Gear_Zone Guide to Rock Climbing
Posted by Nicki | February 09, 2012
English climbers in the 1940s and ‘50s selected well-rounded stones to place in cracks in the rock face to act as chocks and aid their ascent.
Granite stones from Wales ended up this way in Derbyshire, no doubt posing an enigma for archaeologists and geologists of the future!
And then came the introduction of metal chucks, which today are used on mountain ranges all over the world.
Here at Gear-Zone, we have a huge selection of climbing equipment to meet your every need, whether you’re planning an assault on the Alps or have ambitions on the Andes.
Wild Country Climbing, Black Diamond, Clog Climbing, Petzl and DMM are all market leaders with their own, specialist climbing gear, while Beal supplies the rope, Grivel the crampons and ice axes, and La Sportiva, Five Ten, Scarpa and Red Chili the rock shoes.
Wild Country hardware is used and recommended all over the world, and as manufacturers of the first climbing cam, the Friend, and later curved nut the Rock – probably the best-selling piece of climbing equipment of all time – they have been helping to revolutionise the industry for over 35 years.
Black Diamond is a company with a high proportion of climbers on its staff, all dedicated to their sport and responsible for the highest-quality carabiners, belay devices and harnesses.
Every piece of Black Diamond equipment is tried and tested on their own doorstep in the Wasatch mountains in Utah, where their early success led to them being named as American Entrepreneurs of the Year.
Petzl too have a large team of professional climbers behind them, many of whom have conquered the world’s hardest routes.
These experts in mountaineering, climbing, caving and rescue equipment are especially renowned for the Grigri assisted braking belay and the Tikka and Tikkina head torches.
Clog Climbing has become a byword for reliability and safety, and the company personifies the rugged and diverse spirit of British climbing. So successful has the former Clogwyn Climbing Gear company from Wales become that ‘clog’ entered climbing parlance as a generic word for the passive nut used in a wide range of rock-face widths.
DMM are international leaders in new technology behind the manufacture of the latest climbing and mountaineering equipment, pushing the established boundaries with ever-lighter, stronger gear to gain an unparalleled reputation based on their original designs.
Beal manufacture premier safety rope for those whose lives depend on it, and their technological advances in production over nearly 30 years have led to the safest, most user-friendly and durable climbing and caving rope ever made.
From artificial indoor rock walls to the north faces of Everest and the Eiger, Beal have the safety ropes, static ropes, walking ropes and specialist climbing and caving rope to meet every requirement.
For serious ice climbers and expeditioners venturing above the snow line, Grivel provide a range of crampons, ice axes and climbing helmets to help ensure your safety.
And from self-proclaimed ‘Brand of the ‘Brave’ Five Ten, through the rich heritage of La Sportiva, Red Chili’s practically-meets-style cutting edge technology, and Scarpa’s traditional Italian craftsmanship, climbing enthusiasts have a terrific choice of rock shoes here at Gear-Zone too.
