Rock climbing questions

Question

im just trying to get into rock climbing and are trying to learn some differences and other stuff

*whats the difference between a half rope, single rope, twin ropes,

*whats the cheapest easiest type of climbing to get into: top roping, sport or trad

*best type of caribiners, Brands, locking types etc

*what are some good educational climbing websites for beginners

*best brand and cheapest of rope

*is there a reason for really needing dry rope and what happens if non dry rope gets wet

*site for tying climbing nots

if you could answer these questions that would be awesome if you could include links that would be even better

i only want answers from people who know what their talking about thnx

Answer 1

*whats the difference between a half rope, single rope, twin ropes,

Most people climb with a single rope in the USA, twin ropes are for zigzagging routes and you clip one or the other in different lines for less drag, half rope is just two thinner ropes for redundancy

*whats the cheapest easiest type of climbing to get into: top roping, sport or trad

Top roping (by far), then Sport (you only need quick draws), then Trad with needing a whole rack (VERY expensive, but fun)

*best type of caribiners, Brands, locking types etc

I love the new wire gate biners - especially the Black Diamond ones like the Hotwire and the Neutrino. For cliping on the pro side, the Petzl Spirit with its keylock gate that won't catch is great (great for racking gear too). Locking - go with the safer s***w lock - I love the big Petzl locking biners

*what are some good educational climbing websites for beginners

I don't know - get the book "How to Rock Climb" by John Long - by far the best

*best brand and cheapest of rope

I really like the feel and durability of Sterling and Maxim ropes - they are not the most expensive either. The Sterling Marathon is great.

*is there a reason for really needing dry rope and what happens if non dry rope gets wet

For Top Rope and Sport, not really - they do have less friction over bends and it can prevent fraying. You never know when the rain will fall if you are Trad climbing.

*site for tying climbing nots - Get the book "How to Rock Climb" by John Long - but just as important as knots learn how to set anchors correctly

Good Luck

Answer 2

Dry ropes are also used in mountaineering when on glaciers.

Answer 3

1. Top roping is the cheapest, easiest and safest type of climbing to get into.

2. Black Diamond and Mammut make excellent caribiners. Its safer to use locking caribiners. NEVER use anything other than locking caribiners for belaying. These are the brand's sites, but you can find their gear at various retailers online and around the country.

http://www.bdel.com/gear/biners_draws_ov...

http://www.mammutusa.com/dyn_prodlist.ph...

3. This is a pretty good website for beginners: http://www.indoorclimbing.com/

4. As far as rope goes. You're looking at spending anywhere from $100 to $200 no matter what. THis website has good deals occasionally so its a good idea to keep checking. Mammut makes pretty good ropes. http://www.mountaingear.com/index.asp

5. Dry rope is generally used by canyoneers who will be rappelling into water, in waterfalls, etc. If you plan on doing a lot of climbing in the rain (not the funnest) then looking into getting a dry rope might be a possibility. However, for the average climber non-dry rope is fine. Just take care of it like you should. NEVER step on it, NEVER leave it out in direct sunlight (i.e. back of your car), and make sure you clean it, and if it does get wet make sure you don't let it sit wet and damp for a long period of time. It is not the end of the world if a non dry rope gets wet as long as you take care of it.

6. Good site for climbing knots: http://www.indoorclimbing.com/Climbing_K...

7. To answer your Q about half rope, single rope and twin ropes: http://www.abc-of-rockclimbing.com/howto...

Generally most climbers just use the single rope method. Personally I've never had to do anything other than single roping. Only once have I used double rope on a climb and that was because we were doing a multipitch climb with two of our climbers climbing simultaneously being belayed by one person. Typically once you get into single vs. double, its more about rappelling and not about climbing.

Also I would recommend looking into trying to find a copy of "Freedom of the Hills: Mountaineering" it is chalk full of information on climbing, techniques, knots, equipment, terms, etc. and is just an all around awesome resource.