| Many different kinds of equipment are | | | | some kind of support or cam system to |
| used to help people climb. Rock climbers | | | | provide a point of anchor. A belay |
| use their gear to stabilize themselves | | | | device will have an active camming |
| on the side of a sheer rock face, secure | | | | device or a passive camming device. With |
| themselves for safety in the event that | | | | an active camming device a user must |
| they slip and fall, and protect their | | | | lock off the rope with his / her brake |
| body from impact if they come into hard | | | | hand and a carabiner (a kind of metal |
| contact with the rock. | | | | loop with a spring loaded gate, usually |
| As the number one concern when rock | | | | made from aluminum). Of course, when |
| climbing is the possibility of a fall, | | | | such a system is being used, two people |
| the most important pieces of gear for | | | | are climbing together for increased |
| rock climbers are their harnesses and | | | | safety, and the current second (the |
| rope systems. Modern climbing ropes are | | | | lower climber who is staying put while |
| designed with a core of long twisted | | | | the other continues on) will be in |
| fibers surrounded by woven fibers. The | | | | charge of keeping the belaying system |
| ropes have some flexibility and | | | | operational in case of a fall. |
| elasticity, which means they are far | | | | Finally, the climber is attached to the |
| less likely to snap under sudden tension | | | | rope and the belay device using a |
| or to cause whiplash by bringing a | | | | harness. The most important thing in |
| falling user to an instantaneous stop ' | | | | choosing a harness (besides making sure |
| instead there will be a little bounce in | | | | that it is entirely secure) is making |
| the line to create a smoother end to the | | | | sure that it has a good fit, as it will |
| fall. Static rope is another kind of | | | | likely have to support much of your |
| rope which does not have the same amount | | | | weight for a good amount of time. Also |
| of give and is used for the critical | | | | keep in mind that while there are |
| connections of the belaying / anchoring | | | | different kinds of harnesses, such as |
| system that a climber uses to stay | | | | chest harness and full body harnesses in |
| connected to the rock face. Nylon | | | | addition to the traditional sit |
| webbing is used in some cases as well | | | | harnesses, not all of them are equally |
| but is a completely different kind of | | | | safe. Chest harnesses have been found in |
| specialized material with an amazingly | | | | some cases to increase the risk of |
| high tensile strength. | | | | damage to the neck at the end of a drop. |
| The rope system that a rock climber uses | | | | In addition to these pieces of |
| is attached to a belay device ' a piece | | | | equipment, rock climbers wear protective |
| of gear that allows the rope to be | | | | helmets and carry bags of chalk on their |
| gradually released but seizes onto the | | | | belt to give them a better grip. All of |
| rope and prevents it from continuing to | | | | these kinds of gear are important for |
| run in case of a fall. The belay device | | | | safe rock climbing! |
| will be attached to the rock face with | | | | |