Best rock climbing gear | Top tips from Gus

Aug 29
3
 min read
Last updated: 
March 15, 2023
A Person Climbing Up The Side Of A Mountain.

Important note: The statements made in this paragraph about the cover provided by Flip insurance for accidental injuries and the amount of benefits payable relate to the Flip Active product dated 31 May 2023. That product was withdrawn and replaced with the new Flip Active product on 27 June 2023, which has a different scope of cover for accidental injuries. These statements do not describe the scope of cover under that new product. Please refer to the current Product Disclosure Statement for details of that cover.

The weather’s warming up, and we can start getting back into our summer activities - yay! For Flip team member Gus, that means heading out of the climbing gym and back into the great outdoors. We chatted with Gus and he shared his tips for the best gear for rock climbing. 

When did you join Flip, and what have you been up to since?

I joined Flip in August 2021 as the lead backend engineer and have done so much in building our 100% digital insurance platform. I’ve updated our system to support our new products, created cloud infrastructure and assisted with ensuring that Flip meets the many compliance requirements for insurance in Australia. It’s been hectic but exciting!  

What’s your favourite thing about working for Flip?

The culture is really amazing. We have a lot of flexibility and autonomy, but at the same time, everyone is ultra-committed to our mission of creating insurance people love by daring to be different. The challenge is exciting and brings together a diverse team from many fields of expertise.

What do you get up to in your spare time?

I love the outdoors around Sydney, so I try to spend my spare time doing activities outside. My favourite sport is rock climbing, so when the weather is good, there’s always a crag around Sydney, in the Blue Mountains or south of Sydney to enjoy. Beyond that, I also like road cycling and hiking.

How’d you get into rock climbing?

I started rock climbing when I first moved from Brazil to Sydney in 2015. I had a good indoor climbing gym close by, which helped me get into the sport. About a year later, I joined an outdoor adventure club. I met many friends who introduced me to the outdoor side of the sport.

You’ve been climbing for a while. What are your top picks for rock climbing gear?

When rock climbing, having the right gear in good condition is essential for a fun and safe experience. 

Gear for indoor sport climbing

When sport climbing indoors you will need at least a harness and shoes for top roping. If you can lead climbing add rope and a belay device. My gear choices are:

  • Harness: I always have my Petzl Adjama
  • Shoes: I love the Scarpa Veloce for indoor climbing. They are super soft and comfortable but still aggressive enough to deliver in harder grade
  • Dynamic rope: Tendon Smart Lite is good, reliable and well-priced. The 60m is enough for pretty much all you can climb around in Sydney Area.
  • Belay device: I like the simplicity of the Black Diamond ATC Pilot. It’s lightweight with breaking assistance in a small package.

Outdoor sport climbing gear

Outdoor climbing is more challenging, but this is where the fun really begins. It’s also where the risk of accidents increases and you’ll need to invest in good reliable gear. 

After finding a crag and a good friend that you trust to belay your climbs, I always have these with me :

  • Outdoor climbing shoes: I prefer La Esportiva Katana. They’re stiff but still comfortable enough and great at edging. 
  • Dynamic rope: Tendon Smart Lite is good, reliable and well-priced. The 60m is enough for pretty much all you can climb around my home base of Sydney.
  • Personal anchor system (PAS): It’s a good idea to have a PAS like the Motelius PAS 22 attached to your harness.
  • Helmet: I always wear the Black Diamond Half Dome when outdoors climbing. 
  • Quickdraws: I choose the solid Petzl Spirit Express
  • Carabiners: Mostly 6 Mad Rock Hulk HSM for me. Nothing special, just a good size and price.
  • Sling: I have a Camp Nylon 120cm. Needed to build an anchor with the carabiners.
  • Lunch bag: For long days outdoors, I like to have my lunch ready in a Thermos food jar. Heat the food before packing in the morning for a delicious energy boost.
  • Backpack: My Exped Torrent is waterproof and has handy loops to attach gear.

With shoes being so important, what are the best beginner climbing shoes?

There are loads of great options for rock climbing shoes for beginners. The main things to look for are comfort and a flat, stiff sole for good support. 

Well-known rock climbing shoes are:

But there are many other affordable beginner shoes. Choosing the best is more about finding the right shoe for you. For a beginner rock climber getting their first shoe, I’d recommend going to a rock climbing store and trying every shoe you can. Choose the one that is the best value for the features it has, but most importantly, the best fit and comfort. Don’t be shy to try more advanced shoes or smaller sizes, even if it is a bit more painful to wear them at first.

And one more thing

I’ve only had minor finger injuries while rock climbing, but I know more severe accidents can happen, and I want to protect myself from unexpected medical costs. I like choosing what days I need injury insurance.  It’s super easy for me to open the Flip mobile app and schedule Flip for the weekend. I like to be covered and can quickly claim in the app itself if something goes wrong. 

A snapshot of Australian injuries in Financial Year 2020

90%

of Aussies did some exercise at least once
team sport being Soccer followed by AFL & Rugby

1.75

million
injuries 

were estimated

52,300

sport injuries were serious
enough to require a
hospital stay

29%

were cycling injuries
(up by 18%)

Double

injuries in men
than women

15-24

years
highest decade of
injury

1/2

of main injuries were a
fracture, followed by soft
tissue injuries
The true cost:

$29.8

billion
paid by Aussies for
out-of-pocket* healthcare
costs


*not covered by Medicare or private health insurance
Note: All dates unless
otherwise stated refer to
Financial Year 2019-2020
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Sports injury hospitalisations in
Australia, 2019–20
Stuart Babbage and Dr. Dana Hutchins for PwC, Australia’s out-of-pocket healthcare problem
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Tell me more about Flip? 

Drop us your email and we’ll tell you about the latest ways Flip is helping people do more of what they love.

Privacy: Flip collects your personal information that you provide in this form for the purpose of providing you with information about Flip products, services and promotions. If you don’t provide your email address, Flip won’t be able to contact you about these matters. How Flip collects, uses, discloses (including overseas) and keeps and secures personal information, how to request access to and correction of your personal information, how to complain about a privacy breach and how this is handled, and how to opt out of direct marketing, is explained in the Flip privacy policy.
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