A Peak District Trad Rack: What to Buy First

It's approaching your birthday. You've already done our Beginner Rock Climbing Course (a Christmas gift voucher from your nan). You own a harness, screwgate and belay device and are thinking: what next?

The cost of climbing hardware can quickly add up, but the good news is that a relatively simple rack is all you need to get started on rock in the Peak.

The bad news is that walking into the rock room of your local shop can be a bewildering affair, with talk of nuts, camming angles and 3 sigma ratings.

Well, dear reader, worry no more and let us help with our simple guide to assembling your first trad rack. It describes a typical rack we use for running courses on the gritstone. That could mean bottom roping for beginners or, for smaller groups on our Improvers Rock Climbing Course, seconding routes and practising leading on a top rope, so our rack needs to be versatile.

A note of caution, however. Every Peak District local has a story about a climber turning up at the crag with beautiful, shiny new gear and no idea how to use it.

Don't be that person.

Self-taught from the internet and armed with your new rack, you'll know just enough to get into real trouble, especially if you aspire to lead routes. Instead, try our Learn to Lead Trad Climbing Course for starters, then consolidate your skills by serving a proper apprenticeship and working your way up through the grades. And remember the BMC participation statement.

The rack

Take the following list into a shop, chat to the staff and make your choice. There will be cheaper and more expensive options depending on your budget, and rather than buying everything at once you may build up your rack over time. Sharing the cost with future climbing partners can work too, but remember the pre-nup.

Wires and nut key

Sometimes known as nuts or stoppers. Wires are passive protection, which means they have no moving parts. A set of 1–10 is a good starting point, bunched together on a snapgate (see below). And spare those nearby a torrent of foul language by not forgetting a nut key.

Cams

Cams are active protection, as they have moving parts. Newer generations are excellent, combining light weight, double axles (greater camming range) and forged cam lobes. Go for small, medium and large, bunched on a snapgate.

Hexes

Hexcentrics, Rockcentrics and Torque Nuts are the three main types. Useful for the wider breaks and cracks found on easier grit routes. Get four, ideally in sizes bigger than a rock 10, and bunch them on a snapgate.

Slings

Also known as sewn or round slings, and useful for loads of things. Two 120cm and one 240cm is a good starting point. Available in Dyneema/Spectra (lighter and thinner) or nylon (more elasticity and a higher melting point), and a variety of thicknesses. 12mm Dyneema is an excellent all-round choice.

Locking carabiners

Screwgates are the most common type. Pay close attention to shape: three D-shaped for connecting to anchors and two HMS/pear-shaped for hitching to anchor ropes or clipping a bottom rope into is fine for starters. You'll never seem to have enough of them!

Snapgate carabiners

Carabiners whose gate opens but doesn't lock. Available with wire gates (lighter) or solid gates (straight or bent for easier clipping). Size and shape matter: you'll be clipping and unclipping these a lot, so try a few and find the type that suits your hands. Keylock types make unclipping from bolts easier (no notch in the nose to snag), but if you rack your wires on them, be careful they don't slide off when you're selecting a size.

Quickdraws and extenders

Now you know which snapgate you like, ideally choose quickdraws that use the same. 12mm Dyneema is a good all-round choice for the sling. Go for:

• 2 x 60cm extendable alpine quickdraws
• 3 x 12cm short quickdraws
• 1 x multibuy 'trad' pack (5 in 3 different lengths)

Useful extras

• A 20–25m length of static rope for rigging belays
• Rope protectors (or use coats and bags)
• Prusik loops (don't know how to make and use them? Book a course)

And that's it… for now. As you embrace lead climbing, travel to new areas and climb on different rock, the amount of gear required will always follow the formula:

Gear required = n + 1 (where n is your existing rack)

Our shop at The Adventure Hub stocks climbing equipment. Take a look at adventure-hub.com and pre-order goods to collect on your course.