Review: Arc'Teryx Harnesses 2008

Introduction
The Arc’teryx harness range has recently been given a highly anticipated overhaul using their new "Warp Technology" (WST). When Rock + Run asked me to put the R–320 model through its paces I jumped at the chance to see if it lived up to the hype…

The brand Arc’teryx is synonymous with cutting edge design, fabrics and technology but, given the prominence of their illustrious range of outerwear, you may be surprised to learn that they started out making harnesses, back in 1989.



Their ‘vapour’ range pioneered a new heat laminate technology which radically changed construction. Implications of this meant that harnesses could be built stronger, lighter and more comfortable than before.

The company went on to innovate in other areas; waterproof zips, rucksacks and the above mentioned range of clothing, but it’s a relief to find that they have not lost their touch when it comes to the humble climbing harness.


The amount of research and development that must go on at Arc’teryx HQ is staggering, although being owned by corporate giants Salomon probably helps - I expect the budget for R & D is extraordinary.

The R–320 is an ‘all-round’ harness and sits alongside the lighter S–240, for sport climbing, and the A–300a for mountaineering, and the X-350a for ice climbing. A women’s all-round model, the R–280 is also available.

Construction
In a nutshell, ‘warp strength technology’ eliminates the need for padding altogether. Yes, that’s right, this harness has no padding. Your immediate reaction to this revelation may be to stop reading, but if you give me a chance I’ll explain...

The traditional method for building comfort into the harness has always been to sew the narrow webbing belt (which gives the strength) onto a wide band of padding. The padding softens the pressure from the webbing and spreads the load, which means that you feel less like you’re being sliced in half at the waist after a few hours of hanging at belays.

Arcteryx have come up with a more efficient way of spreading the load, by making the webbing belt wider. The webbing belt on the R-320 is as wide as the waist belt, in fact, besides the softshell fabric it’s wrapped in the webbing is pretty much all the waist belt is – just like those old troll ‘centre’ harnesses really, but different...


By working their magic on the structure of the webbing - something to do with removing the vertical fibres and stretching the horizontal ones, the designers have made a thin, contoured, and very strong, waist belt that distributes the load evenly and negates the need for padding.

Comfort
OK, all this sounds very impressive but does it work? I guess that’s the million dollar question.

Comfort is probably my top requirement in a harness, so I decided that a thorough examination was necessary – what better testing ground than the South of France – a sport climber’s paradise.

When working sport routes comfort is paramount, so I was nearly tempted to thrown my old harness in just in case, I was so sceptical that a harness this thin could possibly be comfortable! In fact, on seeing the R-320 for the first time, my friend Tom asked “is that the only harness you brought?!” with an unconvinced look on his face!

Image: Dave Westlake on No Man's Land F7b (Buoux, France)


After spending a couple of sessions working the moves of a route at Buoux I did begin to wonder whether a more padded harness would be better. Although, the R-320 was very comfortable on the whole, I would say that the repeated frigging around involved in this style of climbing might mean I end up using my old harness next time and save the R-320 for when I go for the redpoint. My main reason for this is so my main harness doesn’t get trashed as quickly, rather than any lack of comfort, and all the weight benefits less important in this instance.

This is probably what most dedicated redpointers would do anyway, as it will increase the life of the main harness.

However, for onsighting I thought the R-320 was unparalleled. The range of movement was excellent and I hardly noticed I was wearing a harness. Sitting in the harness and lowering off was also a pleasure, so long periods spent at belays/ abseiling will also be well within its wide remit.

Interestingly, in some ways the lack of padding seems to actually increase comfort. If I’m wearing a harness at all it usually means that it’s fairly warm (being from the South, I don’t like the cold!) so I often find that the padding in other harnesses both insulates and impedes breathability.

I cannot really claim to have tested this theory out yet (it was ‘red-pointing’ weather in Buoux - chilly!), but I imagine hanging out on a sea cliff in the August sun will be a far less clammy experience!

Of course, this also means that the harness takes up considerably less space in your pack – a feature I was grateful of when mine looked like it was going to burst on the way to the airport!

