Rock Climbing
Weeklong road trips, months-long expeditions, weekend missions—traveling, whatever the length and wherever the destination, is ingrained in the past, present and future of rock climbing. And we here at Black Diamond love it. We love those cramped flights, sketchy buses, rickety trains, piece-of-shit rental cars and stubborn beasts of burden that help us carry our gear, because it means we're headed for a climbing adventure. There are endless rock climbing opportunities strewn throughout every canyon, mountain, desert and valley between Alaska and Australia and Austria, and that's why we chose to make travel the theme of this, our Rock Climbing 2012 digital catalog.
Rich in stories, culture, adventure and inspiration—presented through a plethora of videos, photos and narrated slideshows—this digital catalog will take you around the world and back. Throughout these pages we'll highlight some of the many travels and climbs Black Diamond climbers have recently enjoyed, from Ukraine to Venezuela to Kyrgyzstan, and the crucial Black Diamond gear, from Camalots to Ozones to HoodWires, that helped make these adventures possible. So make sure your seat belts are securely fastened, your seat backs and tray tables are in their upright and locked position, and enjoy your trip.
— Black Diamond Equipment
Quickdraws
HoodWire Quickdraw
Our most versatile wiregate draw, the HoodWire Quickdraw is equipped with dual HoodWire carabiners that employ a stainless steel wire hood, which provide snag-free keylock functionality in a wiregate design. Also available as individual carabiners.
82 g (2.9 oz)
$19.95
Oz Quickdraw
Our lightest quickdraw, this rig comes equipped with dual wiregate Oz carabiners that have redesigned, hot-forged bodies and the smooth-clipping benefits of our HoodWire Technology. A primo draw for onsighting sport routes or trimming weight on trad climbs, the Oz's patent-pending stainless steel wire hood provides snag-free keylock functionality. Also available as individual carabiners and in a color-coded Rack Pack—perfect for pairing with your Camalots and C3s.
63 g (2.2 oz)
$19.95
Nitron Quickdraw
A versatile, smooth-clipping quickdraw with straight- and bent-gate Nitron carabiners. 100% keylock and 100% hot forged, the Nitron carabiner's optimized shape and detailing provide ergonomic, snag-free clipping performance. Also available as individual carabiners.
99 g (3.5 oz)
$19.95
LiveWire Quickdraw
Our premier sport climbing quickdraw, the LiveWire features a straight-gate carabiner on top and a wiregate carabiner on the bottom, both hot forged. The result? A top-of-the-line, sculpted, easy-clipping design that is perfect for high-end performance from Smith Rock to Siurana. Also available as individual carabiners.
106 g (3.7 oz)
$23.95
Rock Climbing
Venezuela is nothing like Belgium. Venezuela has massive tepuis of overhanging stone erupting from endless, dense, Land-Before-Time jungle. Belgium does not. It was with visions of those tepuis that Nico Favresse boarded a plane and left his Belgian home. For the next 45 days, Nico and three other climber friends, including photographer Jean Louis Wertz, would live isolated in the jungle, establishing new routes on the 600-meter Amuri Tepui, one of the most wild and steep climbing arenas in the world.
Watch a slideshow of the stunning first ascents and adventures the group encountered in the Venezuelan jungle, narrated by Nico Favresse.
Last winter, me and my buddies Sean, Jean Louis and Steph went to Venezuela to tackle an unclimbed wall, which had been called the world's steepest big wall. A two-hour flight in a small Cessna plane above endless jungle, and here we landed in Yunek, the closest indigenous village from our wall. But before landing, we managed to convince our pilots to do a small detour and fly above the wall. So here it is.
In fact, Yunek is just a few huts, a few families living in total autonomy. Here there are no phones, no Internets, no cars, no electricity; but on the other hand, the surrounding with amazing big walls, mostly untouched. Right away, the local people were very friendly and psyched to help us. We left the next morning with about 10 of them, and they led us for three days through the spices of their own jungle.
The jungle was dense, humid and hot. It was hard to keep our mind away from thinking, "What kind of interesting animal could we meet?" But for the indigenous people, the jungle is like their home. They know everything. It was amazing to see them hunt, fish, light a fire—it was really inspiring to spend some time with them.
