Whether you are a professional or a newbie, the Petzl adjama can be your safe companion for the different types of height that you wish and want to scale.
A lot of fun is derived from mountaineering and the fact that you can work different heights without the worry of falling and injuring yourself makes it even more interesting.
Petzl adjama is a climbing harness that can be used for both the single and multi-pitch climbing; other activities that you can comfortably carry out with the harness are trad climbing and mountaineering.
And just like the other types of harness adjama has been made with an elastic retaining loop that are necessary for preventing excessive webbing.
The Petzl Adjama Design
Adjama is a mass of significant features beginning with the two front equipment loops that climbers can use if they wish to carry a lot of gear. The feature is also used to attach the carabiners as it facilitates easy clipping and unclipping.
The adjama harness has also been equipped with a rear equipment loop, the essence of incorporating the flexible loop is to enable you to transfer some of the weight to the front by turning it in case you want to carry a backpack.
At the back of the harness, there is a center rear equipment loop that is convenient for carrying shoes, and the belay station gear among other things.
The harness can also accommodate the CARITOO EVO tool holder, which is necessary for storing and sorting of the ice crews and organizing equipment.
So whether you want to multi-pitch climb or ice climb, you can easily carry your hammer or ice axe by attaching them to the Caritoo Evo tool holder.
The Petzl adjama leg loops. Mountaineers know how uncomfortable it can get with a leg loop that it is not adjustable, the discomfort can make you lose morale.
A good leg loop should be adjustable, now for the adjama, the leg loop is not only adjustable but has incorporated some double back buckles that enable it to adjust to the different user body sizes.
The feature is also effective when it comes to clothing as it can easily adapt to seasonal clothes. Construction of the waist belt has used the ENDOFRAME technology; the feature becomes effective whenever you are working the heights because it facilitates weight distribution.
Features of an effective harness
Of all the technical climbing equipment the harness is the most scrutinized, climbers are always sure of the type of shoe that they want to wear when on their mission.
Things like the camera, the crashpads, helmets and ices axes among other equipment are not much of a hustle and won’t give you a headache when compared to the harness.
The harness looks like a simple gadget but for it to serve you effectively it has to utilize sturdy material.
So we will look at some of the parts of a harness and how to ensure that it is sturdy enough not to give you a concussion.
The Waist Belt
The sport of climbing does not only involve mountaineering, as there are different types of heights and harness to counter the respective heights.
And this goes to indicate that the construction of the waist belt also differs as some are heavily padded while others are less padded.
The width of the waist belt also varies, for example, a sport climbing harness will feature a smaller width.
Therefore, individuals who love to climb big walls should ensure that their waist belt is thicker and is well cushioned to be able to counter the long days in the multi-pitch routes.
There are also the routes that have a lot of hanging belays, which call for a thin belt. You should also consider your climbing routine, because if you plan on spending a lot of time sitting on the harness then the waist belt needs to be thin.
The Haul Loop
At the back of your waist belt you will notice that there is a loop of webbing, the “haul loop,” the feature is convenient when there are things that you need to take but will not be usable in between the journey.
A good haul loop should, therefore, be sewn and be full of strength; the haul loop is also convenient when it comes to hauling a second rope to aid climbing on long climbs.
That is not to say that it cannot be used on shorter climbs, so in case you are not engaging a long climb, you can use the haul loop to transport your chalk bag, some water and other stuff that you will not need before you reach your destination.
The haul loop might look stronger but don’t be deceived to burden it with your weight because they have not been passed to bear that much weight.
The leg loops
The leg loop is the webbing that connects the separate leg loops at the front of the harness, they are normally available in two types, one that is adjustable and the other that is not adjustable.
The latter comes in handy when you are using it for sport climbing, and the adjustable comes in handy because you will have to put it on over multiple layers of clothing.
In simple terms is that if you are scaling the big walls, or want to go ice climbing then the adjustable leg loops will work great for you.
Non-adjustable leg loops are therefore made with elastic material so that people of different sizes can fit them in, but in case you are wearing extra layers of clothing then you might have difficulties when putting on the leg loop.
The Belay loop
The loop of webbing that clips the leg loops to the waist is what is known as the belay loop. If you want to belay someone, you will have to first attach your locking carabiner to the belay loop.