Gear Loops
For me, gear loops are a very important aspect of any harness. I once owned a very nice Petzl harness. The fit was great, it was comfortable and light, but I developed a real dislike for the slanted gear loops.

Although these are OK for sport climbing, I tend to climb more trad routes and I found that gear would get ‘bunched’ at the front. This made it difficult to access and allowed carabiners to get up to all sorts of mischief (clipping to each other mainly).

I disliked this so much that in the end I chopped them off altogether and replaced them with a home made alternative!

Since Petzl introduced them, other companies seem to have moved towards this slanted design (some people obviously like them!). Although the loops on the R–320 have a slight slant, I found them much more useable. The angle is less steep and the shape seems to avoid too much bunching.

The great thing about the gear loops is the fact they are reversible. The loops themselves are fixed, but the thick plastic sheath is removable so if you fancy having the slant going backwards, or want to shave a bit more weight off, it’s not a problem.

Image: Dave reversing the gear loops on his R320


The only slight downside I can see is that they may wear out quicker if you change them regularly, but I think most people would only need to change/ remove them occasionally. Besides, I’m sure they could be replaced if they did wear out or get lost. Actually removing them is a bit ‘fiddly’, but I suppose that gives you confidence that they are unlikely to fall off on their own accord!

Buckles
One thing I did really like about my old Petzl harness was the buckle. As far as I’m aware, Petzl were the first brand to use the kind of ‘threaded’ buckles that you can adjust without needing to unthread. They proved so good that other companies followed. Wild Country are a notable example – their original effort was rubbish but their current range have very nice threaded buckles that are smooth and hassle free.

Needless to say, Arc’teryx have got in on the act and installed their own version of threaded buckle on the WST range. These are about as good as they can be – smooth and easy to use without the ‘clunky’ operation found with some examples.


Perhaps I’m just lazy, but having buckles that can be tightened quickly without having to fiddle about threading makes life much easier!

The R–320 has fixed leg loops and only one buckle on the waist, like the female and sport models. This is all you need and further ensures weight is kept to an absolute minimum. As you would expect the Ice and mountaineering harnesses have adjustable legs.

I’m glad Arc’teryx opted for fixed loops (on their all-round harness) as I think too many harnesses have adjustable legs when they don’t really need to – I certainly never adjusted the legs of my old harness, and unnecessary buckles mean extra weight.


Safety Stuff
All harnesses sold in the UK conform to the relevant safety standards so the issue here is the ‘extra’ features that go beyond simple load strength and give added peace of mind.

Over the past year, it seems both manufacturers and users have had a heightened awareness of safety issues surrounding harnesses. Various high profile accidents have sadly highlighted this issue, and I think people are particularly conscious of the lifetime of their equipment.

A nice touch throughout the new Arcteryx harness range is the addition of a layer of orange fabric inside the tie in loop. This becomes visible at the point when the fabric is worn and alerts the climber that the harness needs to be replaced.

Durability
It’s difficult to comment on durability at this stage but I was encouraged by the lack of wear after climbing perhaps (hopefully) the most hideous chimney pitch I ever will at Seynes (see image below). After scraping my back (and the harness) up the inside of this limestone horror I half expected to find the softshell fabric full of holes, but I was pleasantly surprised to find no apparent wear at all. This is in stark contrast to the way I felt at the end of the ordeal!


Concluding Remarks
So, overall the R-320 gets the thumbs up. It’s definitely the best harness I’ve come across and well worth the £85 price tag.

In certain quarters, Arc’teryx have acquired a reputation for being a rather expensive, ‘poser’ brand and the reasons for this are fairly obvious. The prices of some of their outerwear range are frankly alarming! Indeed, £85 for a harness may seem a little steep, but when you are going to pay around £60 for any other premium model it makes more sense. In my opinion the technology is worth the extra £25 considering how important a harness is to overall climbing comfort.

It’s important to remember that this is a technology driven company, operating at the cutting edge of design. Their new harness range is a celebration of this design which demonstrates that they remain a grass roots climbing brand, who are very much at the top of their game... oh yeah, and they come in a snazzy tin!

