Essential Sport Climbing Gear

Ian belays Noah on a steep limestone sport route at Jack’s Canyon in central Arizona. Photo © Stewart M. Green

I received an email a few days ago from Tim asking my advice on what he should buy for a starter rack of sport climbing equipment. I had taken Tim and his wife Angela on a guided climbing lesson last August at Red Rock Canyon on the west side of Colorado Springs. They were total rookies. They hadn’t even climbed in an indoor gym in their hometown of San Diego, but they wanted to give climbing a try. It looked like a lot of fun.

I took them up a half-dozen routes, showed them how to tie into the rope, how to belay, how to lower and rappel, and how to be safe on the rocks. They loved it. Tim wrote me last fall, saying they had meet some other climbers at the gym and been out top-roping on some bolted cliffs. Now he wanted to start doing some easy leads and asked what equipment a novice climber should buy.

I sent him a list of essential sport climbing gear, including a rope, quickdraws, and personal gear. Today he wrote me back and said he had just bought everything he needed and was heading up to Joshua Tree for the weekend to break it in. He’s gonna have fun!