Alpine climbing gear

Answers to questions regarding the selection of equipment for climbing in the mountains, reviews of ice axes, helmets, ropes, and other equipment

How to sharpen crampons
Trekking poles
Categories of belay / rappel devices
How to choose climbing rock shoes
Cassin X-Light Ice Ax Review
Equipment for alpine climbing programs
Alpine climbing equipment
Do I need to buy expensive gear before my first climb?

The key point to the success and safety of any mountain event - climbing, hiking or trekking - is the use of appropriate and high-quality equipment.
It would seem that if I had money, I would go to the gear store and buy everything, since the progress in mountaineering technologies has already reached the highest level. But no, so does not work.

A set of equipment for climbing Mount Kazbek in Caucasus

The abundance of offers in the field of mountaineering equipment and gear sometimes makes the right choice that suits your immediate tasks - very difficult. In addition, for a person who does not have professional mountain climbing experience, it is almost impossible to take into account all the nuances of selecting of the proper gear, to separate the necessary from the unnecessary, expensive from good, cheap from bad.

But always the optimally selected set of equipment is the most important element of preparation for any, even the simplest mountain hike.

Time-tested mountaineering equipment - not in the store but in the museum

I remember very well my first mountain climb, when we set out on a route of initial difficulty category, bent under the weight of monstrous backpacks filled with equipment that would be enough for a couple of expeditions to Mount Everest... This beginning of my mountain career could well have been the end of it, but fate decreed otherwise…

Everything so beautiful, shiny and expensive - such would be the first impression of a newbie climber from a climbing store

Having made the appropriate conclusions (as this is inevitable after 20 years of mountaineering as a guide), in this section I am happy to share the experience of my achievements, mistakes and best practices in the use of various equipment for mountaineering programs of different levels, for rock climbing and ice climbing.

Use the proposed information and enjoy the mountains in comfort and safety!

In addition to intended use, I test equipment from various brands on the most difficult mountaineering routes

The author of the text and photos - Alex Trubachev
Your professional technical mountain guide

MCS EDIT 2023

Alpine climbing gear

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