Purchase the Arc'Teryx S-240 Harness here
Purchase the Arc'Teryx R-320 Harness here
Purchase the Arc'Teryx R-280 Womens Harness here
Purchase the Arc'Teryx X-350a Harness here
Purchase the Arc'Teryx A300a Harness here

Review by Dave Westlake
Images courtesy of Simon Downing, Tom Newberry and Arc'Teryx

The Frankenjura

The Frankenjura


A few years ago when I was living in Sheffield there were a group of guys who I used to climb with who were constantly going on about the Frankenjura. Before then I hadn’t heard much at all about this place. But from the way they kept banging on about it there must have been something good there. So one summer a few years ago I went and checked it out.

Where is it and when's best to go?

The Frankenjura is a large climbing area which is found to the North East of Nurenberg in Germany. There are approximately 1000 crags scatted around the forests.

Spring until autumn are the times to go. Though if you are wanting to guarantee climbing then go in the summer. You could be unlucky in the spring and autumn and get a lot of rain. The summer heat isn’t too much of an issue, many of the crags are in the trees so you have direct protection from the sun.

Climbing Style

The Frankenjura has an image of being all Action Direct style mono pulling through impossible angles. Yes there is a lot of this, but there are also plenty of excellent routes at all grades.

The rock is generally excellent quality pocketed limestone with vertical to overhanging being the norm. The routes themselves tend to be short, generally around 10-20m and can be very bouldery.

The Frankenjura is home to the Redpoint, so not surprisingly it’s the bolted routes that are the main event.

There are some trad routes up some of the larger cliffs. There is also a lot of bouldering, however finding out about it is very tricky. There has been an agreement not to publicise the locations of most of the spots. You will probably be able to pick up a bit of info when you are out there. But I wouldn’t go there to just boulder unless you had some good contacts. Also many of the routes are like bouldering in the sky, so get a rope on!

The Redpoint

The term redpoint originated in the Frankenjura. Redpointing is a climbing term for climbing a bolted route in one go after practice. The name Redpoint comes from a German term rotpunkt (point of red) which came about because at the base of many routes that were not climbed fully without aid, a red circle was marked. And when the route was completed in one go it was filled in (ie with a red point)

About the Guidebooks

There are actually quite a few guide books about the area. In the UK the two GEBRO Verlag guides written by Ulrich and Harald Röker are probably the most popular, helped by the fact that they are written in German and English. The two guides Franken 1 and Franken 2 cover Band 1 (North) and Band 2 (South) respectively. I had a fair bit of use of Franken 1 but unfortunately Band 2 was not out at the time, so I used a different guide and in my opinion was less useful for non German speakers.

There are a lot of routes in the Frankenjura, (approx 7000 according to the guides) and as previously mentioned spread out onto many crags too.

The sheer number of routes and crags means a lot of information for a guide. This needs to be clear, concise and accurate. The GEBRO Verlag guides certainly fit the bill.

Have a look at the example page pictured. It has the crag name and in the star what grade range the best routes are in (Grades are UIAA). Then thankfully there are very good descriptions (in English) of the approaches otherwise you would never be able to find half of the climbing, as some of the crags are very secluded, but walk-ins are generally short. There is also a quick summary on the crag itself.

All the crags have a sketch diagram, which gives a very accurate representation of the shape of the crag plus other information such as crag heights and aspect. Whilst the routes themselves do not have a description, just a name, the lines can be easily picked out the crag. It’s a case of join the dots (well crosses) on the page with the bolts in the rock.

Crag Recommendations

There are so many crags and I think as a local you would struggle to climb on them all, let alone a visitor. Out of the ones I visited these are the crags I would point out to the first time visitor.

Bärenschluchtwände - One of the larger and more popular crags. A good concentration of routes in the harder grades but plenty to go at 7a and above

Stadeltenne - One of the best crags in the Frankenjura, Some vertical climbs on excellent rock and some classics on the overhanging sections. Best Grades 6b to 7c.

Zwergenschloss – One for the beasts. There are some easier climbs but the main events are 7c and above. Some impressive routes through cave roofs.

