Rock-climbing equipment varies with the specific type of climbing that is being undertaken by the climber(s). Bouldering needs the least equipment: climbing shoes, climbing chalk and optional crash pads. Sport climbing adds ropes, harnesses, belay devices, and quickdraws which clip into pre-drilled permanently-fixed bolts on the rock face. Traditional climbing adds the need to carry a "rack" of temporary and removable passive and active protection devices. Multi-pitch climbing, and the related big wall climbing, adds devices to assist in ascending and descending static fixed ropes. Finally, aid climbing uses unique equipment to give mechanical assistance to the climber in their upward movement (e.g. aiders). Advances in rock-climbing equipment design and manufacture are a key part of the rock climbing history, starting with the climbing rope. Modern rock-climbing devices enable climbers to perform tasks that were previously done manually, but with greater control – in all conditions – and with less effort. Examples of such replacements include the harness (replaced tying the rope around the waist), the carabiner (replaced many knots), the descender/abseil device (replaced the dülfersitz), the ascender (replaced the prusik knot), the belay device (replaced the body belay), and nuts/hexes (replaced chockstones). Modern rock-climbing equipment includes dynamic ropes, plyometric training tools, advanced spring-loaded camming devices (SLCDs) for protection, and advanced rope control devices such as self-locking devices (SLDs), progress capture devices (PCDs), and assisted braking devices (ABDs). Modern equipment uses advanced materials that are increasingly more durable, stronger, and lighter (e.g. spectra/dyneema and aluminum alloys) than traditional equipment. The equipment must meet specific quantitative standards (e.g. the UIAA standards) for strength, durability, and reliability, and must be certified and tested against such standards with individual pieces of equipment carrying such certification marks.
Use and certification
Type of climbing The rock-climbing equipment needed varies materially depending on the type of rock climbing being undertaken. Starting from the least equipment-intensive type of climbing, the general equipment needs are as follows:
Free solo climbing, and its deep-water soloing variant, require the least equipment as no climbing protection or ropes are used. Equipment is generally limited to climbing shoes and chalk with a chalk bag. Bouldering, and its competition bouldering variant, uses the same basic equipment of free soloing but with the optional addition of bouldering mats, which are also called crash mats or crash pads. Top rope climbing, and its competition speed climbing variant, adds a rope, harness, and belay device. The rope is hung prior to the climb from the anchor point at the top, typically by carabiners, slings, or cord, or some combination thereof. Sport climbing, and its competition lead climbing variant, adds quickdraws that are clipped into the pre-drilled on-site bolts while the climber is lead climbing the route. No additional climbing protection is needed. Traditional climbing requires most of the equipment of the above disciplines but with the addition of extensive climbing protection equipment (nuts, hexes, and SLCDs), which the climber will insert while lead climbing the route. The weight of the extra protection may require a stronger harness or a gear sling. Multi-pitch climbing, which can be done in sport or traditional formats, requires added rope devices like ascenders and descenders for moving up and down fixed-ropes. The big wall variant requires heavy-duty rope devices for carrying more gear such as portaledges and provisions, which are carried in haul bags. Rope solo climbing is done in many formats (sport, traditional, multi-pitch), and needs an extensive range of rope devices as every pitch needs to be solo climbed (using self-locking devices or SLDs), descended back down (using descenders), and then re-ascended (using ascenders). The simpler variant of top rope solo climbing, only requires the SLDs. Aid climbing, and its clean aid climbing variant, is usually done in a traditional format and also more likely on multi-pitch and big wall routes. In addition to the standard equipment for such routes, aid climbing uses specialist equipment such as aiders and daisy chains, as well as hammers for pitons and copperheads.
Certification
Rock-climbing equipment is broadly classed as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (known as the UIAA) was an important early body—and the only body pre-1995—in setting standards for climbing equipment. The UIAA Safety Commission continues to play a central worldwide role in this area. The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) is also an important major regulatory body for PPE, and which works closely with the UIAA Safety Commission through its CEN Working Group for Mountaineering Equipment. North America has fewer specific regulations as rock-climbing equipment is not classed as military or professional PPE and thus does not fall under the American Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations; in effect, the UIAA and CEN have become the most important bodies for setting standards and regulating rock-climbing equipment worldwide, and most major manufacturers, and distributors, produce equipment certified and stamped with UIAA and CE marking. After the United Kingdom left the European Union, it adopted the UKCA certification in place of the CEN.
Ropes and slings
Ropes
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