From Cordura climbing pants to training tools and skin savers, we’ve found the best gifts for rock climbers (and a few for ice climbers too). Grab one for the special belay partner in your life and climb on.
Got a notoriously picky climber on your list? Here’s our curated list of givable goods designed to help raise the grin factor for those pursuing fun in the vertical.
Best Gifts for Climbers
Metolius Upshot Belay Glasses: $60
Have a partner that has patiently belayed you while you endlessly fall on the same 10 feet of your project? How about a buddy whose posture has reached troll status from countless belays at the crag or gym? Belay glasses can save your neck!
The Metolius Upshot’s field of vision is on the higher side, and the sport-style temples and small nose pads are designed to work over other glasses. They also come with a case because we all know how climbers cram packs when cold brews are waiting in the truck.
Shop NowWave Tool: $50
Areas of myofascial restriction and adhesion are hard to access, especially with hands tired from climbing. The Wave is a tool designed by two physical therapists who are both deeply involved with climbing. It boasts eight edges and features that effectively address anything from fingers to quadriceps.
I’ve been recovering from a severe knee injury for five months and have just now started training my fingers for my return to climbing. The Wave Tool is my daily go-to for my hands and legs, providing outstanding results.
Shop NowTension Climbing The Block: $40-45
Do you know a training fiend who loves climbing specific strengthening devices? Check out Tension Climbing’s aptly named Block. Simple on the surface, the free-hanging, single-hand design opens up a world of variations. Use them to hang, pick up weights off the ground, attach to cable machines at the gym, use with resistance bands, or even pull against your foot.
Each Block houses at least nine grip variations that include one- and two-finger pockets, various width pinches, and four depths of edges and crimps. The cherry wood is responsibly sourced and is machined and finished in Denver. Every Tension Climbing product I have tested is impeccably crafted and has the right feel under strain.
Shop NowWild Country Friend Sets: $215
Got a trad climbing friend that can use more Friends? A set of Wild Country Friends sure could make someone’s holiday season! Friends were the original active camming devices, and their 38-year reign continues with proven features combined with modern technologies.
The twin-axle design with a 13.75-degree constant cam angle ensures legendary hold while hollow axles reduce weight. Wide, skimmed cam lobes enhance grip while simultaneously being gentler on the stone, and the new 12mm Dyneema extendable slings negate the need for a quickdraw.
Available sets: 0.4, 0.5, 0.75 / 1,2,3 / 0.4, 0.5, 0.75, 1,2,3
Shop NowprAna Stretch Zion (M) and Halle Pants (W): $85
Constructed from prAna’s proprietary and stretchy Zion fabric (97 percent nylon, 3 percent spandex), these rock-bashing pants have a low-profile waist to fit cleanly under harnesses. A ventilated inseam gusset allows high stepping and stemming, and roll-up leg snaps let heat out. And a DWR finish will get you back to the car when precipitation foils the program. The angled dual-entry cargo pocket and a wide array of colors allow dusting the chalk off and hitting the bar to drown anti-send sorrows.
The pants are available in multiple inseams to guarantee fit. The women’s Halle loses the inseam gusset but picks up articulated knees.
Osprey Mutant 38: $170
Osprey’s Mutant series has just the pack for those special people who love “light and fast.” With sizes ranging from expedition status to “be back for a late dinner” forays into the mountains, there’s something for everyone. The Mutant 38 is a perfect size for weekend to “missing work on Monday” missions.
It’s lightweight, at just 2.81 pounds, but has all the alpine specific features for the discriminating alpinist. This pack has removable suspension components (two aluminum stays and HDPE sheet) and lid, hip belt gear loops, ice screw clipper attachment points, helmet carry, reinforced A-frame ski carry, dual ice tool attachments, three-point hauling system, hydration pocket, front panel daisy chain, hydration pocket, and snow-shedding back panel fabric.
Shop NowPetzl Luna Women’s Harness: $80
This one is for the ladies only. Does your partner’s ratty, who-knows-how-old extra harness give you pause? Give the gift that keeps on giving: a new harness. Petzl engineered the Luna around women’s physiques, not the typical straight-as-a-board male climber’s hip profile.
The padded and shaped waist belt, longer rise, and leg loop/waist belt proportions are all based on women; this is not a men’s harness in a different color. Adjustable padded leg loops, two rigid front gear loops, two flexible rear gear loops, a tagline loop, and ice screw clipper compatibility make the Luna a harness that can do it all for the crusher that dominates the wall. Read our full review here.
Shop NowKong Panic
Seeking a holiday gift for the vertically challenged climber in your life? The Kong Panic is basically a long and stiff quickdraw that can be used to clip distant, out-of-reach bolts. Originally designed for aid climbing, the Panic has become a go-to tool for shorter climbers while onsighting or sussing out a new project.
The Panic’s bolt-end carabiner has a unique spring-loaded mechanism that holds the gate open until it’s attached to the bolt. A gentle tug on the Panic will engage the mechanism and close the gate. Once the rope is clipped into the other end, the Panic functions as a normal quickdraw. In notoriously runout areas like Smith Rock and North Carolina, the Panic is an invaluable tool.