When we first came out of the jungle directly to the base of this wall, it looked so overhanging that gravity felt pretty heavy in our minds. We were really not sure whether free climbing this wall would be possible. From the ground we could see almost no real obvious lines, very few cracks, and the wall is relentlessly steep—definitely the steepest I've seen of this size. We first tried the line following a few corner systems on the left side of the wall. It was the easiest line we could see. But after that, we tried what looked impossible—a line on the right side of the waterfall.
As we climbed our first pitches, we realized that the climbing here is completely different from the big-wall climbing we are used to. It's steep, very featured, but mostly with horizontal holds, so it's very difficult to anticipate what's next. Mostly you just have to commit to a section and hope for the best. Traversing was often the easiest and most tempting solution instead of climbing straight up into the unknown.
The climbing was very different from anything I had climbed in the past. It was very steep and adventurous, but the rock is often more featured than what it looks, giving many possibilities. Protection in this rock is a bit tricky. Most of the time you have to protect yourself with a bunch of small cams equalized in thin horizontal cracks. The vegetation and dirt are hard to clean while climbing, which makes it very challenging on an onsight.
We spent a total of 24 days hanging on this wall while putting up the two routes. The anchors took often quite some art skill to arrange them with all the thin horizontal cracks. But once we were set up, it was an amazing position to be hanging above the jungle, listening to the song of the animals and having a perfect view of other incredible mountains and big walls.
For me a big wall can't be climbed without a musical instrument. I mean, I would miss a lot if I did not bring one. You could think it's just pure delirium but for me it's more than that. It helps me free my mind from the tension of the upcoming difficulty and give me some mental peace. But also musically it's just so inspiring to let yourself express in such a crazy position. We are all way into it.
Most days started with a hot sun, but quickly clouds would build up, making it nice and cool for climbing. Sometimes it would even get completely lost into clouds, which made up for some unique atmosphere.
After heavy rain, the waterfall would become huge. It made a very loud sound and while climbing, we could barely hear each other. It was a nice spectacle, except for the sight of our tent getting crushed by it.
One advantage of this wall is that it's so steep, wherever you fall, all you can hit is air. It helped us there to commit to longer sections with poor protections. We took many falls. It was pretty fun to be up there having a bit of airtime.
On the second route we put up, each day of the last four days on the wall we thought we would reach the summit but we got shut down by unexpected hard sections, which needed working, cleaning and redpointing. It seemed as if we were never going to get to the top, and amazingly the wall didn't let go until the very end.
But finally we reached dense vegetation and here is the top of Amuri Tepui. It's a great present to be on top of a tepui—it's an incredible place like nothing else on Earth. The vegetation is extraordinary, the rocks have crazy shapes and the views are unique. I enjoyed very much my experience out there.
Athlete: Jean-Pierre (PeeWee) Ouellet
Route/Location: Necronomicon (5.13), Canyonlands National Park, UT
Photographer: Andrew Burr
Route/Location: Necronomicon (5.13), Canyonlands National Park, UT
Photographer: Andrew Burr
Protection
Camalot™
From 'Gunks trad lines to big walling on Venezuelan tepuis and beyond, the Camalot is the absolute gold standard for camming units. Camalots cover everything from finger cracks to body-swallowing offwidths, and combine what no other cam does: a wide-ranging, double-axle design, a cable loop and trigger that are easy to grab, and a patented, super-durable sling. Accept no substitutes.
#0.3-#6
$59.95-$119.95
Camalot C3
The ultimate micro-camming device, the Camalot C3 features an ultra-narrow head, flexible stem and interlocking cam lobes. From flaring pods to pin scars to super-thin seams, the C3 fits where no other camming unit does.
#000-#2
$59.95
Stoppers
A direct link to the original climbing chocks that started the clean climbing revolution, Stoppers provide time-tested passive protection with a transverse taper for better hold in flares, constrictions and parallel cracks.
