Climbing belts

When you go climbing mountains, you'll have to deal with not only the choice of clothing, but also technical climbing equipment. Crampons, picks, belts, carabiners... all this new information will probably be overwhelming at first.

This page is your lifeline in this case. We will briefly summarize all the basics regarding the different equipment elements - what options exist and how to choose the most suitable one for you.

First, find out what equipment you need for your specific adventure. The choice of equipment depends primarily on the route/mountain you choose, and you don't need to carry an armada of technical equipment everywhere.

A climbing harness is an important element when you are moving/climbing on a rope or through via ferrata, road.

When choosing a climbing harness, the main criteria are its orientation, the arrangement and number of loops, and its size. Of course, color can also be important, but it should definitely not be the most important criterion.

Different belts

When shopping, you may find that there are many different types of belts to choose from, depending on whether they are designed for glaciers, climbing, adventure parks, or high-altitude work. When going to the mountains, it is important to choose a belt specifically designed for climbing.

While it is important for work at height to be secured at both the chest and hips, in mountaineering only the lower, a climbing belt that goes around the hips. High-altitude work belts (pictured) are also heavier and more expensive. So there's no point in wearing them in the mountains.

Adventure park harnesses are very simple in design, usually without padding, and relatively inexpensive. However, they usually lack the features required for rock/mountain climbing. attachment points, through which you can safely tie yourself to the rope. With these belts, instead of two loops, you only have to tie yourself to the rope from one loop, and both the carabiners and the ropes are all placed in one loop - less room for maneuver and security.

Special equipment for movement on the glacier and ski touring The harnesses are very light, pack small and have very thin rear leg straps. They make it easier to move around on the glacier and save on equipment weight, but they are not a very convenient solution for situations where you need to sit on the rope, descend on a support rope and use other more technical techniques - similar to the belts at the adventure park, they are a bit too few loops both for equipment and for tying ropes, as well as lack of cushioning makes sitting on the rope uncomfortable. In addition, their foot loops can be too weak, making them an unsuitable choice for rock climbing.

The classic climbing belt has a front work year, two binding points and on the sides equipment loopsThe leg straps and hip section are generally padded, and the leg loops are connected to the hip section at the back with elastic cords. On an ideal belt, these elastic cords also come loose at the back, so that it is possible to walk in an emergency without taking the belt off.

Some examples of climbing harnesses suitable for mountaineering: Petzl adjama, chorax, Moon; Black Diamond Momentum, Singing Rock Garnet, Versa II; Mammoth Togir.

A belt of the right size

A climbing harness will only work for you if it is the right size for you. How do you measure the fit of a harness?

Put the belt on correctly - none of the loops should be twisted, the buckles on the leg loops should be facing outwards, the hip belt should be tightened and should sit on the hip bone.
Slide your open hand (fingers straight) through the hip belt. If it fits, move on to the next step. If it doesn't, the belt is too tight.
Now make a fist and see if your fisted hand can fit through the hip belt. If it can, the belt is too big. If it can't, the belt is just right.

The leg loops don't need to be tight around your legs, but rather allow for comfortable movement. Also, remember that if you're using your belt for both rock climbing and mountaineering, you'll be wearing very thin clothing on the rock and very thick clothing on the cold mountain. A perfectly sized, multi-purpose belt will cover the size range for both.