Modern helmets are lightweight and strong
Harness
There are many different types of harness available, and the final decision will often come down simply to how comfortable it feels when being worn. There are a few other points worth taking into account.
Firstly, if the harness is just going to be used for rock climbing you may decide to go for non-adjustable leg loops. This will make the harness a little lighter and less elaborate, but will preclude it from being worn if you are wearing bulky clothing, as in the winter or when a cold wind is blowing. If you want an all-round harness, suitable for rock climbing all year, go for adjustable leg loops.
Good, all-round harness
One of the most important sections will be the abseil loop, the sewn loop at the front that serves as a strong point. I wouldn’t think about buying a harness without one of these as it has so many uses. The gear-racking layout is also important, as you need to have plenty of space for equipment. I prefer to have my gear loops forwards, with two on each side, so that I can get to everything easily. Padding aids comfort, although too much tends to get in the way and can also make the harness a bit sweaty in hot weather.
Rock boots
There are probably as many types of rock boot as there are harness! As these will be worn for long periods comfort is an important issue. My advice would be not to go for the eye-wateringly tight fit that some shops will try to persuade you to buy, but for something that feels quite snug. If your boots feel firm in the shop without socks they are probably the right size, as they will stretch up to half a size after some use. Really tight boots are the preserve of those climbing at the very top levels; you can always graduate to a pair of these after a while, once you have decided which direction your climbing career is going to take.
Rock boots often come with a choice of fastenings, either laces or Velcro. The lacing system will be better at this stage, as Velcro tends to be used on very technical boots where the fit is skin-tight, meaning that little adjustment is possible.
Rope
Ropes come in a bewildering array of sizes and colours, and everyone you talk to will have their own view as to what type will be best for you to begin with. As a starting-out rope I would suggest that 50m of 10.5mm with a dry treatment would be a good all-rounder. A 60m rope would be more appropriate for climbing multi-pitch routes, but even here a 50m rope will be adequate. It needs to be designated as a ‘full-weight’ rope, denoted by a ‘1’ in a circle on the tape around the end, and also on the packaging. Thinner ropes are designated as ‘half ropes’, denoted by a ‘½’ in the circle. These must be used alongside another rope to give full strength, using techniques known as double- or twin-roping. This book covers predominantly single-rope climbing skills, and so a full-weight rope will fulfil your needs for now.
The information at the end of a climbing rope will tell you if it is the right one for you
Carrying a rope
Step 1 Starting flaking the rope by laying lap coils across your hand
Step 2 Wrap a few turns of rope around the coils
Step 3 Pull a loop through the top and place this over all the coils, pulling the ends tight
Step 4 The completed flaked rope will not kink or knot when uncoiled
This is best done by ‘flaking’. Flaking stops the rope from twisting and kinking, which does tend to happen if a rope is ‘coiled’ in the old-fashioned manner. It also enables you to carry the rope on your back, in much the same manner as a rucksack, when walking down from the top of the crag or when abseiling.
A rope carried in this way will be easy to undo when needed. Simply lift off the final loop and unwrap the coils. You can now place the whole rope on the ground and run it through hand over hand to check it for knots. If it has been flaked correctly the only thing you may find is a loop through a loop, which is easily remedied.
To carry the rope on your back, leave a couple of metres of tail. Put the rope behind you and bring the ends forward over your shoulders, around your back (over the flaked rope to keep it from swinging about) and then round to the front again. Tie the ends together with a reef knot.
A flaked rope tied to the climber’s back is easy to carry
Note
Take good care of your rope as this will extend its life. Carefully read and follow the instructions that are attached to it when bought, as these will outline cleaning procedures and give details about its lifespan, as well as other useful information. Make sure that you don’t tread on your rope, as this can cause grit to enter the weave and cause damage. Store it dry and loosely flaked in a cool, dark place, and never use it for anything other than climbing. When flaking it, feel along the length of the rope for any flat spots or inconsistencies in the weave, and if you are ever in any doubt about its ability to perform well, have it checked professionally or simply discard it and buy a replacement.
MY INTRODUCTION TO SEA-CLIFF CLIMBING
Growing up in the south of England, Swanage was my local crag and this is where I started my climbing career. For my first ever trip there I was accompanied by a crisp copy of Pete Crew’s Dorset guidebook, a mate from school, a few sandwiches – and my mother’s old washing line. I was particularly proud of the latter: it looked like a climbing rope (albeit a tad on the short and thin side) and was nicely coiled, just as I’d seen on TV. (You can probably tell by now that we had no idea what we were about to get in to; even the legend on the inside cover of the guide that stated ‘the pages in this book will easily separate after a thorough wetting’ didn’t stand out as sufficient warning.)
Suffice to say that we were lucky to get away with our lives. Heading straight for the Cattle Troughs area we avoided the many sections of cliff that would have entailed an abseil to reach the start of the climbs. With our meagre knowledge and equipment that would almost certainly have proved fatal. As it was, I’m sure that only youthful ignorance and stubbornness kept us alive that day, along with the fact that we didn’t fall off anything and so test the recently liberated washing line. We were both soaked from the waves crashing onto the ledges at the base of the routes, and retired stunned, numb – and not a little frightened – after a few hours to the safety of the bus back home.
Sea cliffs, I quickly learned, are unforgiving places. You need to not only be able to abseil in, but more importantly be able to climb back out again. You need to know about tide times, the state of the sea, how to belay at the bottom as well as at the top, and have some mechanism in place for getting help if you do not return home at a given time.
Sea cliffs are also stunning places: wonderful solitude, the rock under your fingertips vibrating with every crash of the waves, the bright sunshine glinting off the sea and a slight breeze cooling you in the summer sun. This is why, despite my initial experience, sea-cliff climbing became a very important part of my life in the vertical, and I still look forward to trips to the coast with great anticipation.
Mind you – I quickly learnt a lot more about it after that first trip. I even went out and bought myself a rope.
Snapgate karabiners
These are used when leading to allow quick clipping of any gear being placed for protection. There are various shapes and sizes, but they can be put into two main categories: those with solid gates and those with wire gates.
The advantage of a wire gate