#1-#13
$8.95-$9.95
Offset Micro Stoppers
Essential thin-crack pro for flares, pin scars and funky cracks, Offset Micro Stoppers use a copper and iron mix with an offset design for an ideal combination of bite and strength. The head is forged onto the cable—a unique construction that greatly increases cable durability.
#1-#6
$14.95
Rock Climbing
Bouldering, sport, trad, multi-pitch—if it's rock, Barbara Zangerl crushes it. Though she calls Austria home, more often than not she's on the road throughout Europe and beyond, hunting down her next climbing challenge. A recent trip to Ticino, Switzerland had her going to battle on Super Cirill, a nine-pitch crack line stacked with difficult 8a climbing.
Watch a video of Barbara Zangerl cranking on Super Cirill. Filming and editing by Bernardo Gimenez.
Athlete: Brittany Griffith
Route/Location: Tricheco (7a+), Crown of Aragon, Sicily, Italy
Photographer: Andrew Burr
Route/Location: Tricheco (7a+), Crown of Aragon, Sicily, Italy
Photographer: Andrew Burr
Sport Harnesses
Ozone
A sleek, minimalist harness optimized for sport climbing and built with our premier Kinetic Core Construction™, the Ozone features a breathable, wicking liner, 4 molded gear loops and a Speed Adjust waistbelt buckle. A favorite of BD climbers around the world.
340 g (12 oz)
$99.95
Aura
The women-specific Aura's sleek, minimalist design is optimized for sport climbing and built with our top-of-the-line Kinetic Core Construction™. A breathable wicking liner, female-specific fit, 4 molded gear loops and a Speed Adjust waistbelt buckle outfit you for the send.
340 g (12 oz)
$99.95
Flight
A high-performance harness for all-around climbing and lightweight sport missions, the Flight features our Dual Core XP Construction™ for the ideal blend of comfort and breathability. Our trakFIT leg loop adjustment system, Mondo gear loops, and Bombshell abrasion patches provide maximum versatility.
330 g (11 oz)
$69.95
Siren
A high-performance women's harness for sport climbs and all-around adventures, the Siren features our Dual Core XP Construction™, trakFIT leg loop adjustment system, Mondo gear loops, and Bombshell abrasion patches for light weight and versatility.
330 g (11 oz)
$69.95
Athlete: Adam Pustelnik
Route/Location: Orbayu (5.14), Naranjo de Bulnes, Spain
Photographer: Bernardo Gimenez
Route/Location: Orbayu (5.14), Naranjo de Bulnes, Spain
Photographer: Bernardo Gimenez
Trad Harnesses
Chaos
Built with Kinetic Core Construction™, the Chaos is our top-of-the-line trad harness for all-day routes and day-in, day-out cragging where comfort and support are essential. Outfitted with a host of features, including Speed Adjust waistbelt buckle, 4 pressure-molded gear loops and haul loop.
404 g (14 oz)
$124.95
Focus
A technical, 3-season workhorse for hard duty on long routes and cragging sessions, the Focus is built with our Dual Core XP Construction™. Four pressure molded gear loops, a haul loop and 5th gear loop on the back, and Bombshell abrasion patches that are 20 times more durable than standard nylon round out the Focus's all-around features.
340 g (12 oz)
$79.95
Aspect
Four climbing seasons, one harness—that's the Aspect. Featuring a bullhorn-shaped waistbelt built with Dual Core XP Construction™, Forged Speed Adjust buckles, 4 Ice Clipper slots, adjustable leg loops and Bombshell abrasion patches, the Aspect is designed for those whose climbing season is 365 days a year.
410 g (14.5 oz)
$79.95
Lotus
A 4-season harness for women who climb it all, all year, the Lotus features a women's-specific bullhorn-shaped waistbelt built with Dual Core XP Construction™, Forged Speed Adjust buckles, 4 Ice Clipper slots, adjustable leg loops and Bombshell abrasion patches.
410 g (14.5 oz)
$79.95
Rock Climbing
What's in Ukraine? Chernobyl. The Black Sea. What else? Uh...good question. Kate Rutherford had heard Ukraine was actually blessed with some quality limestone climbing and a compelling former-Soviet Republic culture. Teaming up with Brittany Griffith and photographer Mikey Schaefer, Kate booked a plane ticket to Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. What she didn't book was a rental car—the group was going to travel in-country exclusively via bus, train and walking. Let the adventure begin...
Watch a slideshow of the ladies' Ukrainian travels and climbs, narrated by Kate Rutherford.
Every spring I like to go on an adventure sport climbing "vacation," and this year the train deposited us in southern Ukraine. This is my favorite way to shake off the alpine vibe of the winter and get fit for whatever is next. But I don't want to just go sport climbing, that would be too easy. So usually Brittany Griffith, Mikey Schaefer and I end up some place where we don't speak nor read the language, there are fun people, and there's a huge variety of climbing adventures available.
I knew Crimea had been the hardman spring training ground for the Soviet Union since before I was born, so I was a little intimidated as we headed to our "home crag"... The question was, "How sandbagged were the grades?" Turned out there was a good variety of easy and impossible routes. Climbing there is just like climbing in the rest of the world.
Can you read this sign? Well I couldn't when we first walked past it... I don't know if you realize that both words say the same thing Симеиз ("Simeiz"... kind of sounds like "sneeze"). This was our home for three weeks. We had a little apartment in a courtyard run by a babushka named Ludmilla. From there we could walk 15 minutes to our home crag on the Black Sea.
The mostly landlocked Black Sea has been overfished and subsequently overrun by jellyfish, which was a little weird for swimming. However, while belaying at our seaside crag, we saw dolphins by the hundreds. And I remember resting midway up a route and I heard something strange. I looked over my shoulder to see 20 dolphins feeding, and they were so close, I could hear them breathing!
To keep the adventuresome spirit alive we decided not to rent a car, but to commute on the bus instead. The beta on the Internet said this was easy to do. Obviously our first challenge was to find the bus stop, we asked at the local climbing shop, and their broken English had us hiking up a huge hill, which did not end at a bus stop. Hmm, we must have lost something in translation.
Luckily there is a great guidebook, written in Russian, which has all the bus beta to get to the various crags. So even though we couldn't understand any of the beta, we could at least show it to the bus driver and end up at the right stop. Mostly the drivers were not impressed, but we would hand over some money and they would always give us change, so it turned out to be a super cheap way to road trip!
This pitch was what we called the "roller skating rink." It was on a really prominent four pitch tall pillar. This huge diamond-shaped chunk of rock was steep and undercut for the first two pitches and then pitch 3 abruptly gets slabby and polished just below Brittany's feet. Cool little cracks and pockets took us from there up this smooth scoop to the razor sharp top of this formation.
There are some Ukrainian mysteries that we will never solve. We made some friends climbing at the classic Redstone area and they told us to transfer in Yalta to Bus 42 to get home to Simeiz. We sat for two hours waiting in Yalta for Bus 42. It never came. The next day we looked again for the 42. It was there! Why it was not there the first day, we will never know...
There were some classic limestone lines in the Ukraine, and there were some that sucked. It is always wild to end up some place, put your harness on, and climb into the unknown. The beauty of the line was how we chose which route to do. It didn't always work out, but since we didn't speak the language that was all we had to go on. Either way it was an adventure.
Angels come in all kinds of unexpected shapes and sizes — every time we would get on an overly packed bus and start speaking what they considered gibberish to the bus driver, someone would come to our rescue. Usually a young woman would be embarrassed by our bumbling and take us under her wing, tell the bus driver where we were going or better yet, escort us to our destination.
After climbing every day except one, our fingers were shredded. We had eaten borsch and drunk vodka with some new local friends. We had learned to count to 10 and say "Thank you." We had watched the oak trees go from winter's brown to glowing spring green, we swam in the Black Sea with the jellyfish and the dolphins. Now it was time to get back on the train and go home.
Athlete: Cedar Wright
Route/Location: The Wisdom (5.11+), Eldorado Canyon, CO
Photographer: John Dickey
Route/Location: The Wisdom (5.11+), Eldorado Canyon, CO
Photographer: John Dickey
Helmets
Vector
Combining lightweight protection, excellent ventilation, ratchet-fit adjustment, radical geometric shape and "barely there" comfort, the Vector represents the evolution of climbing helmet design.
[size S/M] 230 g (8.1 oz)
$99.95
Women's Vector
Our lightest, most versatile helmet, the Women's Vector is designed with women's-specific colors that add a flash of style to your climb. Ample ventilation, easy fit adjustments and light weight make the Women's Vector so incredibly comfortable you'll forget you have it on.
230 g (8.1 oz)
$99.95
Half Dome
Comfortable, durable and supremely adjustable, the all-purpose Half Dome features a hybrid shell design, a custom wheel adjuster for fine-tuned fit, and super-secure headlamp clips for after-dark descents.
[size S/M] 290 g (10 oz)
$59.95
Kids' Tracer
Designed to provide superior lightweight protection and comfort for young climbers, the Kids' Tracer is built with molded EPS foam and a polycarbonate shell, an easy, one-handed adjustment wheel and mesh-covered vents. AVAILABLE IN EUROPE ONLY.
235 g (8.3 oz)
Athletes: Erik Schnack & Jovan Simic
Route/Location: Arch Enemy (5.11b), Kootenay National Park, British Columbia
Photographer: Ryan Creary
Route/Location: Arch Enemy (5.11b), Kootenay National Park, British Columbia
Photographer: Ryan Creary
Locking Carabiners
Magnetron GridLock
By combining our award-winning GridLock belay biner's hot-forged design with Magnetron Technology—which uses two magnetic arms in the gate and a steel insert in the nose for unparalleled security and ease of use—the revolutionary Magnetron Gridlock is the ultimate auto-locking belay carabiner.
78 g (3 oz)
$29.95
Magnetron RockLock
Featuring our innovative Magnetron Technology—which uses two magnetic arms in the gate and a steel insert in the nose for unparalleled security and ease of use—the innovative Magnetron RockLock is ideal for belaying, rappelling or building anchors.
87 g (3.1 oz)
$29.95
GridLock Screwgate
Featuring a radical, hot-forged shape that intuitively traps the belay loop and eliminates the chance of cross loading, the GridLock Screwgate is a premium belay carabiner.
76 g (2.7 oz)
$9.95
Nitron Screwgate
Our lightest locking carabiner, the hot-forged Nitron tips the scales at 50 grams and is built with a keylock nose that won't snag on anchors or slings. Also available in non-locking straight- and bent-gate models.
50 g (1.8 oz)
$9.95
Rock Climbing
Markus and Daniel Jung travel every winter season from their homes in Germany to the immaculate walls of Siurana, Spain. The brothers have redpointed numerous routes 8b+ and harder at Siurana, but what really impresses is their simple, carefree style of travel—with no car or accommodations, they hitchhike to the crags, sleep in tents and cook by headlamp on a camp stove.
Watch a video of Markus and Daniel Jung's Siurana lifestyle and climbing. Filming and editing by Bernardo Gimenez.
Athletes: Brittany Griffith and Kate Rutherford
Route/Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Photographer: Mikey Schaefer
Route/Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Photographer: Mikey Schaefer
Packs
50 Caliber
Featuring a cavernous interior and a unique, stand up-style, haul bag bottom, the 50 Caliber is our super-durable cragging pack. Designed with a floating top pocket and tuck-away rope strap, the 50 Caliber can handle all of your climbing essentials for cranking at Indian Creek or Val Di Mello.
[M] 52 L (3,175 cu in)
[M] 1.51 kg (3 lb 5 oz)
$169.95
Demon
A streamlined, durable, top-loading daypack, the Demon features zippered top-loading access, a tuck-away rope strap and an ice axe/trekking pole loop for total cragging versatility.
[M] 34 L (2,075 cu in)
[M] 1.1 kg (2 lb 7 oz)
$129.95
Demon Duffel
A deluxe sport cragging duffel that travels as well as it tackles the approach, the Demon Duffel features full-length zippered access, an interior zippered stash pocket and an removable rope tarp.
42 L (2,565 cu in)
1.0 kg (2 lb 3 oz)
$79.95
Shot
A durable and compact climbing pack that's ideal for packing along essentials on long routes, the Shot features a zippered front panel opening, an exterior stash pocket and a removable webbing hipbelt.
16 L (980 cu in)
370 g (13 oz)
$49.95
Huey
Featuring large, dual-zippered access and built from super-tough, weather-resistant Rhinotek material for unparalleled durability, the Huey is the duffel of choice for expeditions and international climbing travel.
60, 100, 150 L
1.65, 2.00, 2.65 kg
$139.95, $159.95, $179.95
Rock Climbing
Sonnie Trotter's plan was scrapped before it even got going. There was no way he and Tommy Caldwell were going to be able to access the steep Malta sea cliffs via boat. The Mediterranean was pissed. Seriously pissed—massive, crashing waves had Malta's entire seacoast closed. Their "sea-up" plan to develop new trad lines scrapped, the duo, along with photographer Corey Rich, switched to Plan B: rap in above the furious sea and establish the routes. Simple, right? Uh... not so much.
Watch a slideshow of the wild and scrappy seacliff climbing in Malta, narrated by Tommy Caldwell.
Seven years ago, Sonnie Trotter stumbled across some photos that caught his eye—white limestone cliffs, sitting above a vibrant turquoise sea. He had been looking for a new deep water soloing location and these pictures looked promising. With no more information to go on, he rallied a few friends and booked tickets to the small island country of Malta, which sits in the middle of the Mediterranean. What followed was three weeks of sea kayaking in calm waters and climbing as high on the cliffs as they dared, sometimes upwards of 80 feet, before jumping back into the ocean. While this trip was as dreamy as they come, Sonnie kept looking at the cliffs and wishing he could climb to the top.
Fast-forward seven years. Sonnie and I were back in Malta, sipping capuccinos in a quaint little cafe in the village of Xlendi. Through the window we could see giant waves crashing against the cliffs. "Dude, I swear the sea was totally calm last time," Sonnie said. We had with us a portaledge, four sets of cams and three ropes. Our plan was to charter a boat, find a route, and climb it "water up," using only natural protection. The only problem was that currently you would have to be insane to go out on a boat in these seas. So we spent two days walking the clifftops and rapping in to look for routes.
While the cliffs were big and the place was beautiful, the rock we found was the consistency of dried peanut butter and would crumble in our hands with the slightest touch. Climbing it seemed hazardous and finding protection nearly impossible.
On our third day, we woke to calm seas and quickly hired a boat. From the boat we found a cliff line speckled with gaping depressions and overhanging rock. When we drove close, the rock looked solid and featured, just the way Sonnie had remembered. What we found out was that while first 100 feet was a compact and scoured by crashing waves. The rock high on the cliff was a soft sandstone/limestone conglomerate. We did, however, find a few places where the rock looked slightly darker. We optimistically thought this meant better rock.
The next day, the ocean was turbulent once again. We devised a plan to pack our haul bags, rappel the most promising section of cliff, stopping just above the waves, and spend a few days trying to climb our way back out. When we tried this we found that our former optimism was misguided and the rock here was no better.
Our next idea was to go to a shorter section of cliff and climb on the better rock down low. Once again we rappelled through exciting choss to the edge of a huge gaping cave. This time we did in fact find better rock. Sonnie set off with a rack of cams, nuts and tri-cams. Waves crashed violently just below his feet as he worked his way across the lip of the cave, swinging from jugs. The climbing looked spectacular and I couldn't wait to give it a go.
Growing up in Colorado means I'm comfortable in the mountains. For me the ocean is a raw and intimidating environment. Climbing above 20-foot swells really got my heart pumping. I nervously followed Sonnie's route, swinging from pocket to pocket. As I got farther, I became more comfortable. Just as I was feeling confident, a foothold broke and I took an exciting fall.
That night we met a local climber and quizzed him about the rock quality. He told us that much of the established climbing was on inland crags. I was still fascinated by the idea of climbing above the ocean so he steered us towards the other side of the island where he thought the rock might be better. When we arrived there the next day, we found fierce winds and extremely turbulent seas. When we rapped in, we did in fact find better rock.
There was a particularly pocketed bulge of rock about 80 feet above the ocean. Waves were crashing around it but it seemed to be staying dry. The way I saw it, climbing this would give us the opportunity to really "feel the power of the ocean." Sonnie, with a bit more of a logical mind, was skeptical. I eventually convinced him to give it a try. In the end, I guess I should have listened to Sonnie.
We spent the next few days rappelling down as close to the ocean as we dared and climbing vertical pocketed walls. To protect it we used cams in pockets and slung threads. The rock, although better than the other side of the island, was still soft and we were not entirely sure the gear wouldn't just blow out the rock in the event of a fall. Luckily we never fell.
A few days before our scheduled flight home we came across this roof crack. It was one of the most extraordinary pitches either of us had seen. We spent the last two days of our trip trading burns. In the end we came up short. I guess this means another trip to Malta might be in our futures.
Belay Devices
ATC-Guide
Our most versatile and advanced belay/rappel device, the ATC-Guide has multiple friction modes that provide the optimal amount of stopping power when lowering or rappelling. Machined-through windows provide weight savings. The device's "guide mode" also lets you belay one or two seconding climbers off the anchor for multi-pitch, auto-block efficiency.
88 g (3.1 oz)
$29.95
ATC-XP
Now with machined windows through the body for additional 30% weight savings, the ATC-XP is a versatile and highly functional belay/rappel device for everyday use. The dual friction modes handle just about any situation or rope diameter.
64 g (2.3 oz)
$19.95
ATC-Sport
A compact and lightweight belay device for gym use and single-pitch cragging, the ATC-Sport features two friction modes and works with ropes from 7.7 to 11 mm.
60 g (2.1 oz)
$17.95
ATC
Often imitated but never equaled, the ATC is our original lightweight, tube-style belay/rappel device with minimalist, smooth-handling geometry.
60 g (2.1 oz)
$16.95
Lighting
Spot
Now featuring more power than ever, the 90-lumen Spot has multiple modes and settings that are customizable to any lighting situation, from pre-dawn starts to rappelling through the night.
90 g (3.2 oz) with batteries
$39.95
Icon
With a massive 200-lumen output for when seeing the route ahead or rap below is vital, the new Icon is our professional-level, fully featured, completely waterproof headlamp. With a batteries-in-the-back design and multiple modes and settings, the Icon is primed to powerfully illuminate the darkness like no other BD headlamp.
220 g (7.8 oz) with batteries
$79.95
Storm
A true all-conditions workhorse, the 100-lumen Storm is fully featured and completely waterproof, making it equally at home on a big wall when the weather slams shut or on the descent trail when the sun sets.
110 g (3.9 oz) with batteries
$49.95
Sprinter
With a sleek, rechargeable-only design, the 75-lumen Sprinter offers versatile, all-weather lighting. Excellent fore-aft balance and an ovalized light beam make the Sprinter ideal for ridge scrambling, bouldering or speed climbing in the dark.
105 g (3.7 oz) battery enclosed
$69.95
Apollo
Packing down to the size of a soup can, the 80-lumen Apollo puts out bright, ambient, non-glaring light. The unique dimming features lets you adjust brightness for different activities from sorting gear back at the car to cooking at the bivy to late-night sessions at the boulders.
220 g (7.8 oz) with batteries
$49.95
Rock Climbing
Adam Ondra is about to graduate. No more school. No more studying. No more limits. Nearly as incredible as his sport climbing and bouldering achievements is the fact that he's done it all on weekends, school holidays and summer vacations. Now he's 18 and about to be free. But school is not quite finished, so he continues to juggle his time, training at home in the Czech Republic and traveling to climb, anywhere and everywhere, each time the school bell rings.
Watch a video of Adam Ondra going through his daily routine of training, school and climbing. Filming and editing by Ondrej Smrz.
Athlete: Alex Honnold
Route/Location: On the Shoulders of Giants (V8), Bishop, CA
Photographer: Andrew Burr
Route/Location: On the Shoulders of Giants (V8), Bishop, CA
Photographer: Andrew Burr
Bouldering
Mondo
Our biggest, thickest bouldering pad, the Mondo is for the tallest, scariest problems on the planet. The Mondo features 5 inches of shock-absorbing foam, padded shoulder straps and waistbelt, waterproof coating on the bottom, and durable corner handles for easy pad shuffling.
