This blog is part of What Is In My Pack series, which I’m going to run over the next few months. I’ve always been a gear freak, so here’s the first one. Alpine climbing, part one of two.
1. Grivel Tech Machine’s. I have been testing these tools for the past 6 months alpine/ice climbing, Dry tooling and they throw any other tool out of the water with there swing, there is a hammer and adz option available I only carry the hammer if I know I need to use pitons on the route.
2. Grivel Plume Quick-draw. I usually carry 8x13cm 2x30cm and 2x60cm QD’s, they are light and don’t take up much space on the rack for clipping in to ice screws or passive pro. But depending on the route I may change more draws to 60cm extendable slings.
3. Screw gates. I carry 3 spare locking biners a mix between Grivel Delta KN5’s and Sigma K8G twin gates. The Sigma revolutionized my rack and as it doesn’t freeze up and is super easy to handle with big gloves on.
4. Slings. 2x120 cm slings for making belay or super long draws and a 60cm sling all on screw gate biners. The slings I use are Dyneema, they are light and more compact.
5. Grivel MASTER PRO with Mega k6g twin gate carabiner combination. That is my Belay plate of choice, has smooth rope handling, I always have a second smaller locking biner clipped to it, so it can be used in guide mode.
6. Prusik’s. I always carry two prusik’s and some maillon for abseiling. The maillon I use when I need to leave behind gear at a belay or if there isn’t a rope friendly abseil anchor.
7. Ice screws. I carry a selection of different sizes, between 8 to 10 screws. The Grivel Helix is on my rack at the moment, there is 3x13cm 4x17cm and 1x22cm I use 22cm screw mainly for setting up belays and making Abolokov anchors. I carry the screws on plume biners instead of ice clips as the beines can be used for other applications during the climb.
8. Passive pro. I carry a selection of Metolius master cams and curve nuts with a set of offset nuts mixt in. The offset nuts are awesome as they place easily in to icy cracks.
9. Pitons. I carry a small selection of knife blade pitons, on certain alpine routes.
10. Grivel G20 crampons. Is my go to crampon for hard mixed and alpine climbing as you can freely pivot on the mono point. Its super light and stable and is attached to the boot with the classic cramp-o-matic system.
11. Metolius comp harness. This one is part of the safe-tech series, it is one of the safest harnesses in the world with the gear loops rated to 9kn and it’s light.
12. Leashes. Always on my harness is the Grivel double spring dinyma leash with 2 small plume biners. Attached to the bottom of my tool Just in case I drop it.
13. Cord. I always carry 5 meters of 5mm cord for Abolokov anchors and making belays on funky rocks leaving it behind to abseil on.
14. Natures Bakery Figbars. For a short energy bursts and a snack in-between.
15. Ropes. 2 x 50 meters half-ropes, I like using 2 half ropes as you have more versatility, for example you can abseil 50 meters, or if the gear is not all in a straight line it reduces rope drag.
16. Grivel Airtech helmet. This is a lightweight helmet that isn’t compromised by its weight due to its hard outer shell.
17. Multihook / Candela. Mine is from Grivel, it’s the perfect tool for Abolokov anchors. As it fits inside of a long ice screw to keep it out of the way when transporting it also comes with its own attachment clip. With its built in knife blade and rope hook makes it a supper versatile tool.
18. Boots. I recently started using the Scarpa Rebel GTX and absolutely love them, they are super light and comfortable.
Don't forget to look out for part two!
