Basic equipment for a mountaineering school
Autumn is the time for education and many of you are interested in mountaineering and alpinism. So now carefully browse the websites to see if there is a mountaineering club or association in your town and if they organize a mountaineering school.
Our purpose is to tell you what minimal equipment you need to get started:
Climbing harness - a climbing harness for mountaineering and climbing should be comfortable, with enough loops for equipment, it should be easy to adjust and should not be too tight, as we will be more dressed in winter than in summer. The leg loops should be adjustable, it is also important to attach some equipment to the harness to see how the equipment loops behave. An additional value of the harness is that it is possible to attach additional equipment holders.
For men, we recommend the following belts: Momentum DS and Technician .
For women, we recommend the Momentum climbing harness and the women's version of the Technician climbing harness.
Helmet - we always try on a helmet with a cap, because we wear it with pleasure in the winter, so the helmet should never be too small for us. There are classic helmets available, which have a harder shell, and ultralight helmets that absorb shock perfectly. We try on helmets carefully, check the helmet closure system and choose the helmet that suits us best.
An example of a classic helmet is the Austria Alpin helmet, and an example of an ultralight helmet is the Vector Black Diamond helmet, which is available in both men's and women's versions.
We need 4 carabiners with nuts - be careful not to choose carabiners that are too small, as we will have a lot of work to do when performing rope maneuvers. The carabiners should have rough gates, as this will make it easier to operate the carabiners with gloves even in winter.
Our suggestion is the Rondo or Sterling Eagle nut carabiners.
Nylon sling - a 120-centimeter nylon sling will help you make anchors and rappel. It is important that the sling is made of Nylon material and not Dyneema. Nylon has a much higher melting point under load than Dyneema.
Belay - a belay is also part of the basic equipment, as it allows us to both belay and assist in performing various maneuvers (lifting a fallen companion, rescuing from a crevasse, etc.)
An example of a better belay device is the Black Diamond ATC Guide.
Climbing shoes - climbing shoes: Anyone who buys their first climbing shoes should make sure they are comfortable, without any uncomfortable tightness, as we will be spending quite a bit of time in them. Laces or buckles? Laces have the advantage of tightening our feet more when we actually need them, while buckles allow us to put on and take off climbing shoes faster. Additional emphasis is placed on buying climbing shoes with good rubber to keep the foot in place.
We recommend the following models: