I sent my AMGA rock-guide exam. Phew. Done. Well, not completely done, but at last certified in rock. Did my ski in February and hopefully hiking the Alpine in the fall…and then time to get into some post-graudate guiding!
My rock exam was in the desert outside Vegas. Before heading out there, to Red Rock National Conservation Area, I dropped by the SCARPA/Edelrid offices to chat about a writing project. Well, the generous folks over there (thanks Mark, Moritz, Sam, and Kim!) decided it was unthinkable to embark on a big objective without some new gear…and who was I to argue? Some monkeying around and wham–a box full of new gear to test.
I’ve never owned a single Edelrid product, which is strange because the German company invented the modern kernmantle rope in 1953. They’ve also introduced dozens of other technical advances, including the stitched quickdraw, dymamic ropes, and one of the first modern sit harnesses. SCARPA recently began distributing Edelrid products in North America, so I’ve had more occasion to check out their stuff. It’s all high end, as 60 percent of their gear is still made in Germany and they have a long history in the alpine. Here are a couple highlights from my rock exam:
The HMS Strike Slider (63g; $19.95) is a pear-shaped locker that uses an integrated, extremely low-profile locking mechanism. One slides a tiny, three-ribbed tab downward on the gate to disengage the locking mechanism. It’s spookily sleek, I gotta say. I showed it to several examiners and candidates on my exam and folks seem split 50/50–some didn’t think it as secure as a screw-gate while others shrugged and said, “Seems good to me.”
I used it in a variety of applications, from my main belay ‘biner to my third hand to attaching a quadolette to an anchor–bomber, no sweat. It’s particularly easy to work with, as it rotates either direction easily, even through a weighted sling. I spent a good ten minutes trying to get the thing to open “accidentally” in various orientations, without success. I’m still not going to say it’s my go-to belay ‘biner, but for anchors, back-ups, and critical clips, the Strike is a fantastic option. Lightweight (63g compared to 80-plus grams for some of my heftier lockers) and it handles smoothly–have a couple on your rack and see where they fit in.
Edelrid makes another “Slider” locker, the “Pure.” I didn’t score one of these, but it’s a smaller ‘biner, weighing only 42g (published weight). These seem an even better fit for a third-hand back-up or on a ‘draw for a critical clip. I’d consider them, too, if you have occasion to use a Garda hitch–as the locking mechanisms don’t bump into one another, the Pures will mesh together perfectly and the added security of locking gates removes much of the downside to a Garda, especially when using it as part of an ascension rig. Cool.
Obviously I didn’t get to try these in the cold and wet. The locking mechanism is much smaller and appears to be more susceptible to icing up–but again, I’m just trying to troubleshoot. I’ll get out in the alpine with some and see if I can freeze one up. For now, though, they’re working great.
I detest small, ultralight ‘biners, so when I unpacked a Mission Light quickdraw (55g verified; $22.95) I was a bit skeptical. Connected by 11mm Dyneema, the quickdraw has a “19G” ‘biner on one side and a Mission on the other. The 19G is Edelrid’s, you guessed it, 19 gram carabiner. The Mission is slightly larger, more of an all-’rounder. At 55g for the entire set-up, it’s lighter than most locking carabiners. I was convinced I wasn’t going to like the thing, but I gotta say I’m sold for alpine and sport-climbing where weight is an issue.
I had a final day of ice guiding before leaving for Vegas and I brought several of the Mission Light ‘draws to test with gloves. It was a relatively warm day, so wearing thin “leading” gloves the Mission Lights were easy to clip, both on screws and for the rope. Transitioning to rock, they were even easier. I wouldn’t run ’em working routes or anything, but traveling with them, multi-pitch in the mountains (think bolts above Cham!), or in the alpine, they’re pretty damn good.
The 19G ‘biner reminds me of the equally diminutive Metolius version–have two or three on your harness building anchors or for nut placements. 20kN strength, 7 open and 7 cross-loaded.
I’d seen Edelrid’s harnesses at a couple demo days–they’re these wide-body, burly looking things, so when I unpacked a new “Orion,” ($125; 407g) I was intrigued. Edelrid splits the structural webbing and then sews it to semi-stiff, ventilated foam backing. Between your body and the webbing sits a thin layer of wicking/polypro material. In short, I’m going to call this the most comfortable harness I’ve ever worn–a dead tie with the CAMP Laser CR, but that’s another post entirely.
The Orion distributes weight better than any harness I’ve tried. Sure, it’s not the most svelte one in your pack, but that seems about two percent of the equation when selecting a harness. Yes, it’s a bit more noticeable while you’re wearing it, too–but rapping in it, hanging in it, lobbing off routes in it. Damn near perfect. The buckles are all speedlock and secure; they didn’t loosen a bit while I was wearing it. I tested it on ice, on hanging belays on Black Velvet Wall, chimneying on Epinephrine. It’s comfortable, well made, and seems plenty durable–Epi didn’t shred the thing.
Another great feature is the temperature regulation. Because the webbing is split into 5-mil (roughly) individual strands, and it’s backed with perforated foam, the Orion breathes capably. About all I’d change on the thing is adding a gear loop or two–it has four, traditionally placed ones, but I appreciate extra options like some of the Wild Country harnesses these days.
I should probably devote an entire series of posts to ropes, but I’ll just touch on one here. As I said, Edelrid invented the modern kernmantle rope and their cords (slings and webbing, too) are still made in Germany. I scored a 70m, 8.9mm “Swift” ($270; 52g/m; rated single, half, and twin) to test. I did a few routes in Vegas on it, using it as my lead line on Epi and Beulah’s Book/Solar Slab. Had it been a 60, I would’ve rocked it the entire exam and honestly, I’m considering chopping it to be a 60–I just don’t have that much use for a 70!
Despite leaving mine in camp, another buddy had the 60 version and we put 40 or 50 pitches on the thing before and during the exam. Another candidate broke out some 9.1mm cords around the same time and in terms of handling, there was no comparison–the Swift is fantastic out of the bag. The sheath felt tight, no kinking, knotted well, a bit stiff without being a cable.
A TON of pitches later and we’d put one good fuzz in the sheath, but for the most part the Swift held its properties pretty well. I’ve climbed a bunch on the “other” skinny single out there–the Mammut Serenity, 8.7mm–and it’s another fantastic cord (Edelrid makes a single 8.6, too, though it’s the same weight/meter as the Mammut which is .1mm thicker.). The Mammut tends to fuzz a bit after extended hammering and my original Serenity now feels more like a 9.1. I’m curious to see if the Edelrid does that, too, but my sense is that it won’t. It stayed tight and true to its diameter after a lot of rapping, a bit of short roping, and much Red Rocks abuse. We’ll see.
Luckily for us we encountered almost no precip out there, so I can’t speak to the dry treatment. There’s still ice in the hills, eh, so maybe I’ll get some pitches in and let you know in the coming weeks.
Finally, I took a double-length “Tech Web Sling” (55g; $12.95) to Vegas as well. Another Edelrid innovation, the Tech sling uses a kernmantle braiding technique to fashion a Dyneema core and nylon sheath into the same runner, though the thing looks like a plain, flat-webbing sling. It’s 20g lighter than the same length in a Black Diamond all-nylon sling, so the Dyneema’s working in your favor there. One of Dyneema’s drawbacks, though, is its compromise (50 percent!) in strength when knotted. The nylon sheath negates much of that, as well as offering better resistance to melting.
I used the sling as my rappel extension, as well as an extension for gear placements–key in Red Rocks. The sling itself is slightly stiffer than plain nylon and a bit thicker, too. I found this helped when un-knotting it, but beyond that it didn’t feel or function any differently than my usual all-nylon model. I like saving 25 percent in weight, though, and it’s good peace of mind when it comes to strength and durability. Best of both worlds, right on.
Having used all this Edelrid gear, I think I’m going to get a set of their twins this summer. I’m loving how their ropes handle and everything seems well crafted. Much of their gear is Bluesign, too, which is an environmental designation for products made as eco-responsibly as possible. Euro-quality, enviro-righteous, performs well–good reasons to check out Edelrid!
