CLIMBING - EQUIPMENT - Harness


In days gone by, the rope was tied to the waist and if the climber fell off, the rope would tighten to arrest the fall with a good chance of braking a few ribs and in extreme cases it could become so tight around the chest and he would suffocate on the end of the rope. Today the climber uses an harness because they are a great safety item as they spread the load in a fall and with the arrest being more comfortable and safer.

Basically the Harness consists two [2] leg lopes, belay loop, buckle, wide padded waist belt and loops for your gear.

The harness also has other important uses when belaying in which you fasten yourself to the rock on climbs, abseiling in which you make a sliding descent of the rope with the use of a friction device in controlled way.

There are a number of different harnesses for different aspects of the sport from sport climbing, harness for longer routes and full body harnesses. There are number of principles that apply to all harness, make sure the waist belt is large enough to accommodate extra clothing, smaller enough for tight fit when climbing, sufficient room in the leg loops for movement, enough gear loops for the gear you intend to use and finally the waist belts and leg loops need padding to maintain circulation.

The price of an harness will start around £30.00 and try to purchase a harness that is simple to use and always purchase from a specialist shop. Once purchased always check for wear and tear before you climb with careful attention to any stitching that has worn. The harness should be discarded if the tie-in or belay points have been damaged or weakened.

IMPORTANT: Always double back the straps in the buckles on the leg loops and waist loop when the harness is on, this prevents the straps from freeing themselves. Always check your partners harness before climbing.

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