Outdoor Prolink

I coach a youth competition team, and part of our training in sport climbing outside, as our climbing gym in Vail is much more well-suited for bouldering that sport climbing. The smaller size and ergonomically curved shape of the carabiners on the Vulcan Quickdraws worked amazingly well for my youth team, and I watched even the youngest of leaders feel confident in steadying the draw while clipping the rope – something that does not always happen with a 9-year-old sport climber.go to full review

The William and Am’D SL, BL, TL and RL locking carabiners offer a versatile array of uses, and can fill nearly any niche in a climber’s rack. I gravitate towards using the William carabiners in anchor set-ups and the Am’Ds on the ground (for the shape and intention); Williams on single pitches and Am’Ds on multi-pitches (for the weight); RL lockers on my person for personal tethers, and SL lockers where I won’t be seeing them (for the gate action). In all, this rack of locking carabiners..." go to full review

The G10s are a workhorse crampon – durable, dependable, and comfortable as long as they are used within their intended usage zone. If you plan on climbing steeper snow couloirs over 35 degrees or ice, you should think about a more aggressive crampon. If you need a crampon for long approaches over mellow to moderate slope angles that can handle anything from dry glacier to sloppy corn snow, get this crampon. You won’t be disappointed.go to full review

Climbers familiar with the previous Shaman: if you liked that shoe, you’ll love this one. The way it fits the foot is almost identical – same sinker-feeling heel with three straps to lock the foot down, same love-bump/knuckle box combination to put the front-point of the shoe in a powerful position to toe down on small footholds and pockets. Even the color swatches are similar, still a combination of orange and blue. But that’s about where the similarities end, and the new version blows the..." go to full review

After many pitches of climbing, the ropes showed little wear. The Dry Cover treatment works! In the late fall, I took them out on a sandstone route that was partially covered in snow and ice. After being exposed to wet sand and melting snow, these ropes were still clean and dry at the end of the day.

Overall, I am digging these ropes and can’t wait to get them out next season for some long summer days on the rock!go to full review

Overall, these shoes have great durability, fit and a reasonable amount of versatility. They will not be great multi-pitch shoes, but are great for both bouldering and sport climbing on a variety of terrain. Great technical shoes, aggressive, comfortable and solid.

Note: I wear a size 8 (US) and these shoes are a 38.5 (UK) for an ideal aggressive fit.go to full review

What sets the Omega Pacific Five-O Quickdraws apart? Two main components: the size and shape of the carabiner, along with a solidly thick dogbone of nylon connecting the carabiners. While the basic design of two carabiners attached by a piece of webbing seems simple, there can be a wide variation between how different draws perform when actually climbing. The OP Five-O’s are one of the few draws that I find have a specific niche for rock climbing, and when used properly, are one of the..." go to full review

After realizing my folly I bought the Armour Lady Helmet from CAMP. So far I’ve been very satisfied with it. It has seen me up many firsts: my first multi-pitch climb, my first experience developing a sport crag, my first adventures swinging axes into ice, and my first foray into the (damn intimidating) world of aid climbing. I’m happy to say that it has protected my noodle all the while.go to full review

Despite the extra weight, Link Cams are a great way to begin building a traditional climbing rack, and a solid supplement to any traditional climbers cache of gear – the same way in which quality climbing shoes can improve performance, the ability to place gear more efficiently and quickly enhances climbing ability. However, because Link Cams cover a larger range of size, there are fewer pieces to choose from. Currently Omega Pacific Link Cams are offered in four sizes (and colors – purple,..." go to full review

Equally impressive is the orientation and infinite adjustability of the front points for personal preference and assorted terrain. You have an endless variation of not only mono or dual-point possibilities, but also offset versions too, and vertical (ice) or horizontal (snow) individual points. This makes the Blade Runner a truly one-world ice, alpine, or snow contender. Add to this the ability to use a semi-automatic toe bail for softer-flexing alpine summer boots, and you really do have a..." go to full review