It's common to think that abseiling and rock climbing are the same sport and therefore use the same technical equipment. Well, they're not! While they undeniably share many characteristics and can be complementary activities, let's be precise - especially if you're looking to get into abseiling and become a proper expert.
That said, if you want to focus more on abseiling, you'll likely be climbing regularly too, so the equipment needed for your new hobby will probably sound familiar. Regardless of what type of climbing you practise, for abseiling you'll need at least the following equipment:
- Harness
- Descender device
- Prusik cord or Machard knot (or a Petzl shunt if you have one)
- Rope
- Webbing sling
- Anchor rope
- 4 locking carabiners
But never forget that safety is the most important aspect of abseiling, so don't skimp on equipment. Therefore, the best way to start abseiling is to learn with professional instructors who can guide you and provide advice based on specific technical knowledge. Here for example, you can find all the climbing schools where you can learn and practise abseiling.
They'll explain how to use abseiling equipment correctly, how you can sometimes use practically the same gear as for climbing (it's often the easiest way to descend from the top of a multi-pitch climbing route), and most importantly, how to use it in the safest way possible. Having little knowledge about an activity like abseiling doesn't just put you at risk, but also the rest of your group during descents.
Having expert guidance when starting abseiling won't just teach you techniques for descending the best rock faces, but also different types of abseiling you can practise or how to use it alongside other activities like caving, via ferratas, or canyoning...
Our advice? Before buying equipment "like crazy" without even knowing how to use it or whether you'll enjoy the activity enough to invest in your own gear, try abseiling several times with professionals who can show you everything this extreme and exciting sport has to offer.