Let me break down the functions of the belay loop a bit, whenever you want to attach a locking carabiner to your harness so that you can use it with your belay device then you will have to attach it to the belay loop.
Now from there on, if there is any other piece of heavy equipment that you will want to attach to the harness then they will be clipped to the two points.
A good number of harnesses in the market are normally made with one belay loop, to help belay another climber. Others, however, do feature up to two belay loops that are necessary for organizing ropes when conducting big wall or multi-pitch wall climbs.
Harnesses with the two belay loops give the climbers a number of options because apart from belaying another climber, the second loop can be used to attach other ropes to help other partners climb.
The gear loops
Take the gear loop as a rack, where you place all the necessary pieces of equipment that you need and can thus facilitate easy access.
Gear loops are therefore attached to the waist belt and range from two to seven, their layouts vary with regard to the type of gear and how much of the gear that you wish to carry up.
Adjama has few gear loops making it a perfect harness for gym climbing or top-roping, this, therefore, goes to say that people who plan to engage the leading routes then need to adopt a harness that has more or extra loops for more gear.
With regard to your climbing style, the placement of the loops is a matter of concern. Some harnesses have loops that feature a plastic coating, others are quite dense and their placement around the harness makes the effective when working heights.
With the above in mind adopt the type of loop that will match your climbing style.
The clipper slots
The purpose of clipper slots is not readily apparent even to the harness users, they are characteristic of pieces of fabric that are normally sewn onto the harness.
Clipper slots look like belt loops that have been laid horizontally.
They are normally effective to users who love to scale ice, you will, therefore, attach ice clippers to the harness via the clipper slots so that you can safely rack ice screws.
The buckle
Your harness will always have one or two buckles at the front of the waist belt. However, most single buckles after being threaded with a length of webbing are usually doubled back.
This is a precaution to prevent the harness from releasing you to the air when weight is applied. So as a safety precaution, ensure that you triple check your harness to ensure that it has been doubled back through the buckle.
Some harness come with an already pre-threaded double buckle thus giving you the option of either tightening or loosening the waist belt on the harness.
Types of harnesses and their climbing styles
There are different types of harnesses, some that suit the women, for the kids and those made specifically for the male gender.
And as discussed earlier, we do have different types of heights and climbs, the reason why you cannot just pick any harness for any mission.
What’s more, is that the different climbing styles require harnesses with specific features that you should put into consideration if your mission is to be successful.
If you are a newbie in the climbing industry it is important that you learn the different styles of climbing and their different types of harness.
First on the list is the Alpine harness, whose design is meant to accommodate mountaineers, they are usually adjustable as they are meant to be worn over a pile of clothes.
Mountaineers are always in the habit of changing clothes to suit different weather types; the waists of the alpine harness are normally padded to help enhance comfort.
They are also water repellent; this feature is effective as it obliterates the discomfort that may be caused by a wet harness. Enthusiasts who love to scale mountains should keep an eye out to ensure that their harness does have the above features.
Lastly, there are the leg loops, which are usually detachable to allow the wearer to tend to the call of nature.
Gym harnesses
Gym harnesses are very unique when compared to other types of harness, this is because they are normally used for competition climbing and hard sport routes.
Padding on these types of harness is normally minimal and do feature narrow waistband and leg loops.
The body harness
The body harness comprises of the waist belt, and the leg loops for the seat harness; and then there is the chest harness that is integrated with the seat harness.
The latter are normally made for kids and individuals with narrow waistlines and are not hippy. Body harnesses are usually recommended for kids because, in case of a fall, they will most probably turn upside down.
You will therefore, notice that the body harness does have a higher tie-in point when compared to the seat harness. This, therefore, means that the chances of a climber flipping upside down have been obliterated.
Care measures instituted to adults during climbing should also be reinforced on kids, and this includes using helmets and the chest harness.
Chest harness
Chest and body harness are rarely worn by climbers unless there is a possibility of the climber flipping upside down, during a fall or when ascending the fixed type of ropes while loaded.
The most likely situations that you will find the chest harness being used is in caving, and mind you they do come in a combination of the chest and seat harness.
The big wall harness
From the name above there is every indication that these types of harness are densely padded both on the waist and in the leg loop area.
If you are, therefore, going to work a big wall height, it is mandatory that you are as comfortable as possible to complete the journey.
The heavily padded waistband and leg loops help alleviate pressure on the upper side of a climber’s leg and on their waist, whether they are standing in aiders while aid climbing or hanging on belays.
