Mountain climbing is a very popular sport. It is very exciting, adventurous and fun, provided you do it the right way. Mountaineering depends on your route, your partner and your level of expertise. Mountain climbing can also be very risky, as much depends on the weather, the mountain, and other conditions. Being equipped with the right kind of gear is very important for mountain climbing. These days, there is very good equipment for climbing available. The gear is being made to be very durable, strong and light weight. The main equipment used for mountain climbing includes: shoes/mountaineering boots, gloves, harnesses, ropes, racks, belay devices, locking carabiners, helmets, axes, headlamp, belay devices (sticht plate, ATC, Gri-Gri, Figure Eight), Descenders (figure eight, rescue eight, ATC), Ascenders, protection devices (nuts, hexcenters, spring loaded camming devices), sewn runners, climbing harnesses, climbing screws, pulleys, trekking pole, mountaineering shaft, pitons, haul bag, bouldering mat, holds, books/maps, special pants, and even underwear for rough weather. Other personal items may include: food and water, sunglasses, first aid kit, sun block, extra clothing, camera, tent, cookware, camp stove, sleeping bag/pad, a knife, approach shoes, chalk and chalk bag. Special training equipment for climbing includes: grip savers, fingerboards, campus boards and more. Climbing gear has to be carefully carried, since it has to stay with you until you reach the top. You can clip some things to your harness, thus keeping the upper part of the body relatively lightweight. However, you may not be able to carry too many things like this, and there is also the chance of losing some of the things on the way. Most climbers use special backpacks that are designed to hold most of the essential things. There are many providers of mountain climbing equipment. Some of the most popular brands are: Black Diamond, Volcom, Nixon, Oakley, Smith, Spy, The North Face, Nikita, Eagle Creek, Dakine, Mountain Hardwear and others. Climbing equipment has to be certified by the International Federation of Mountaineering Associations (UIAA) and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Mountain climbing equipment can also be purchased online. |