112 x 165 x 12.5 cm (44 x 65 x 5 in)
9.25 kg (20 lb 6 oz)
$399.95
Drop Zone
With 3.5 inches of foam and a taco-style fold for a continuous landing surface, the Drop Zone is our premium everyday pad. It also features a waterproof coating on the bottom, padded shoulder straps and waistbelt, and an elastic mesh flap to securely stow all your bouldering accoutrements.
104 x 122 x 9 cm (41 x 48 x 3.5 in)
4.75 kg (10 lb 8 oz)
$229.95
Impact
With a clean, durable design and 4 inches of cushioning foam, the Impact is an ideal all-around, hinge-fold pad. Ready to session the next boulder? Just toss your shoes, chalk bag, and miscellaneous kit on the pad, fold it up, and crank the three-buckle closure system down tight and you're ready to roll.
100 x 114 x 10 cm (39 x 45 x 4 in)
4.33 kg (9 lb 8 oz)
$189.95
Satellite
Ideal for solo circuits, travel or as a starting pad on your highball project, the Satellite features 3 inches of foam, a taco-style fold for a continuous landing surface, and a clean, 3-buckle closure system.
89 x 104 x 7.5 cm (35 x 41 x 3 in)
2.7 kg (6 lb)
$139.95
Rock Climbing
Nalle Hukkataival travels the world, from South Africa to Texas to Australia, seeking to expand the limits of bouldering. It's at home in Finland, however, that Nalle has found his greatest bouldering challenge and inspiration: the Sisu Project. Even linking two moves on the seven-meters tall, 16-moves long boulder is an accomplishment. Is it even possible? Nalle doesn't know, but he intends to find out.
Watch a video of Nalle Hukkataival attempting the Sisu Project. Filming and editing by Alvi Pakarinen.
Athletes: Nik Berry and Peter Vintoniv
Route/Location: Taylor Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, UT
Photographer: Andrew Burr
Route/Location: Taylor Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, UT
Photographer: Andrew Burr
Rock Climbing
Black Diamond Equipment was born in 1989. Every year since then we have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars, truckloads of gear and innumerable hours of employee volunteer time to international, regional and local climbing and conservation groups. Some people may think donating that kind of money, gear and time every year is crazy, but rock climbing isn't our business—it's our obsession, our purpose, our life.
These donations are one way we give back here at BD, but, as a global community of climbers, each of us can do our own part to give back and support the preservation of our climbing access, environment and history. How? Simple: band together and get involved. Join a national environmental or climbing organization. Most of these groups are non-profits and need our memberships in order to fund their access and conservation efforts. Already a member? You can gift memberships to your friends. Next? Get involved with grassroots climbers' coalitions. These are the volunteer groups that are on the frontlines of the climbing scene and are tasked with the crucial local-level responsibilities: networking with land managers and government agencies, organizing crag clean-ups, and planning trail maintenance days. If there isn't a climbers' coalition in your area, start one. Rally the local crew together and solve problems before they happen.
Climbing is beautifully individualistic. But there is real and important value in all of us coming together as a global community. Together we can make a difference in preserving and championing the access, adventure, travel, history and environment that make rock climbing so life-defining.
See you out at the crags.
— The employees of Black Diamond Equipment
Athlete: Jonathan Knight
Route/Location: Blues Riff (5.11c), Tuolumne Meadows, CA
Photographer: Jeremiah Watt
Route/Location: Blues Riff (5.11c), Tuolumne Meadows, CA
Photographer: Jeremiah Watt
Check out BlackDiamondEquipment.com
The Rock Climbing 2012 digital catalog highlights a small sampling of the gear we make. To see all the gear, watch how-to videos, learn more about our technologies and read athlete trip reports, visit BlackDiamondEquipment.com
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Questions? Comments?
Contact us at: climb@bdel.com or climb@blackdiamond.eu (Europe Only)