So as you go up the big wall the number of supplies also tends to rise and here your harness will have a lot of the gear loops, giving you enough room to carry all the necessities.
A belay loop is normally sewn at the front of the harness waistband while at the back; you will find the haul loop.
The multi-purpose harness
Now here is a harness for all types of climbers and that includes the novice and the professional users.
The harnesses are meant to fit different body types, the leg loops and the waist belt are normally padded and in case you get a call from Mother Nature then you can simply detach the leg loop and tend to your needs.
The multi-purpose harness has about two and at times four gear loops, this is so that you can rack your quickdraws, gear and carabiners on the leg loops or the waist belt.
Climbing gear to be used with the harness
Apart from the movement techniques, there is so much that is to be learned when it comes to climbing and first is what other gear is necessary for your climbing mission.
And please don’t go getting climbing gear just because your friend from the last climbing has it. Remember your mission and goals are different, it would, therefore, be great if you got climbing gear with regard to your climbing style and objectives.
Now the first thing is to ensure that you can comfortably scale the heights without hurting or scalding your feet.
If you are training from a gym, then you stand a chance of finding some rental shoes, but if you are a frequent climber then you need to invest in a couple of pairs.
A good fitting is not only necessary for the pending mission but also enhances a user’s health.
You should, therefore, do thorough research on the best type of climbing shoe that will match your climbing style and goals.
How soon should you replace your climbing shoes? Well, this depends on the frequency of climbing, which will be reflected on the outer sole of your climbing shoes.
What’s more, the different types of terrain and climbing styles are bound to put pressure on the traction levels of your climbing shoes.
The locking carabiner
When it comes to locking carabiners, then the Petzl attaché and the Petzl spirit screw lock rank among the best.
Important to note is that as you choose your locking carabiner ensure that it corresponds with the belay device that you use.
The chalk bag
The design of the chalk bag is pretty standard; it is, therefore, a sack that contains the climbing chalk. It is in this bag that the climbers dip their hands and fingers into during rock climbing.
The reason for doing this is to keep their dry so that when they place them on small handholds they are secure. As you climb up a mountain you are bound to sweat unless the weather is extremely cold.
But with the hot temperatures then your hands will probably sweat and might not be able to achieve a tight grip on surfaces.
Sweat is not the only problem that you might encounter while climbing as you also risk getting your skin thin. When the latter happens you will notice some clear liquid coming out from your hands.
When this happens then you should take a break from climbing or tape your fingers.
The belay device
The belay device is a climbing equipment that is adopted to help control the rope during belaying.
The main function of the device is to improve belay safety by giving the belayer a chance to manage their functions with less physical effort.
A climbing helmet
Helmets help in diverting danger, and there are so many reasons why you should invest in one, for starters small rocks and stones might roll down as you are climbing and hit you in the head.
Your partner might drop something like a penknife or a camera but with your helmet on then, you can climb knowing that you are safe.
Other climbing accidents that necessitate the need for a helmet are accidental falling and flipping caused by a leg behind the rope.
Finding out about your area of climbing is of paramount importance because you will be able to know if the area has a lot of loose rocks thus the need for taking precautions.
The nut tool
Nut tools are normally used in multi-pitch or traditional climbings, the idea behind the gadget was to help people follow routes. Nut tools are thus used to remove nuts from the rocks,
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do climbers ever overcome the fear of falling?
There is something known as a fall practice, that both the aspiring climbers and the professional should do to obliterate the fear of falling.
However, new more steep heights always present a new challenge thus some new type of fear. Also, get rid of negative thoughts that might try to creep into your head when you are halfway through the mission.
How best can I store my harness?
Despite incorporating tough materials your harness could get damaged easily, sharp tools will cut or damage it and exposure to chemicals will make the material degenerate.
So the ideal way to store your harness is by hanging it to prevent it from getting crushed or bent. Even more important is that the harness should be stored in a dark environment that is cool and dry.
How soon do I need to clean my harness?
Your harness is supposed to give you a five-year-long service, the model of the harness greatly contributes to its longevity.
However, how you care for your harness is what will ensure that it lasts long, so the first thing that you should be in the know about is that the harness is never soaked, and you cannot put it into a dryer.
Clean your harness with warm water and some mild detergents, and hang it out to dry.