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What kind of equipment do I need to start climbing and rapelling?

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I have a decent bit of experience with climbing but have never actually learned what kind of equipment I will need since I have always climbed with companies. I know I need a harness, climbing shoes, rope but what other equipment and how many of each will I typically need for Lead climbing, top roping, and rapelling.

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1 comment

1 Willie D { 04.23.11 at 9:17 PM }

Harness, Rope, Shoes, several lengths of 1"tubular webbing for rigging anchors to trees, and/or some removable hardware such as nuts or cams (and a nut tool) if you plan on top roping where no trees exist at the top. A few carabiners for hooking up the webbing and anchors, a belay device (ATC, Stitch Plate, Trango), A Figure 8 descender. Chalk and a chalk bag is optional.

You can rappel or climb with either static or dynamic rope but most people use dynamic for climbing because it has more stretch and they use static for rappelling because it is stiffer and more durable.

Get a guidebook or dig up the beta on the area you wish to climb to see if there are fixed anchors over your routes. If so you may want to get a few steel carabiners to rig your anchors because aluminum carabiners react with steel and can damage the aluminum.

I suggest getting a book that describes how to rig up the anchors. It will also give you some ideas on other gear you might need.

I mostly top rope in the eastern US, so I tend to use webbing and place my anchors on the trees at the top of the cliffs. The more popular climbing places in my area have fixed anchor points in many places, so I keep a few steel biners on my rack. I also have a full set of nuts in the event I climb someplace without good tree anchors.

Lead climbing is a totally different game. You will need a bunch of stuff like Cams, Nuts, Hexagonals, and Tri-cams along with slings and at least two carabiners or hot wires per piece of protection. Unless you have a lot of cash to blow at once, a good lead climbing rack is usually built up over a period of time. I buy protection as I need it. I read the guidebooks for the suggested pro for my chosen route and buy what I need as I need it. Finding buddies who have gear to share is also a good idea when getting into leading.

It should go without saying unless you really know how to place and remove anchors and protection, lead climbing isn’t something you should attempt.

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