As well as ropes they produce an array of climbing equipment, apparel and cookware.
I received what could be described as a starter kit for sport and indoor lead climbing.
The description on the site describes it as a classic entry level rope. I fully agree, I have used this rope mainly indoor and on quite a bit of single pitch crags. I opted for the 50m, which may be a little long for indoor but if you want to move outside it allows for the safety margin.
The Python has the Edelrid standard Thermo Shield treatment, this gives the rope a really nice feel whilst belaying. A number of people have commented on how nice the rope feel when lowering. This in no way has been detrimental to the resistance that is required to control the rope through the belay plate.
There is a middle marker as standard, this had become more common on new ropes and however it does not stiffen the rope in any way. Unlike a new rope a friend of mine bought, where the middle marker was so stiff (like hardened paint) it took a few goes to get it bent through the belay plate.
It’s become a bit dirty through use but it is still in great working order, and will see a lot more climbing.
The Jay II harness is a good all-rounder, it has adjustable leg loops to get them over bulky warm kit or pinched down to the indoor spandex (I don’t personally wear spandex) leaving it snug and secure.
Amongst the best features is the moveable waist belt, it allows the gear loops to be positioned correctly with the belay loop centred.
The belay loop or tie in point is secured to the harness through reinforced loops, the lower point a hard plastic housing to prolong life of the material. There are four good gear loops that protrude nicely to clip and un clip gear.
I’m not going to concentrate on the specification of the harness, you can get that on the website. The real review comes from the fact I have worn this harness for an uncountable amount of times at the indoor climbing wall, afternoons down at the crag and a couple of full days in the mountains. It has performed better than I expected, especially on long days. I have always reserved the judgement on the “speed type” buckles and expect them to loosen after a while but these ones held strong.
No issues with comfort, the padding is more than adequate for the job. My repetitive visits to the indoor wall and long days out revealed no discomfort at all. I have been very impressed by the Jay II and will continue to use it.
In essence this is a “plastic” helmet but it has aspirations to be more. It has very little EVA foam in the cavity of the helmet but it uses it effectively. The padding inside on the crown and around the front rim makes the Zodiac really comfortable. There is also a spare set of padding when the attached set becomes deflated.
The description online says it is well ventilated but on the face of it there are only 6 vents. I think the balance between the required/minimal EVA foam inside, which can feel like a blanket if it is excessive, the cut of the helmet and the vents provides a really good level of ventilation for my head. I never felt it was too warm.
There are the usual headtorch clips which work well and the chinstrap closure is really easy to use, particularly when using gloves. One of the best features of the Zodiac is the rear strap. It folds in to the bowl of the helmet when not in use making it easier to store. The real genius is the dial system used to tighten the helmet to the head, it makes it so easy to adjust whether I’ve got a hat on or not. Also, when it’s not critical, I could unclip the chin strap and it holds on so well that it wasn’t a problem whilst belaying or traversing on open ground. There felt like there was no risk of it falling off.
The Zodiac is a good all-round trad, winter and sport climbing helmet. It’s comfortable and effective. During a climbing session on the indoor ice wall in Glasgow it was borrowed by my climbing partner as the cut above the eyes allows you to see upwards unrestricted, which was contrary to the helmet he was wearing. However, it still provides the protection required. All in all a comprehensive climbing helmet.
The three bits of gear is a basic set of kit you will need if you are looking to get in to outdoor sport climbing. There is other bits like quickdraws to clip in to the bolts. If you progress to trad there is a whole host of gear required to build up your “rack”, this can be done gradually though. The rope and harness will work well in an indoor lead scenario.
In the coming months we will bring you the next stages of the gear required to progress outdoors. Let us know if there is any aspect you would like us to expand first.