AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Exam: September 10-11, 2021

The details

What to bring

Mooney Mountain Guides Rock Climbing Equipment List

To ensure an awesome experience with your MMG guide, it is important to arrive well prepared for our day in the mountains. The equipment list provided here might be a useful tool in preparing for our day. Remember luck favors the prepared. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call or email. 

ESSENTIAL:

• Weather appropriate clothing (see bottom of the list for a full checklist)

• Headlamp for multi-pitch venues that may require early starts/late finishes 

• Snacks, a sandwich, leftover pizza, snickers, gels, cheese, salami, fruit

• Liquids to drink in a wide mouth bottle

• Sunglasses

• Back Pack 20-30 Liters 

Required Equipment List for Participants in an SPI Course or Assessment

Climbing equipment:

• UIAA/CE approved Climbing Helmet

• UIAA/CE approved Climbing Harness with belay loop

• Climbing shoes or approach shoes in which the candidate can climb up to 5.7

• Nut removal tool

• Standard “lead climbing rack” such as, stoppers/nuts, SLCD's, tri-cams, etc.

• Assorted 24” and 48” runners (must have at least one 48” runner)

• 10 or more non-locking carabiners

• 3 or more locking “HMS/Pearbiners”

• 6 or more locking carabiners, (the more, the better)

• Manual braking belay/rappel device, such as the “Verso”, “ATC” or “Pyramid”, etc.

• Releasable assisted braking device, such as the Petzl “GriGri” or Trango “Cinch”

• 2 Prusik loops (1m of 6mm Nylon Accessory Cord)

• 2 cordelettes (5m of 7mm Nylon Accessory Cord)

• One 50-60m "single" dynamic rope (9.5-10.5mm) suitable for leading and top roping

• One static or “semi static” (gym line) rope 9-11mm, 30m+, for setting up anchors and fixed lines

  All gear will be inspected on the first morning of the course and is expected to be in good condition. Mark all of your gear! 

CLOTHING: (check the forecast!!)

T-Shirt: There’s no way around it. You will sweat. Wear fabrics that wick moisture away from your skin. Unlike cotton that gets wet and stays wet, wicking fabrics help you regulate your core temperature and avoid overheating or chilling. Depending on Venue this can be very important. I often wear cotton at Rumney, but on Cannon or Mt. Washington I tent to go synthetic.

 Mid Layer: Mid-layers add mild insulation to help retain heat that your body creates, and are worn between the base layer and insulation if needed. Examples of over base layers are Patagonia #3 or any lightweight wool shirt. Light-weight fleece or heavy-weight EMS® Techwick®. Power-Stretch and micro-fleece are ideal materials for this layer. I prefer the Patagonia R1 hoodie. 

Wind Layer (Top Only): These are thin, generally nylon layers that are light and easily compressible. Many fit into their own zip pocket. I generally use them to block the sun or keep the chill off when the wind picks up mid route. I have shivered through plenty of routes on Cannon in Mid August when its 90F in Boston. I use the Patagonia Houdini. 

Un-insulated Waterproof & Breathable Shell (Top & Bottom): For Rainy Days. Patagonia H2No series are great. 

Belay jacket: ‘Over-it-All’ Hooded Down or Prima-Loft Jacket: For Spring, Fall or higher altitude objectives a synthetic or down coat that fits over all your other layers can be a life saver. I have had many versions and it very rarely leaves my side. 

Belay Gloves: Leather works best for me, however, there are many out there. Best practice is to belay and rappel with gloves on. They may also help on cold approaches/descents. If we are going to be climbing in snowy places, put SnowSeal (beeswax waterproofing) on them.

Sun Hat/Glasses: The sun is intense. Keep it out of your eyes with a hat and shades. The hat also helps hide helmet head.

Good Socks: Keep your feet healthy. I like wool in New England/Cascades/Tetons/RMNP and Cotton in the Desert. 

*Backpacks for day trips: 20-30 liters will be fine. Please make sure it fits you harness, helmet, shoes, food, water, layers. No need for Ice Axe Loop attachments if your not in a snowy place.

Rock Climbing Shoes: Please take this advice. Don’t listen to the salesperson if they are telling you to size your rock shoes smaller than your street shoes. First, leather shoes stretch and synthetic shoes don’t. Second, forget about the size printed on the shoe. It really doesn’t mean that much, especially if you are making comparisons between brands. Choose a shoe that has no extra room at the toes when you don’t have socks on. This is very tight compared to your running shoes. Extra material at the toe will totally stink when your trying to climb. Your toes should not be curled. If you are planning on doing long routes (anything other than steep sport climbing) choose a comfortable stiff shoe. I use the LaSportiva TC Pro.

Buff: For the sun, hair, or bugs, these things are awesome. 

Lunch: Fuel your body. In the mountains, lunch starts when breakfast ends and ends when dinner starts. In other words, we eat all day. A typical climber or skier will consume about 3,500 calories during the course of a day. Pack foods that don’t freeze hard, cover all the food groups and are easy to eat. Pre-make peanut butter sandwiches, or bring last night’s pizza, and those oh-so delicious candy bars. I typically eat a lot of fruit.

Liquids: Wide-mouth water bottles are recommended for winter. 2  liters is a minimum to keep us hydrated during the day. Please, do not use store your water bottles on the outside of your pack, you will loose them.

Optional Items

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