Working heights is not for the faint-hearted but is nonetheless a lot of fun and worth including in the bucket list.
Climbing mountains using the harness puts one’s heart in their hands because they are not sure if the harness will hold up through the exercise or will let them fly to the ground halfway through the cause.
So why not obliterate the fear of falling when working a height by investing in the Black Diamond momentum harness.
It is one thing to use a harness that you trust and another to use just any harness; when you decide to work a height there are two important things that will keep popping up in your mind, the first one is the possibility of hugging the rocks on the ground that you will land on and the second is becoming a legend and that is if your harness will allow you to.
The downsides of using a harness are very apparent and ones that should be avoided, a faulty or poor quality harness might have you confined in a wheelchair for the rest of your life, or even put you into a comma.
And worse still there is the risk of losing life, to this end, it is best when a thorough inspection is done of the site that one wishes to do the climbing, whether for fun or for work purposes.
And even though they say that experience is the best teacher, a fall from working a height is nothing to be desired. And though the fall might turn out to be fatal, a few lessons can be learned with regard to the cause of the fall.
About Black Diamond
Ecommerce sites have been a lifesaver for many people around the globe because they allow access to some of the rare types of equipment that can only be found in specific countries but accessible globally.
Niche products are the in thing, however, some entrepreneurs have decided to go all-in and offer products from different niches in a bid to maximize their profits.
Now for the Black Diamond website they do serve both genders when it comes to climbing products. And apart from trail types of equipment, they do have apparel for the women and men that come in handy when it comes to scaling the heights.
They also do have climb products such as the climbing ropes, the headlamps or lanterns, and the climbing gloves among others.
They also do have snow equipment and when it comes to harnesses they have products for women and men that are of good quality and come at different affordable prices.
Climbing packs are also available for convenience when carrying the stuff that you will need in your cause. Given that Black Diamond is an online site enthusiast are sure of getting their climbing products no matter their location.
Black Diamond Momentum Harness
The Black diamond momentum harness is a fall arrest system for people, who like working heights. The equipment has incorporated a number of simple yet important safety features, most of which are do it yourself.
Though many people always feel comfortable when a professional fit the harness for them; both the professional and novice climbers can really have fun with the black diamond harness because of its ability to support the climber even when they are pulling some simple stunts while climbing.
Comfort features abound especially in areas that the harness fits on a climber’s body and that is the waist and the leg area.
The climbing equipment offers a snug fit and has incorporated elastic making easily adjustable.
The Black Momentum Design
Enthusiast in the climbing industry are aware of how harnesses have flooded the market some of which are very effective and are giving the black momentum a run for its money, but others that don’t stack up well.
The Black diamond momentum harness is one of a kind because of the features integrated; for example, when we break down the workmanship around the waist area you will find that the outside lining is soft and breathable.
The significance of the latter is realized when the climber doesn’t get uncomfortable and sweaty when working heights.
Still, on the waistband, the inside part has been made with shells on the inside of the waistband that are abrasion-resistant thus ensures that it does not give in during an intense climbing session.
Another safety feature is the dual-core construction at the waist area, which helps distribute pressure exerted by the climber, evenly across the waistband.
Now the inclusion of the CLPE foam insert in the waistband ensures that it doesn’t fold and try to cut through the skin of the climber or become unbearable when climbing becomes intense.
The last significant feature on the waistband is the edge binding, at the lower side; the feature ensures that the contents that make the waistband sturdy stay in place, which also enhances the resistance of the harness.
The leg loops are not very different from the waistband, first because they are adjustable to help the climber achieve a snug fit and second they are nicely padded so they don’t get too tight.
Initially, we indicated that the black diamond harness is one of a kind and part of the reason is because of the gear loops that have been incorporated at the back of the waistband.
The loops do feature a convenient stick out design and are for the purpose of clipping your draws or anything else that you will need for your cause.
There is also a heavy-duty hole loop at the back of the belt, that can be convenient if you want to use a hauling gear or rather put your chalk bag.
If you check closely at the back of the leg loops, you will notice that there is some form of elastic, whose purpose is to help enhance the comfort of your harness by making it adjustable and comfortable.
The leg loops have been made using the trakFIT technology, which is a quick method of adjusting the leg loops by using a slide adjuster.
