First, and foremost, the shoes.
I have spent over two years searing for the perfect shoe for me. I have a very awkward foot to fit in a climbing shoe. My feet are long but my toe box is wide. In case you haven't worn climbing shoes before, I must warn you: it can be quite uncomfortable. I remember when I first started climbing, my friend told me, "If you can wiggle your toes, the shoes are too big." Climbing shoes actually force your toes to curl down instead of lay flat which sounds (and feels) awful, but trust me, when you're gripping on the rock for dear life and have the tiniest of tiny foot jibs to step on, you'll be thankful for your super-compressed shoes. I am thrilled at the fact that my boyfriend got me a pair of my dream shoes a couple days ago. I haven't even broken them in but I'm in love. They are a little uncomfortable right now, and actually I know I can go at least 1/2 a size small but I just want to get used to the change. These shoes are the most aggressive shoes I've climbed in so I'm easing my way into it. I bring to you La Sportiva's Miura VS for women
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| You can tell my Rogues are super old because they are dirty and disgusting. |
There are two things you need in order to climb. Shoes and chalk. That's all you need to boulder, at least. My chalk bag was my very first purchase- before I even got shoes. I sweat like a pig when I'm climbing and there is no way you are getting up that rock with slippery hands.
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| This is my favorite chalk. I buy it at REI. It's very soft and sticky. I do prefer the pre-ground chalk.... I hate doing it myself. |
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| I love my little chalk bag. It is made by Mammut and has a side pocket with a zipper so I can keep nail clippers in there! It also has a spot to hold my boulder brush. |
And you can't be a sport climber without a harness...
I have only ever used Mammut Ophira harnesses but there is a good reason: I have never had a bad experience with that harness. A harness is something you can't skimp on. Don't ever get a used harness because you don't know its history. Anytime I take a really really big fall on my harness, I get a new one (but always the same one because it's so cute and it matches my chalk bag!) I never want to run the risk of my harness failing on me, or any of my gear for that matter.
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| Harnesses are SSOOOOO flattering... |
Rope <3<3<3
I use Maxim's New-England rope (dynamic of course) 9.9mm Bi-color Milky Way oh my gosh I love my rope. It's probably one of my favorite things ever.
I have only taken one big fall on it so far but that baby is in excellent shape. I have even named him Grond, after the battering ram at Pelennor Fields. Because both are indestructible!
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| Have I mentioned that I LOVE my rope? |
I don't do trad climbing for two reasons. 1. I don't know how, and 2. I don't know where to find trad routes. I stick to my sport routes because I feel safest on them. To each his own. My quick draws are wire gates and I like my set I bought made by Black Diamond. They are very very light and I treat them well. I designate one draw to always be against the metal bolt, and one draw to always be clipped to my rope. I almost rhymed there.
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| It's a small set but I rarely do routes longer than five bolts and if I do, I am always with climbers who have a set of their own so we give and take where it's needed. My blue gear tape tells me which draws are mine so nobody can sneak them from me.... I'm watching you.... |
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| These are my personals. They keep me alive. |
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| These are my anchors. As you can see the top of them are made the same way as my personals. What is different about them are the two caribeaners on the bottom. That's what I feed the rope through to set up top rope on outdoor routes. I love the convenience of having one non locking caribeaner that way if you're really struggling with the finish, you don't have to fumble with anything. |
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| This is a closeup of the bottom of my anchors. The screw gate caribeaner is made by Black Diamond and the wire gate caribeaner on the right is made by Mad Rock. |
You gotta have something to pack all of your gear in for easy transportation. I love my Beal day pack. It has lots of pockets, gear loops, a tarp for my rope, and plenty of space for my camelback bladder, food, essentials for my dog, you name it. I got mine in lime green.
Miscellaneous toys:
(From left to right) 1. Gri-gri for easy belaying. 2. My Black Diamond ATC for lead belay and my ideal tool for rappelling. 3. Boars hair brush to keep my holds from getting too greasy. Boars hair is just.... better. ;) 4. I keep my figure eight purely as a backup if I'm cleaning a route and I'm getting ready to rappel but for some reason I drop my ATC, I need a backup so I don't die. :) 5. Climbing tape to keep my finger tendons from getting injured and protecting my pads from getting flappers.
Ok so that's essentially what my collection has come down to. I also have a crash pad for when I go bouldering but I don't feel like getting my camera out again. It's your run of the mill inexpensive crash pad. I got it as a prize two years ago. My local climbing gym was having a bouldering competition around Halloween and due to the holiday, there was a costume contest. I did not compete in the bouldering comp but I did compete in the costume contest.... and I won first prize which was a crash pad! Woo!!
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| I definitely deserved first prize.... hahaha |
