Ultralight Gear Wishlist: The Paradox of Wanting More to Have Less

As a hiking gear enthusiast, I often get absorbed by all of the awesome, technologically advanced gadgets available in today’s market. However, sometimes it seems like companies will just slap the words “ultralight” on every product they can to entice buyers like myself.

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Which Shoe is Right for you?

Choosing a pair of climbing shoes can be a complicated endeavour, especially if you’re just getting started. You might find yourself wondering “What is the difference between all these shoes, anyway?”, “How aggressive should I go?”, and the notorious, “How much should I downsize?”

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How to Inspect Your Climbing Harness (and When to Retire It) 

Your climbing harness is a vital piece of gear that plays a key role in keeping you safe. As such, it’s essential to take good care of it and perform regular checks to ensure that it’s still safe for climbing. Here’s what to look for, and how to know when it’s time for your harness to be retired…

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How to Keep Your Climbing Rope Safe (and Stay Alive)

Your climbing rope is your lifeline – literally. But as much as we’d like them to last forever, ropes need regular maintenance to stay reliable, and they do need to be retired once they’ve reached the end of their life. Here’s how to keep your rope in peak condition, assess its safety and avoid unexpected “surprises” on the wall…

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Filtration & Purification in the Mountains

If you’ve been adventuring in the mountains for a while, you have probably shared this experience with thousands of other folks out there: 

You’re 15km into a 7km hike that your friend assured you was “easy.” It's forty-something degrees and you have just taken your last sip of water, which is warm enough for afternoon tea. Scummy streams and muddy puddles are starting to look pretty appealing… and that’s when you realise that you probably shouldn’t have skimped on a water purification system!

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Essentials For Trad Leading

CityROCK Cape Town Gear Shop Manager Mike Kable has already walked us through the gear required for trad seconding, and now he's clueing us in on what you'll need to take the lead!

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Petzl NEOX

The institution that is the GriGri has received a major lead climbing upgrade and even takes on a new moniker – enter the NEOX.

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Essentials for Trad Seconding

If you are keen to get into trad, the easiest way forward is to make friends with experienced trad climbers who have all the gear and are willing to take you under their wing. This allows you to try it out safely, learn all the correct practices and get familiar with the equipment before shelling out for your own rack.

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Scarpa Resoles

Scarpa South Africa is thrilled to announce the launch of the Official Scarpa Resoles service, now available across the country! This new service allows climbers to extend the life of their favourite climbing shoes with premium resoling services for just R950 a pair.

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Should I Import or Buy Local?

With the growth of the e-commerce market, South Africans are increasingly trusting when it comes to buying online. Saving on the hassle of having to leave your bed to go shopping, you can sit and scroll through an unlimited number of products from all around the world. With just a few clicks, and a couple of days of waiting, your shiny new gear is jetted around the world straight to your door. It’s as easy as that… or is it?

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