So whether you want to tighten or loosen the leg loop, all you need to do is to move the slide adjuster and the diameter will adjust automatically thus eliminating any chances of mis-threading.
Types of climbing harness and how to choose
Not any harness can be used for any type of climbing; it might interest you to know that different types of harness have incorporated a variety of features for a specific type of climbing.
So before you go ahead and get a climbing harness, determine your type of climb. And during the climbing session, there are some clothes that you will have on, which will be used with the harness.
Also, there are other types of gear that are necessary when it comes to working heights and which you must have.
See, working heights is not just a matter of locating a site and putting on the harness rather there are some factors that need to be put into consideration for your mission to be successful.
To this end there are different types of climbing harness such as the mountaineering harness, the type of harness that you will adopt for this mission will have minimal padding and a reduced number of gear loops.
The latter is because harness designed for this type of cause offers protection at the low weights.
There is also the Trad and multi-pitch climbing harness, this type of climb is quite demanding and you will have to equip yourself with a lot of gear.
And in case you will be taking multi-pitch routes then it is mandatory that you have a full anchor set up, water, and some extra clothes. And don’t forget to equip yourself with some rappelling gear.
Trad is a short form of traditional and denotes the style in which rock climbers use all the gear that they will need to protect themselves against a fall and only remove it when they have completed a pitch.
For one to qualify for trad climbing, they must have been in the industry for a long time to get the experience. Because it is one of the most dangerous climbing sport and if you do a thorough research, you will find that many climbers die yearly due to trad climbing.
The secret behind trad climbing is that you have to keep the rope on lead and that is in front of your legs, but if you know you can’t do this don’t dare to trad climb.
What’s more, is that its anchors are not very easy to build.
Rappelling is the act of going down past an overhang using a double rope that has been fastened above and placed under the left thigh while passing over the right shoulder.
Rappelling gear, on the other hand, are things like helmets, gloves, slings that will be used as rappel anchors and some hiking boots.
The above information, therefore, calls for a strong and sturdy harness that has either 4 or more gear loops.
Gear loops might be rigid or soft, as it actually depends on the type of harness. They are normally attached to the waist and are used in tracking climbing gear, this includes the cams and quickdraws.
Now with regard to the weight of the harness, they do come incorporated with either four or two gear loops.
There are also the gym and sport climbing harnesses that don’t involve much when compared to other types of climbing. Therefore, a harness with at most 4 or two gear loops should suffice, the leg loops should also be fixed.
The type of harness for the above-mentioned sport are usually made of lightweight material, which helps reduce bulk, thus giving the user enough freedom to focus on their mission.
With the gym and sport climbing harness it is very easy to forget that you may need some extra supplies especially when you decide to take the sport outside.
This is so because the sport routes are bound to get longer, therefore your ideal harness should have at least 4 gear loops to be able to contain the extra gear.
The ice climbing harness is not very different from the rock climbing harness only that it has an extra feature, which is the ice clipper slot.
The latter are included to help assist with ice climbing, their main function is to rack ice screws and other ice tools, which include the picks.
They are characteristic of small loops of fabric, an ideal harness should, therefore, have adjustable leg loops to accommodate the bulk associated with wearing winter clothing.
Scaling the heights as we discussed earlier needs more than just the harness, the equipment are thus necessary to help you with the various climbing tasks.
And remember these are not just gadgets that you will attach to your harness but rather things that you might have to wear on your body, such as the crampons.
The latter are a device that helps the climbers to maintain traction in glaciers. So if you never scaled an ice mountain then be in the know that you will have to attach crampons on your mountaineering boots.
Attachment to the boots is via a binding system; however, they shouldn’t stress you much because you can easily rent them from an outdoor sports store.
Type of clothing
So the type of clothing that you will carry largely depends on where you are going to climb and the season.
Don’t be deceived not to carry clothing because no matter your destination, you will always need some type of clothing, so do a thorough research as concerns your destination or find out the necessary essentials from your guide, so that you also don’t end up carrying a lot of unnecessary baggage.
Ice axes
Ice axes are normally used in climbing ice falls, they are thus used as trekking poles when traversing a glacier, and their main purpose is to give you balance, as you pull yourself upwards.
And in case you slip and are in the process of falling down then the ice axes can anchor you to the ground thus assist in self-arrest.
