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Introduction to Climbing Gear

Climbing Gear

I've decided to add this section because climbing is a relatively new sport in Saudi Arabia so there may be some questions about what kind of gear is necessary. Below is a description of the most important and essential pieces of rock climbing gear that someone would need for Sport Climbing.

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Harness

A climbing harness is one of the most important pieces of gear. It's what keeps you attached to your rope. It distributes force around your your waist and legs. There are several different types of harness, but a basic harness will do just about everything a beginning climber needs it to.

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Belay Devices

A belay device is what you use to catch your fellow climber's fall. They generally work by pinching down on a rope when it's weighted on the climber's end. There are several types of belay device. A basic ATC or tube style device is the most versatile, as it can also be used to rappel. An assisted breaking device, such as a Petzl GriGri, help the belayer catch a fall more easily and can be used to ascend a rope.

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Ropes

Climbing ropes come in a variety of types and sizes. For climbing you need a dynamic rope. This is to say, a rope that will stretch. This helps alleviate the force of a fall. A 60 meter rope will be sufficient for most routes, but 70 meter and 80 meter ropes are also easy to come by. The most common and useful diameters for general rock climbing are between 9mm-10mm.

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Carabiners

There are two basic types of carabiner. Locking and Non-locking. A locking carabiner is necessary for belaying. Every climber should have at least one. Non-locking carabiners have a variety of uses ranging from attaching your rope to protection to simply clipping gear your harness.

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Quickdraws

Quickdraws are essential to sport climbing. A quickdraw is basically non-locking carabiners attached by a piece of webbing. One carabiner is clipped to a bolt in the wall you're climbing, and the other is attached to your rope. This way you won't fall much further than the last quickdraw you clipped.

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Helmet

Helmets may not look cool, but they are an essential piece of climbing equipment, especially in Saudi Arabia. Most people worry about hitting the ground, what they don't think about is all the rock that can fall from above. This is especially concerning here, where much of the rock is loose.

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Shoes

You could think of rock climbing shoes as ballet shoes with sticky rubber. They are generally tight fitting, and the rubber is specifically made to stick to rock. There are many different kinds of shoes, but even the cheapest, most basic pair will greatly improve your climbing.

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Chalk and Chalk Bag

Most climbers like to use chalk as a way of keeping their hands dry so they can grip the rock better. Several companies make climbing specific chalk, including chalks that won't leave marks on the wall. A chalk bag is attached around the waist and used to carry the chalk with a climber as he/she climbs.

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