Alpine rock pro - the basic rack

It’s easy to be seduced by all the shiny toys under the glass cases at the climbing shops – acres of cams, big bros, rurps, brassies . . . and a price tag to match. Good news – if your main goals are to get started in leading rock, climb the easier alpine routes with your pals, and maybe toprope at some of the local crags, you need far less gear than you might think.

Here’s a list of the minimal gear which is the basis of an alpine rock rack. Most of the classic rock routes up to mid 5th class can be climbed with just this or even less, and if you decide to get more into rock, it’s easy to build on this foundation and add those fancy $50 cams later on. Keep in mind that such a list is subjective and personal – feel free to ask the opinions of other rock folks you know. Here goes:

• Stoppers - one set (typically about 10 pieces, covers up to about 1 inch placements)
•   Hexes - # 7,8 and 9 (covers 1-2 inch placements – lightweight and inexpensive)
• Tricams - the three smallest (pink, red and brown, fits parallel cracks, good for anchor building)