Helmet
Helmets are normally adopted in risky situations, for example during bike riding or in the construction sites.
Working heights also calls for the use of a helmet, as they will help protect your head when you accidentally slip and fall.
Now when it comes to helmets you also have to look at the intensity of the activity that awaits you.
Because some helmets tend to be heavy but nonetheless protective, there are thus two types of shells, the hard-shelled that are made of thick plastic and a foam liner on the inside.
The second type is the shelled foam helmet that are characteristic of a thin layer of plastic and a thick layer of foam incorporated on the inside.
Sunglasses
Sun does a lot of damage to the skin and in the eyes, now since you are going to be out in the sun for a long while it is necessary that you invest in sunglasses so that you can be able to see properly where there is a lot of glare.
Important to note is that you should pick sunglasses that are properly polarized to counter the rock surfaces and glaciers.
Mountaineering gloves
When you decide to go mountaineering or hiking there is every chance that you will encounter harsh conditions, some of which may affect your performance and prevent you from exploiting all of your abilities.
To which case you need to invest in proper gear, your hands and fingers especially are bound to get affected by these conditions (snow showers, and wind).
So for your hands to be fully functional then you need to keep the warm and comfortable all the time. They, however, come in varieties, as some are neither warm nor can they resist harsh weather, and are thus not convenient for scaling heights.
Therefore, with regards to the activities that you wish to undertake and the weather conditions that you will be exposed to, you will have to select the appropriate gloves.
Besides, it may not be very apparent but you might need both the light and heavy gloves, the former are for use when fastening ropes, while the heavy ones will be used in extreme temperatures.
Precautions to take before scaling the heights
Keys, mobile phones and other stuff that comfortably fit into your pocket should be left behind before you go on to work the heights because as you climb they might easily fall out and hurt the person on the ground.
Also, ensure that your clothes are nicely tucked into your harness to avoid unnecessary accidents.
Individuals with long hair should tuck them inside the helmet or in their shirts, as they can easily get caught on a climbing wall.
Triple check your harness
For the sake of safety, it would be best to invest in a snug-fitting harness; this is so because in case you lose your grip, you might have a fatal fall that could have been prevented with a harness.
Putting on a harness can be compared to rocket science and that is why it is important to ensure you put it on correctly.
A loose harness equates a fatal accident, the reason why you should triple check to ensure that it has been properly fastened.
Get a fitted helmet
Putting on a helmet is not as hard as getting into a harness; you, therefore, need to select the right type of helmet that will not be uncomfortable during your climbing session.
Choose the type of helmet that can absorb sweat rather than retain to enhance comfort and one that is also not too bulky.
Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs )
Can small kids work the heights? There is no reason why your kids should miss out on the fun of working heights, but be sure that they do this indoors and if they have to practice outdoors then let it be in a protected area.
Kids harness are available from different vendors and have adhered to the required safety standards only that they come smaller in size.
Can I machine wash my harness?
Before we discuss how you are going to maintain your harness, avoid putting it inside a washing machine or using bleach to clean it.
The best way to clean your harness is by using some mild soap with warm water and put it out in the air to dry.
Otherwise, you should not overexpose it to the sun, and keep sharp objects away as they will easily damage it.
Which is the best climbing harness?
The best climbing harness is one that suits the activity that you are going to engage, the excerpt above has outlined the various harnesses that you can adopt for different climbing activities, whether on ice or engaging in traditional climbing.
Where should the harness be positioned in the waist?
For the harness to offer maximum comfort it should be placed above the waist, as it will also prevent the user from falling out.
The leg loops are also an important factor to consider. Not all harness have adjustable leg loops but they nevertheless contribute to your comfort.
A snug-fitting harness will, therefore, disperse weight and ensure that you maintain an upright posture in case you lose your grip.
The bottom line
The black diamond momentum harness has set the bar high for other types of harness in the industry; its workmanship offers comfort and security to the user only that they have to find one which is the right fit.
A word of caution is that no matter how strong a harness might seem when new if you have been using it for a long time then it might need replacement.
So if you have been using your harness for a while now, check the webbing to see if it is fraying, also check for signs of wear on the tie in points or the belay loop.
The above-mentioned parts are not conclusive and you should thus check for other signs, but if you feel that the harness has served its time, kindly retire it and invest in a new one that will keep you safe when scaling heights.