What equipment do I need as a beginner outdoor rock climber?

Years ago in college I took an outdoor rock-climbing class, and what I bought for it were shoes and chalk. I didn't buy anything else, as the ropes and belaying equipment were already provided by the instructor when we went out to climb. Chances are pretty good that if you go with a group of people, someone already has ropes and harnesses.

posted about 10 years ago

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Michael Martinez‭

106 reputation 1 43 11 0

Its not a piece of equipment, but if you're transitioning to climbing out doors, you probably want to have some training in how to rig a toprope, and / or how to lead. Climbing guidebooks that advertise areas as "for all levels" still presume a basic understanding of how to rig a toprope, or how to lead a route. Indoor climbing programs don't always emphasize these skills. Rigging a toprope isn't complicated, but there are still ways to do it wrong. Ever year there seems to be a needless death that was cause when an improperly rigged toprope failed.

Here's a report of a death in 2012 from an improperly rigged toprope: http://www.climberism.com/climber-dies-at-the-gunks/

There are numerous guidebooks about this, and you and a friend could take a class from a guide service in your area. But probably the best way is to go climbing with friends that are already climbing outdoors. Climbing can be very safe when its done correctly, and learning these skills will give you the tools to enjoy a lifetime of rock climbing. Good luck!

posted over 12 years ago

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DavidR‭

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For outdoor single-pitch climbing, a pretty bare minimum is:

• shoes, harness, belay device, locking carabiner, helmet, nut tool

This assumes that you're climbing with someone who owns a rope. Harnesses are pretty generic. Shoes are theoretically not necessary, since people climbed some pretty hard routes in the 1930s in hobnailed boots, but realistically they're a huge advantage. The nut tool is needed for trad climbing, so you can clean the gear placed by the leader.

For outdoor multipitch climbing, add:

• Prusiks and slings, headlamp, water bottles that can be clipped to a carabiner

This assumes that you're going to be following someone who knows what they're doing, and that that person owns all the other necessary gear. For the water bottles, I just use half-liter plastic bottles with a loop of cord duct-taped on. The headlamp is in case something goes wrong and you have to finish the climb or descent in the dark.

The Prusiks and slings are for use in case (1) you need to ascend the rope because you have to follow on something that you can't get up, or (2) you're rappelling and need to ascend the rope for some reason (e.g., the rope doesn't reach far enough). You need to practice using these in advance.

All of these are bare minimums if you're climbing with someone much more experienced, who knows how to deal with things that go wrong. From the fact that you're asking these questions on the internet, I assume that you haven't yet made contact with a climbing partner. That could be OK if you're just asking in order to gauge whether you can afford the gear, or if you want to buy minimal gear before approaching anyone to climb with.

posted about 10 years ago

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Ben Crowell‭

751 reputation 42 185 81 0

I would say you need things in this order. Only #1 is required:

1. A harness. You can't climb with a rope unless you have one.
2. Shoes. You can get by with runners, but climbing shoes make a world of difference.
3. Chalk/chalk bag. If you don't sweat much, this is not crucial, but a little chalk is very nice for keeping your fingers from being slippery.

If you are going to an outside climbing area, a helmet is pretty much required equipment as well.

posted almost 13 years ago

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Ryley‭

84 reputation 2 42 8 0

Your equipment list will depend on whether you are:

• Free soloing (climbing without protective equipment; not good for a beginner!)
• Top roping
• Lead climbing

Assuming that you aren't Free soling, because there you don't need anything, you'll need at least the following in order:

1. A friend that can belay you

   You're definitely not going to go solo when starting out if you want to make it back home alive. Don't even start unless you've got one of these.

2. A belay device

   Don't think you're going to be able to be safely protected just grabbing the rope. A belay device places lots of friction on the rope, so you can easily control the stopping force by simply controlling the angle the rope enters the belay device.

3. A dynamic climbing rope

   The real, expensive stuff, UIAA certified dynamic single rope. Not the stuff you get at the hardware store for $8.99 on sale. While you may only weigh 150-250 pounds, when you fall, the force placed on the rope is many times your body weight. Further, the rope is responsible for absorbing the energy of a fall, and if not properly designed for this purpose either it or the climber will break in a serious fall. Hardware store ropes aren't designed to absorb impact energy, even if they are "strong enough" in terms of working load.

4. A climbing harness.

   This is how you attach yourself to the rope. From what I've seen, the difference between harnesses for different applications boils down to how light they are, and how many gear loops you get. If you are just starting out, find a reasonably priced one that's comfortable, and worry about the other stuff and upgrade after you're a skilled climber. And of course, learn to tie in both yourself and your belayer and practice until you can nearly do it properly with your eyes closed.

5. Shoes

   You'll want shoes. Real climbing shoes. I've tried climbing barefoot and with vibrams before. It doesn't work well. Different shoes have different ratings for how suitable they are for gym vs outdoor climbing. Again, find a pair that is comfortable and worry about shoes that are specialized after you've become a skilled climber. Until then, the small differences aren't going to have an impact until your technique catches up.

Note: Some outdoor places ban chalk. So it's obviously not a necessity.

posted almost 13 years ago

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whatsisname‭

381 reputation 7 67 43 0

In addition to the obvious stuff regarding climbing equipment in the other answers, I would add:

• Woolly hat (it can get chilly waiting for your turn on the crag)
• Gloves (there's a type of glove, can't remember the brand, where the seams are at the knuckle and not on the tip - offering fingertip dexterity when climbing)
• Waterproof jacket
• Sturdy shoes for the approach and walk-off (the British Mountaineering Council have statistics that show more accidents occur on the way back from a climb to the car park than actually climbing - mostly sprained and twisted ankles)
• A thermos (you'll be the most popular guy on the crag)
• Water
• Cereal bars

Lastly - I'd get a guidebook for the crag you're going to visit (depending on availability - most of the popular crags in the UK are covered quite well, not sure about other countries).

Guidebooks describe the best routes to approach the crag, help identify different climbing routes (and grade them), and you can tick the routes off as you complete them.

posted almost 13 years ago

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HorusKol‭

91 reputation 1 20 9 0

Youth, conditioning, and a great attitude towards safety, common sense, and pushing yourself. Safety first. Dead climbers don't get do-overs. You can die very easily at twenty feet up on a 5.6 beginner route. I saw the consequences, his dying body in front of me and his distraught wife just..broken, maybe forever. You don't "get" that reality probably until you see the consequences. Once you see that - someone dying with so many actually-important things left to live for - climbing becomes so obviously absurd, you understand why it's a sport of "Conquistadors of the Useless."

Yet, if I wasn't in such crappy aging condition, I would still do more. But remember, you can't really "manage" all risk like it's an entity to put in a safe place. The risk of your making a poor decision is inherently impossible to predict, regardless of what people want to believe. Nobody who died or got injured from poor decision-making thought, "Hey, I can't control personal risk but I'll climb anyway." No, they thought they could. Yet they couldn't control their own imperfection.

So, stay alive, take care of your buddy and have them take care of you. That would be having the best equipment you can have.

posted about 10 years ago

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bruzote‭

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