Some people just have the urge to go up and up. If you’re giving gifts to a climber, here are some mountain, ice and rock climbing gift ideas.
climbing gifts
You can usually spot a rock climber at a young age. You come home from work and the energetic two-year-old is hanging from the top shelf of the bookcase. By the age of five, they’ve progressed to hanging off the edge of the roof and you’re calling each other by your first name with your doctor. Don’t even ask about adolescence!
Since you can’t beat a climber, you might as well give in to his passion. Here are some rock climbing gift ideas.
1. Avalanche Beacon: A new climbing toy is an invitation to climb. Since yours will come in the form of a Christmas present, the climber can be expected to immediately scale mountains, rock faces, or icy waterfalls. Don’t try to stop them. Just give them an avalanche beacon, an electronic device that sends out a signal if the mountain falls on them. Backcountry is a good brand. You can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $300 to keep them alive.
2. Grip Strengthener: When it comes to hanging off the side of a cliff, the ability to grab onto the wall is literally the key to life. A grip strengthener is a device climbers can carry to develop their grip by repeatedly squeezing the resistance device. Grip Master is a good brand. You can expect to pay between $15 and $20.
3. AvaLung – Let’s get back to our topic of avalanches. Having an avalanche beacon is great, but it doesn’t really help if you can’t breathe while waiting for rescuers. The AvaLung is a cool device that draws air directly from packed snow and allows climbers to breathe life-giving air even if they are under ten to twenty feet of snow. Black Diamond is the best brand and you can expect to pay $100 or so.
4. “Fifty Favorite Climbs” by Mark Kroese. – This is an excellent book for climbers. The book features 50 climbs in North America and can be used as a “to do” list by even the best climbers. The book comes with narrations, photos and detailed descriptions of the routes. A great gift that will set you back around $30 at any major bookstore.
5. Nomad Climbing Journals – A bit of self-promotion. Nomad Climbing Journals make a great gift for climbers. These writing journals allow climbers to keep track of their climbs, impressions, people they climbed with, routes, contact information, and any additional information they feel is necessary. Over time, climbing logs become a climbing story and a great memory. A great Christmas gift, you can view the magazine by clicking the link in the byline of this article and expect to pay $25 for the slipcase magazine.
As you know, there is simply no way to prevent a climber from going up. You might as well give in and give them a Christmas rock climbing gift.