A fall story is very common among all rock climbers who have been climbing outdoors for more than a few months. Those climbing sport or trad routes can take some pretty big fall than those in a gym climb which only allows for a few feet fall. The biggest fall I ever had was a twenty-five footer which ended with my head hanging only five feet or so above some jagged rocks.
Why didn’t I hit the ground? You may ask. My belayer saved me from bashing head on the rocks. It caught me and because all my gears, including my climbing harness, the most important pieces of gear were working perfectly.
Let me briefly describe climbing harness for you. It allows a rope to be safely and comfortably attached to a climber which stops him or her from hitting the ground. The rope is passed through one or two webbing loops (depending on the harness) and these loops are one of the most important parts of the chain of protection that stops your fall.
These are the rope, rock protection and belay device. The webbing loops allow you to attach a belay device to your harness, thus allowing you to belay your climbing partners. All the manufacturers of climbing gear make sure that their climbing harnesses meet rigorous safety standards but it’s highly advisable that you pay attention to your gear and inspect it for any wears or tears.
Its safe if the nylon webbing of your climbing harness is a little fuzzy, a result of wear but if it’s torn or has any visible damage, you’re advised to get a new one.
There are different ranges of sizes and designs of climbing harness and it can be pretty tough to get climbers to agree on what climbing harness is ideal. However, all climbers are agreed on one point. For a climbing harness to be safe, comfortable and effective, it must fit the climber properly. Aside the fact that an ill-fitting harness is uncomfortable, it is also dangerous.
Therefore, it’s advisable that you try it out first before buying a climbing harness. Your gear store should be able to attach you to a rope and allow you to hang in the harness for a while to make sure that it’s comfortable to walk around in and hang in.
You can either go for the stripped-down ice climbing harnesses made to be worn over layers and layers of insulation or bulky, padded harnesses which you could sit in all day. Whichever you go for is completely up to you.
http://recreational-stuff.com/outdoor/climbing-harness/when-buying-a-good-climbing-harness.php
