Buckle up, folks – it’s time once again to delve into the wonderful world of Roger Nattrass’ gear room! The first instalment took us through pegs, hammers, skin care and the magical boinking tool among other things, and now we’re moving on to the next set of treasures. Read on and remember to check in next week for part three…
Roger Nattrass is a local legend in the South African climbing community – having started climbing back in 1984, he has nabbed coveted first ascents, established and bolted classic routes around the country, written the quintessential guidebook for KZN climbing, co-founded the Southern Rock climbing gym and shop, and much more.
With his many adventures over the years, he has amassed quite the collection of gear and recently decided to share some highlights with all of us on Facebook & Instagram. He has graciously allowed us to re-share these in the article series you are reading.
No 11: Ascenders. Stuff you need to climb up a rope. Ascenders (gold right-hand and black left-hand) are the go-to for this. They originally used to be called Jumars. The fastest technique uses two and a nice pair of etriers (the loopy sling things). These “Ets” were made by Troll in the eighties and still do the job. The blue stiffeners keep the loops open. Using two jumars is dangerous as they can unclip (unlikely with modern designs but deaths have been recorded) so a backup device is necessary- the Petzl shunt works for that. Other items here are a sling to use as a prussic loop and the ever versatile Grigri. Most climbers use one jumar and a Grigri on short rope ascents. The Petzl Tibloc is a lightweight option that you can always have to hand to get you out of trouble.
No 12: Your partner. This really should be item no 1. The most important gear hands down. Happy 29th wedding anniversary @andrea.nattrass. We have been summiting rocks and other obstacles together for 34yrs. What a partner! [Editor’s note: Awwwww!]
No 13: Cams. From the very big to the very small. All working on the same principle. Vital protection when trad climbing and useful for aid climbing. The bigger pieces are also handy for home defence or as props in Braveheart. Colour-matched biners help you find the right size in a hurry. If you are trad climbing you are probably always in a hurry…
No 14: Link cams. These are an engineering marvel. Their ability to cover a wide range of widths/placements is unsurpassed. I love them for panic placements in powerful positions and for bolting. They have serious limitations which have to be appreciated – heavy, the links can break when exposed to twisting forces and they love to get themselves stuck. I still love them anyway. No longer manufactured so are as rare as hen’s teeth…
No 15: Brushes. Nothing is harder or more unpleasant to climb than a dirty route. Brushes of all sizes. The gun barrel brushes and blow tube are to clean out drill holes for glue-in anchors. A paint brush is surprisingly effective for dusty ledges. Scrubbing brushes for bat urine and other resistant grimes…
No 16: Nuts. Always reassuring to find a secure nut (aka stopper) placement – unless it’s one of the tiny ones (called RP’s) that would seem more appropriately used as dental floss… This is bread and butter protection for any trad climber. They are usually racked according to sizes – which can be identified by their colour and number.
No 17: Wrenches etc. You need a rack of these if you are doing a bunch of bolting and/or re-bolting. For mechanical anchors it’s all about the torque. The longer the spanner the more you can tighten (torque) the bolt. There is a danger you can overdo it and weaken the whole thing as an over-torqued bolt is more prone to stress corrosion cracking. The longest spanner is a torque wrench – designed to control the amount of torque. Turns out it’s just too heavy to use routinely – pity. It’s fantastic though for snapping off old bolts when rebolting. It is scary how weak an old bolt is and how powerful torque can be. I use the shortest spanner most often as it is almost impossible to over-torque using such a short length. The vice grips are vital for dealing with “spinners”–- bolts that turn in the hole before they are fully tightened, precluding any further tightening. You grab the end to stop the turn and tighten away… Small-sized spanners are for aid bolts. The last spanner is for the angle grinder… but you will have to wait for Gear Room 21!
No 18: Gloves. Using gloves when belaying, bolting, rappelling or aiding is a bit like owning an electric blanket. You poo-poo the idea until you try it and then there is no going back. Furthermore being in my late 50’s my skin is now more prone to nicks and scrapes. Fingerless is my weapon of choice. Belaying with gloves is super comfy and I believe adds a further modicum of safety – especially when lowering climbers. I have so many pairs because they wear out and I keep losing one. They eventually wear through – see the top right pair – but rather that than your skin.
No 19: Chalk. When it gets hot, heavy and sweaty this magic powder settles the palms, tips and mind. Ubiquitous in modern climbing. Controversial in that popular routes display chalk build-up on the holds. Everyone has their favourite brand. Some come with secret additives to dry out your skin. Liquid chalk makes a great “base layer” before any climb.
No 20: Chalk bags. Climbers are VERY attached to their chalk bags. You feel completely lost and out of sorts trying to climb without one. They are functional but somehow also a source of comfort. Mostly used while you prepare yourself mentally for an upcoming difficult section. Simple devices yet they can still be a victim of poor design. It’s the one piece of gear you can personalise and often they remind you of a place in time. The orange one is my Boven bag for example. The chalk bag cord has sometimes gotten me out of trouble – most memorably when I used my chalk bag as a piece of gear on Egowhip (23) as a 21 yr old. I slung the loop over a tiny horn, trusting it would catch me…
And that’s the end of part two! A huge thank you to Roger for sharing his expansive knowledge – keep your eyes on our Facebook and Instagram pages for part three…
