Slick which has a large aperture through which the rope fits. If the rope is thin – say less than 10.2mm – it may have difficulty holding it in the event of a fall.
Grabbing devices often allow more control on thinner ropes (and sometimes too much on thick ropes, especially if abseiling), either on account of their shape or by the use of a channel through which the held rope is run. This channel will usually have a ribbed surface, providing extra friction that makes controlling the rope easier.
Variety of belay devices
Devices will normally have two slots to accommodate two ropes at the same time, useful for both double- or twin-rope techniques. This is also an important feature for abseiling, which is often done using two lengths of the same rope at once.
Wires
This is a generic name given to wedges of metal attached to the end of a swaged wire loop, often simply referred to as ‘nuts’ (the use of these and other equipment for protection is covered in detail in Chapter 7). They are, in fact, very technical pieces of kit and have been designed to exacting standards and great tolerances, and are the basic protection equipment for most climbers. The heads measure from a couple of millimetres to a couple of centimetres across, and the strength varies from 2kN (see Appendix 1) on the smallest to 12kN on the larger sizes. Most climbers will carry a rack of wires made up of two sets of 1–10, all doubled up, although the final make-up will be down to personal preference. These will often be carried on the harness on two karabiners; I tend to have sizes 1–6 on one krab and 7–10 on the other. This means that you have a range of sizes to hand, useful once you have learnt to recognise which one fits which crack. Many wires are colour-coded for ease of identification.
Set of wires
You may see very tiny wires called ‘micro-wires’ for sale, as well as some others with very irregularly shaped heads. These are intended for a specific purpose, often for a one-off placement on a particular route. It is best – at least in the early stages of your climbing career – to stick to regular concave/convex designs.
Camming devices
These are often known as ‘SLCD’s (spring-loaded camming devices) – see Chapter 7. Most climbers will refer to them by the trade name – such as Friends or Quadcams – but camming devices or cams is generic enough for us. They are an extremely useful, albeit expensive, piece of kit. You don’t need to buy them when setting up a basic rack, but once you get hold of one and try it out you won’t know how you survived before!
The smallest cam/crack size is about 12mm, and the largest weighs in at a whopping 140mm (even bigger ones are available for specialist purposes). Two main considerations that will affect your choice:
Firstly, they come in rigid-stem and flexible-stem versions. The rigid stem gives a good solid placement, but many climbers will now opt for the flexible-stem version as it is more forgiving when placed in a horizontal crack and fallen on – some rigid stems, especially older designs, could bend or even snap.
Secondly is the decision of whether to go for three- or four-cam units. Three-cam units are generally narrower across the width of the cams, so are useful in the smaller sizes. Four-cam units are very stable, so are well suited to bigger sizes that will be used in wider cracks. It is unusual to find a three-cam unit on anything bigger than a size 2, so most people go for four cams.
(Left) Four- and a three-cam unit
(Right) Size 0 and size 4 cam
Some designs incorporate a sewn sling that can be extended. This can help to avoid rope drag around bulges or if the placement is a little way off-line.
Cam sling at normal length
Cam sling extended
Rockcentrics
These are basically a large version of a wire – but without the wire! Also referred to as chocks (and a reworking of the original ‘Hexentrics’ – still favourite with many people), the Rockcentric is available in large sizes and nicely complements our rack of wires. However, they are a slightly different shape and work well in a variety of placements.
Rockcentrics
They are frequently supplied with the tape or rope already stitched or tied in place. It is possible to buy them loose and tie them yourself, but in this case make sure you are using the correct material for the job. For instance, tying Spectra or Dyneema tape will not work as the fibres are quite slippery, and the resulting piece of gear will be very dangerous. Check with the supplier of the rope or tape you intend to use to thread the chocks to ensure that it is up to the job, also as to the best knot to use.
Rockcentrics work by a basic camming action, with the pull on the affixed tape making them jam tighter in a crack. If we have a rack of wires up to number 10, I would choose to start my Rockcentric sizing from there and go up for perhaps four sizes. You would end up with quite a large piece of gear, handy for a variety of situations and placements.
Nut key
This will be the best money you’ll ever spend! A nut key is an invaluable tool for a second to carry in order to remove wires and other gear that has become jammed in place. Normally consisting of a long flat bar with a hook at one end, a key will very soon pay for itself (and may even get you some free gear by allowing you to winkle out someone else’s kit!).
Nut key
Chalk bag
This is included here only for completeness, and hopefully you won’t be rushing out to buy one. Chalk is useful where the climbing is hard and fingers get sweaty, such as when training on an indoor climbing wall. Outside, however – unless the route is quite hard – the use of chalk should be discouraged. Chalk is slightly abrasive, which is how it aids finger friction. If used on the holds of an easy route, the hands and feet of subsequent climbers will have the effect of polishing the hold: the chalk particles work as a scourer. As more people will tend to climb easier graded routes than hard ones, and if many of them use chalk, the rock will very quickly become polished and slippery. Only use chalk on a hard route, when you are bouldering or climbing indoors.
Chalk bag, with ball and block chalk
Prusik loops
A prusik loop is a very useful piece of kit, with two being carried for more advanced techniques. It is commonly used for protecting an abseil, and can also be used in a simple hauling system to get your partner over a hard section of the climb. The loop is made up from just over 1m of 6mm accessory cord, purchased direct from the reel in a climbing shop. It is tied together with a double fisherman’s knot, and should measure about 40cm long from end to end when laid flat.
Prusik loop, tied with a double fisherman’s knot
Note
These days all technical equipment is manufactured and sold to rigorous standards. However, there is some cheap gear on the market (although not normally in reputable shops) which has been made in Eastern Europe and the Far East. This kit will often not have gone through the same