up most modern bolt-protected routes anywhere in the world. That’s the beauty of these routes-interaction with equipment is minimized. It’s not such an easy formula for routes where natural features provide the only protection opportunities.

Awareness of all the rock’s intricacies, not just the parts with chalk on them, becomes of supreme importance. Different cliffs and rock types provide various opportunities for protection in type, quality and frequency of placements. Trying to recommend a standard rack which will work equally well for a route at Lion’s Head Granite, Montseel, Blouberg and Table Mountain is virtually impossible.

For most routes, you’ll get a good idea of what gear to take either from the guide, beta from friends, looking at it yourself or, for scarier propositions, a prayer to your deity. The time when you will really depend on making the best possible guess is for that multi-pitch route about which you know practically nothing. For these occasions the list below provides a good template from which to start.

Your own judgement and actions rule your life. Add to, remove from or ignore this list as you see fit!

Trad Route Gear List
•    Traditional climbing gear 4 full-length slings ( 2 x 60cm, 2 x 120cm) with a wire gate ‘ biner on each
•    4 locking biners – BD minipear ‘biners are useful shape
•    10 or 12  quick draws of assorted length ( a couple of 18cm and 30cm QD’s are very useful)
•    1 set of micro nuts
•    1 sets of Stoppers + nut tool
•    1 set of BD Camelots (0.4 - 3.5) size
•    4 assorted Hexes (lightweight camming device supplements and good for abandoning if necessary) – small to mid sizes are most useful
•    1 BD adjustable bandolier ·
•    2 x Beal Verdon (9mm x 50m) ropes, BD Superslacker rope bag
•    1 x BD Half Dome - on trad routes this is not an optional extra !
•    BD Epic 45L pack

Big Wall Gear
When racking up for a big wall, ask around for as much beta as possible. Minimizing the amount of paraphernalia can really enhance the fun of a big stone route.

Light is fast, and improvisation is the name of the game up there, especially when making aid placements. Having the most versatile gear is the key; for example, knotted slings are more versatile than sewn ones, and two smaller angles can be stacked to make a larger placement. But never go light on the storm gear, as the weather can come in when it’s least expected.

With ropes, have at least one really fat (11 mm) rope for leading on, as big walls are tough on ropes. Fashion clip-in loops on everything you bring, you never know when the haulbag will need to be emptied for organization, horizontal surfaces are in short supply on most walls.

Finally, make sure to have a few versatile repair/ improvisation items like a roll of tape, a sewing kit and thick thread, and a Swiss Army knife. A few good tools can go a long way on vertical adventures.

Clean Walls Rack:
•    Big wall climbing gear Zodiac Gear Sling
•    Camalots: (2-3 each of C3 ooo to C4 Camalot #4, one each #5, #6)
•    Stoppers: 2-3 sets (extra mid-range)
•    Micro Stoppers: 2 sets
•    Carabiners: 80 minimum (straight gates and Ovals preferred)
•    Talons, Cliffhangers, Fifi Hooks & Grappling Hooks
•    Runners: 10 shoulder length 15 quickdraw length (Have some knotted ones for when you need to thread something).
For Moderate Nailing Routes Add:
•    More hooks: (at least 5)
•    10-20 Copperheads (granite only)
•    Peckers: 3-5
•    Knifeblades & Bugaboos: 6
•    Lost Arrows: 16 (more in mid-range)
•    Angles: 15-30 (3 each 1/2" and 5/8", 2 each 3/4")
•    Runners: 10 shoulder length 15 quickdraw length (Have some knotted ones for when you need to thread something).
9/16" tubular & supertape tie-offs
More hooks: (at least 5)
•  10-20 Copperheads (granite only)
•  Peckers: 3-5
•  Knifeblades & Bugaboos: 6
•  Lost Arrows: 16 (more in mid-range)
•  Angles: 15-30 (3 each 1/2" and 5/8", 2 each 3/4")
•  Runners: 10 shoulder length 15 quickdraw length (Have some knotted ones for when you need to thread something).
9/16" tubular & supertape tie-offs
Personal Wall Gear:
•    big wall climbing equipment Daisy Chains
•    Etriers
•    Ascenders – Black Diamond N-Force
•    Hammer & Holster
•    Black Diamond Spot Headlamp
•    Rain gear
•    Wall-boots
•    Kneepads and gloves
•    Wall spoon & Swiss Army knife
•    Black Diamond portaledge + fly
•    Haul-bag(s)
•    Ropes (generally 3 ropes required: a fat 11-mm lead line, a haul/fixing line, and a lower out line)
•    Pulley (and back-up pulley) – Singing Rock small roll
•    Stuff sacks (with full strength clip-in loops for gear/food organization)
•    Accoutrements (including first aid kit and repair kit)