How to prepare for your first outing Climbing: all the equipment you need.

Climbing, sometimes called rock-climbing, is the practice and sport of moving along a wall to reach the top of a relief or an artificial structure, along a path called a route, with or without the aid of equipment.

The climber's playground ranges from low boulders to climbing walls to walls several hundred meters high. Physically, climbing is an all-round sport, involving hands and arms, legs and trunk, as well as considerable mental skill.

So it's vital that you have the right equipment to ensure your safety. Here's a list of the equipment you'll need to take your first steps, plus a few tricks.

You'll find all the equipment brands on our site: Black Diamond, Kong, Millet, Scarpa, La Sportiva...

CLIMBING SHOES :

In order to improve the friction grip of the foot on an artificial climbing wall or rock, the shoe is covered with a layer of rubber. Usually only a few millimeters thick, the liner holds the foot very tightly. They are available for beginners and experts alike. It's the sole's camber and rigidity that make the difference between a more "aggressive" liner and another. Men's and women's products obviously differ according to our morphology.

THE BAUDRIER or HARNAIS :

A Baudrier or harness is a set of sewn straps, more or less adjustable to the user's waist and thighs, enabling increased safety and comfortable suspension from a rope. The simple harness is made up of three interconnected webbing rings, designed to hold the user's waist and upper legs in place. It is usually fitted with a gear loop for quickdraws and other carabiners. It can also be used as a belay base to attach a descender and enable two people to climb in complete safety.

Here again, there are both mixed and specific models.

DESCENDER: (belay device)

One end of the rope is connected to the belayer via a belay device. The rope's movement is then controlled as the climber progresses by "slackening" it, and the belayer can block its movement should the climber fall.

Figure-of-eight descenders, which take their name from their shape, enable rapid but controlled descent on a rope.

Classic belay devices are very versatile, and generally offer the option of 2 ropes for belaying long routes and their compulsory double rope system.

Finally, grigri belayers are quite coveted for classic top-roping (1 single pitch to climb before descending).

ROPE :

Without rope, belaying is impossible. Today's sport ropes are made up of a woven sheath (interwoven fibers) and a braided fiber core. The two parts are not always made of the same material. This enables them to adapt their elasticity and diameter to the climbing style of the day. In climbing, a rope must always be dynamic (elastic) in the event of a fall, to cushion the climber's fall as much as possible.

You can also add a rope bag to your equipment to make it easier to carry your rope. These special bags are often fitted with a protective mat to enable the rope to be unfolded on the ground without being dragged along, so as not to damage it unintentionally.

QUICKDRAWS:

A quickdraw is used in climbing to attach the rope to the anchor points on the rock or artificial wall. Synonym, often used in the plural: pairs (= quickdraws).

A quickdraw is made up of two single carabiners connected by a short ring of stitched webbing, called an express webbing. This webbing ring can be of almost any length, depending on the intended use. Before the ascent, quickdraws are attached to the gear loops on the harness. Some models are lighter than others, depending on your performance ambitions.

THE COW :

The cow is commonly used for hiding! And yes, it's an original term, but an essential one in the language of climbing safety. The cow is in fact a piece of rope sewn into a loop at its 2 ends and meeting safety standards. It's attached to the belay loop of the harness, so that once you've reached the top of the climbing route, you can "cow" yourself to the belay (the anchor point where you'll attach the rope) with the other end fitted with a screw-in carabiner.

This allows you to be sure of your footing and to make the necessary rope adjustments for the descent.

HELMET :

As in most extreme sports, it's always wise to wear a helmet, especially on long routes, to protect your head from falling rocks.

MAGNESIA:

Generally in powder form, magnesium carbonate is used as an antiperspirant in many sports, known as magnesia.

Magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) is a white solid found in mineral form in nature. It is a component of magnesite.

Magnesia is a climber's best friend after a belay, as it dries the hands and prevents perspiration. During the effort, it's obviously very annoying not to be able to hold your grip as your hand slips on the rock. Climbers often dip their hands back into their magnesium bags in order to remain as precise as possible.

CLIMBING CLOTHING:

Finally, for perfect ease of movement, you'll appreciate being equipped with climbing-specific clothing. Lightweight teeshirts and stretchy but robust pants to withstand the abrasion of the rock face.