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Basic Climbing Gear

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The Basics of Climbing Safety

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Jason Montecalvo is an instructor of rock climbing for Sportrock Indoor Climbing Centers. Jason has been leading individual and group indoor and outdoor climbing programs for children and adults for over eight years for multiple organizations including Horizons Adventure Camp where he created, organized and lead team building programs for public, corporate, and at risk and disabled youth, in areas such as hang gliding, caving, scuba, white water kayaking, and high ropes course facilitation. In addition, Jason has been teaching for Northern Virginia Community College as an adjunct climbing professor for over five years. Jason has an Associate in Science as well as a B.S. from George Mason University with his expertise being health and fitness in parks and recreation management. Jason also holds several national certifications in his area of expertise including being a Top Rope Site Manager for the American Mountain Guiding Association as well as having a Wilderness First Responder certification from Wilderness Medical Associates. As an avid outdoor athlete, Jason most memorable climbing accomplishment was climbing multi-pitch routes out west in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and tough single pitch sport climbing routes in the east at the New River Gorge in West Virginia. Jason has lived and in the Northern Virginia DC metropolitan area for 28 years but has a great passion for the west coast and New England regions of the country for all areas of outdoor recreation and sport; in particular, climbing, snowboarding and mountain biking.

Basic Climbing Gear

In this video, professional climbing instructor Jason Montecalvo describes the techniques and basic skills required for indoor rock climbing. The video is designed for the beginning indoor rock climber, but includes skills and techniques that would transfer over to the outdoor climbing world as well including harnessing, knot tying and belaying. This video series includes an overview of the basic equipment as well as the practical skills needed in order to begin to safely rock climb in an indoor environment.

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Rocks

Mountains

Belay

Safety

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Hi! My name is Jason Montecalvo with Sportrock Climbing Centers and today Im teaching you how to climb safely in an indoor facility. Remember, climbing is inherently a dangerous activity and you want to seek professional help by certified instructors prior to engaging in this activity. What Id like to do now is discuss some of the most basic climbing gear that you would need to start. First, having a climbing harness is essential. You can notice this by having two leg loops, a waist belt, and a belay loop. A more commercial type harness will be a little bit easier to put on; a little bit more expensive. But you can find these items at any local sporting goods store or your indoor rock climbing gym or on the internet.

The next thing that youre going to need to purchase is a locking carabiner as well as this tubular-style friction belay device. Last, some accessories that you might need to help you climb a little bit more efficiently are some climbing shoes to help you put your feet on some smaller rocks as well as some climbing chalk to keep your hands dry when you are on the wall. The next thing that I would like to go over is how to put a climbing harness on.