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Basic Rock Climbing Gear
By James Hunt

We’ve all seen rock climbers on television or in the movies. Climbing rocks and cliffs take skill and endurance. In case you were thinking about taking up rock climbing, a listing of the necessary equipment is outlined below.

Shoes: You can’t wear your everyday hiking boots to climb a rock. Your shoe should be stiff and fit like a glove. Snug but not too tight. Because comfort is a concern, it’s best not to mail order shoes for rock climbing, you’ll definitely want to try them on first.

Why sport climb?
The essence of sport climbing is that the challenge in ascending a route comes from the difficulty of the moves. In traditional climbing, the leader often has to tinker with gear in the middle of hard sections, or risk running it out to easier ground. On sport routes, the protection is fixed, and all the climber has to do is hang a quickdraw and snap in the rope. The security that reliable fixed gear offers is also appealing for many folks — few climbers have the skill and confidence to place removable protection while climbing at their full physical potential.