- Climbing harness
- Climbing shoes
- Belay devices
- Half rope twin rope
- Quickdraws
- Carabiners
- Friends/cams
- Climbing helmet
Packing list alpine climbing: Further equipment and clothing
- Magnesium
- Belay device
- Weatherproof jacket, hardshell, rain jacket
- Climbing pants
- Climbing t-shirt
- Warm, lightweight insulation jacket
- Climbing backpack
- Belay sling, webbing, accessory cord
- Finger tape, hand tape
- Headlamp
- Bouldering or grip brush
- Approach shoes
- Belay eyewear
- Bivy bag
Meals & Snacks
Health & First Aid
- First aid kit
- Band-aids
- Sunblock & lip protection
- Accident, rescue and recovery cost insurance
- Tissues
Basics/General
- Map
- Climbing guide
- Compass
- Charged mobile phone
- Photography equipment
- Passport/insurance card
- Cash
- Pocket knife
- Matches/lighter
Not only the packing list for alpine climbing needs to be looked at
Depending on the alpine tour one chooses and what area is going to be climbed: the requirements and hence the choice of equipment are always going to vary. Thorough preparation (weather check), training (physical, mental, safety issues), correct self-assessment and good time management are a must. A full rack of friends and or cams aren’t always going to be necessary either. Plaisir climbing, multi-pitched routes or mixed terrain require different assessment capabilities and skilled handling of belay techniques. The more extensively prepared one is, for example, reading up on alpine climbing, the better.
Alpine climbing actually starts at the bottom of the car park. Quality approach shoes, route planning and the right equipment are all essentials in order to succeed (safety-wise) and enjoy carefree fun on the wall. Starting out slowly – assessing your own capabilities on that day and getting a feel of the climbing rhythm that you and your climbing partner fall into so that communication is not misconstrued – so much better than not having enough knots, picking the wrong line or misunderstanding an important rope command. As always, it is important to act properly and safely in accordance with the alpine terrain you are dealing with and at all times with caution. Safety first and then of course, it goes without saying, respect for other climbers and of course nature should be shown at all time. The correct handling of various belaying techniques should be mastered to perfection before getting into the realms of alpine climbing, regardless of what grade climbing route you are embarking on. Especially the placing of in-between anchor stations must be practised!
Alpine climbing ultralight
If there are three people climbing and you are belaying two climbers after you, then a half-rope will be necessary and if there are two of you on the wall then you will more than likely use a double-up method where only a twin-rope will be needed. Alpine climbers who are needing to travel extremely light, due to the difficulty grade or because their pace is high, are well-advised to invest in high-end quality, extremely lightweight triple-rated single rope and a rap line (such as from Edelrid). This rope combination serves primarily for long abseiling rock-faces, but also as a quick retreat in case of a sudden change in weather. Insulation jackets and gloves are definitely (at least once participating in roping) in the backpack. Extreme climbers while alpine climbing mostly pulls gear up in a haul bag so that the length of the climb can be true “freely” climbed, e.g. in this case, without the burdening weight of a backpack.
Reducing the risk of injury
Before climbing, it is recommended to stretch. Taking the first vertical moves with warm, stretched muscles and joints make climbing not only more fun, but also significantly reduces the risk of injury. Bouldering, especially, takes a maximum load that can quickly lead to injury. Therapy modelling clay, doing a few exercises with a Thera-Band resistance band are just a few ways to stretch and warm-up before and after climbing to reduce the risk of injury. If anything unforeseen were to happen, finger tape is a good fall-back method or prophylactic taping before coming up to an impending crack climbing passage. All those who regularly do climbing training sessions know how important it is to balance training.
Especially when alpine climbing, many individual factors have to be weighed in and a sense for safety on rock needs to be built up through sheer experience. The packing list for alpine climbing is not intended to be a complete manual and certainly doesn’t replace the thorough preparation for a project. Experience and practice are a prerequisite in order to be safe while climbing. Beginners are advised to join an experienced climber in order to take the first steps into the world of alpine climbing.