Weißenstein - Roadside access, vertical wall climbing on excellent holds. The Right side of the crag has some popular overhanging routes. Out of the crags I visited this had the highest collection of lower grade climbs. Best Grades in the French 5’s into the low 7’s

Schlossbergwand – One of my favourite crags I visited, 44 routes with the best range of grades being 6c to 8b.

Travel Tips & Accommodation

There were a few of us that went, and by different means. I shared the driving there, but I was flying back. The nearest airport is in Nuremberg, though the flights to the UK can be a bit limited and not as cheap as some budget airlines. But it does get you nearer to the Frankenjura than by flying to Frankfurt.

A car is pretty much essential I would say. You could do it without but your crag options would be reduced severely.

I stayed at Gasthof Eichler which is the main Climber’s Campsite, it's all very friendly (and not too busy) and there was a great mix of folks there. There are a few small huts which can be hired but you would have to get them booked in advance. There is also a small bar for a quality beer after a long day.

The other main campsite is under the Bärenschluchtwände Crag. This is a bigger campsite and is a lot more family orientated.

Provisions can easily be picked up in the local villages, including some amazing cakes especially from the cake shop in Obertrubach. In fact they were so good that we occasionally had some for breakfast and then for dinner!

On my rest days I was usually on belay duty so only saw a limited amount outside of the climbing spots. However there are a couple of swimming pools dotted around and plenty of small picturesque villages to have a nosey around. Nurenberg is also worth a day visit too.

I would definitely recommend the Frankenjura to pretty much anyone, excellent routes, in a lovely German Rural Forest setting, there’s a lot going for it.

Links

Buy the Guides Here

Gasthof Eichler Camping website

climb.frankenjura.com Site with a database of routes and crags

GEBRO Verlag See more information on the guides plus their other area guides.

The Man in the Moon

With the arrival of the spring 2008 Moon clothing line (not to mention the great £6 deal T-shirt's) we thought we’d do a bit of a show piece slot for the man behind the brand. We have put together a collection of quality (well mostly) online video clips of the man himself in action on test pieces home and abroad.

At 41 you might think that Ben Moon has had his fair share of publicity throughout his long and illustrious climbing career, and maybe you’d be right, but there’s no doubt that through traveling to the worlds top climbing destinations and continually leaving his mark, in the shape of hard new lines, he has earned his place in British climbing folklore and well deserves the continued stream of plaudits and backslapping.

Ben Moon Fact File
Name: Ben Moon
Date of birth: 13/06/1966
Living in: Sheffield (UK)
Nationality: English
Height: 5'11" or 1.78 cm
Weight: 10stone or 64kg
Began Climbing: Age 7
Job: Climber/Businessman
Best Onsight (sport climbing): 8a+
Best Flash (sport climbing): Don't know!
Hardest Redpoint: 8c+
Best flash (bouldering): 8a+
Hardest boulder: 8b+
Favorite climbing style: Face climbing
Favourite sport climbing crag: Buoux (FRA)
Favourite bouldering spot: Fontainebleau (FRA)
Favourite Route: La Rose et La Vampire 8b, Buoux
Favourite Boulder Problem: Cypher 8b, Yorkshire (UK)
Music: Dance, Alternative (well nobody’s perfect)
Favourite drink: German beer, Red wine
Alimentation-Favourite meal: Fish
Hobby: Football, Golf
Homepage: www.moonclimbing.com

Image Right: Ben Moon back in the day attempting Neil Carson's super hard (and still unrepeated) Big Bang 9a.

Brad Pitt, Font7c+, Stanage, UK.

Black Lung, Font8b, Utah, USA.

Full Power, Font8a, Gardoms, UK.

Diaphanous Sea, Font8a+, Hueco Tanks, USA. (FLASH HOMBRE!)

Cypher, Font8b, Slipstones, UK.

Ben's Extension, Font8a, Stanage, UK.

Voyager SDS, Font8b+, Burbage, UK.

Right Martini, Font8a+, Hueco Tanks, USA.

More Moon Related Links
Interview from FreakClimbing.com
Interview from MoonClimbing.com
Training Info on ClimbandMore.com
Build your own Moon 40 degree Training Board
The True Moon