Online Manual of Rock Climbing Skills and Techniques
Nuts, Rocks and Wires are generic names for a type of leader place protection for rock climbing. Effectively a metal wedge on a wire sling, these pieces of protection are the bread and butter of keeping climbers safe when they are trad climbing. The name comes from the their development. As the first form of … Read moreNuts, Rocks and Wires
Climbing slings are a stable protection in climbing they can be be used to attach the climber to spikes, trees and threads. They can also be used to equalise multiple anchor points to a single point. Slings generally come in a variety of sizes the most common are 120cm, 240cm and 480cm. This is the … Read moreClimbing Slings
There are many different types of Karabiners. However they can generally be described as snap gate or locking gate karabiners. As we are about to see there are many other sub-type with different pro’s and con’s. Snapgates Karabiners Snap gate carabiners are generally used for leader place protection as it is easier to clip and … Read moreKarabiners
There are many different type of climbing rope, as the article at the bottom will highlight in hopefully humorous way just how bewildering it can be. Starting out though all you need to know is there are two main type of rope: Single and double ropes. In the main beginners want to start out with a full … Read moreBuying a Climbing Rope
The variety of belay devices is seemingly endless. Used correctly any brand or model should be adequate, however some are more slick than others and a few are auto-locking. Essentially a belay device stems from early stitch plates that were just a piece of metal with a hole in. These developed into sprung stitch plates, … Read moreBelay Devices
There are many chalk bags all do a similar job, the main thing is to make sure it is big enough to get you hand into, preferably not just the tips of your fingers. The chalk you use is a matter of personal choice, although indoors a chalk ball prevents the air becoming saturated by … Read moreChalk Bags
There is a profusion of rock shoes to choose from. At first you are better off going for comfort, rather than performance, although a reasonably tight pair will pay dividends with your footwork. Generally one model of boots will fit better than the others, so don’t go on any recommendations, try on lots of different makes … Read moreRock Shoes
Whilst not essential, wearing a climbing helmet is a very good idea. A crag may not appear to have much loose rock but there may be some hidden blocks up on ledges waiting for a passing climber or a rope to knock it over the edge. A climber above you could simply drop a piece … Read moreRock Climbing Helmets
What rock climbing harness you use is in the main comes down to fit and comfort. The only advice worth considering is what you intend to use the harness for. Traditional, sport, alpine and winter climbing have different requirements. It is far cheaper to start with to get one good multipurpose harness with adjustable leg … Read moreRock Climbing Harnesses
Bouldering is considered by many a low risk part of climbing. However pushing yourself on highly challenging problems makes the likelihood of a tumble far greater than any other form of climbing. It could be argued that if you are not falling you aren’t trying, falling off is part and parcel of bouldering. Whilst close to … Read moreBasic Climbing Safety: Bouldering