We’ve written a handy guide on how to take advantage of the resources available to you from our Learning to Trad climb film series partners.
A quick guide to help you get to grips with the right gear.
A step-by-step guide to aid with the inspection and maintenance of DMM auto-locking carabiner gate mechanisms including gate function tests.
A climbing 101 that is a cornerstone for more complex set-ups. In conjunction with Glenmore Lodge, we take a concise look at this essential ropework skill.
How to check the condition and establish the age of your slings and ropes. The fourth part in our 'Ready for Rock' series.
Impact blocks work hard yet generally receive very little maintenance. See how to give these workhorses a bit of TLC.
Compact Shackles can be found in a number of DMM products. Some basic maintenance will keep them squeak-free.
The performance and lifespan of DMM cams will benefit from regular cleaning and inspection.
Don’t lose your bearings – check out this video for help navigating your way through pulley maintenance.
A step-by-step look at how to inspect and maintain your carabiners as part 2 of DMM's Ready for Rock series.
Information and guidance on the management of personal and shared equipment.
Equipment that is classified as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the EU, has to comply to a particular EN (European Norm) standard, as part of a Directive. Compliance with the Directive is shown by a CE marking on the product.
Leo Houlding details some of the special features and benefits of DMM's passive protection range - commonly referred to as nuts - picking out a few of his favourite pieces.
A video looking at how carabiners can interact with fixed protection, such as bolts, and how good design can help ensure they are used in their strongest orientation.
Denmark isn't known for its crags or high mountains. But its easternmost territory, Bornholm Island, makes a great climbing holiday destination, offering both single pitch trad and sport climbing.
If you're transitioning from indoor walls to sport climbing at the crag then you will need to know how to safely thread a lower-off anchor. Ben Bransby takes you through a couple of methods.
Mountains don't come much more iconic than the Matterhorn. Mountain guide, Dougal Tavener, outlines what is involved and how best to prepare for tackling its Hörnli Ridge.
Supported by DMM and presented by AMI, BMC TV has just launched a series of six videos highlighting the rope work and knowledge that is useful in tackling a technical scramble.
In this second video on clipping bolts Emma Twyford highlights how efficient clipping can make all the difference between redpoint success and failure. She also explains what is meant by back-clipping a quickdraw and how it could have serious consequences.
The follow-up to 'Big Wall Dreaming'. Andrew Cherry and Stefan Morris, arrive in Yosemite and set-off on their first big wall: El Cap's 3,000 foot Triple Direct route. Did they realise their dream and did it match their expectations?
Andrew Cherry and Stefan Morris are simply your everyman climbers with the dream of climbing El Cap. Although they're big wall virgins they've been doing plenty of training and preparation for their trip.
In March 2014 Ben Bransby made the 2nd ascent of Baron Greenback (E9) at Wimberry Rocks. Ben took steps to reduce any potential loading on the marginal protection by using ripstop extenders, skinny ropes, Revolver carabiners and asking for a 'soft catch' from the belayer.
Ben Bransby has plenty of useful information in this first part of a two-part video on clipping bolts, safely and efficiently. Starting with the anatomy of a sport climbing biner and the standout features, Ben then moves on to how to correctly clip a bolt and whether it’s it's best to clip when you're close to the bolt or as soon as it's within reach.
Have you ever considered using 'colour-coded' screwgate carabiners to make it clearer who is attached where at a stance? In the video, mountaineering instructor and trainee British Mountain Guide, Rocio Siemens, demonstrates their practical use in a guiding scenario on Flying Buttress in the Llanberis Pass.
What amount of force is generated by a falling climber, attached to their anchor points using nylon or Dyneema® (Dynatec) slings, if there is slack in the system? Using your rope is the ideal option in terms of reducing the load on the anchors.
George Smith attempts to explain some of those things you’ve always wondered about pulleys, but were afraid to ask.
Here George Smith presents a few pointers for anyone intent on a basic qualification in the rope access industry. Do you have what it takes?
The Regulations set out a simple hierarchy for managing and selecting procedures and equipment for work at height.
The limestone crags of the Frankenjura are synonymous with world-class sport climbing. Wolfgang Gullich made it his home and it's where the term redpoint originated. The accompanying video gives a valuable insight for first-time visiting climbers.
An insight into the craftsmanship and story behind the manufacture of DMM products at its Llanberis base in north Wales. See for yourself how throughout every stage of production, starting with the raw material, strict standards of quality control are maintained. Incredible precision even when hundreds of tonnes of force are being used and careful control of the critical variables involved many of the processes, such as heat treatment, are all part of the story.
The American National Standard, ANSI /ASSE Z359.12-2009 became effective November 2009. The standard incorporates a minimum gate face and side load requirement for carabiners to meet or exceed 3,600Ib (16kN).
After James McHaffie and Calum Muskett's recent Yosemite success, with free ascents on El Cap of the Pre-Muir and Golden Gate respectively, they share some of their hard won big wall wisdom.
George Smith from Outreach Rescue sheds light on the different types of rigging, the forces involved and considerations to be made when assembling rope systems.
An unlikely sounding tip for dealing with a wet or seeping hold. It also explains why Heiko Queitsch keeps a sheet of metallic foil, alongside his spare chalk and finger tape, in a Tupperware box.
We'd never heard of Kneipp Therapy before going to the Frankenjura although we knew lots of elite athletes use cold water treatments to aid recovery. German climber, Chris Igel, explained to us what it is all about.
Alex Schweikart shares her morning exercise routine and explains why she believes it helps reduce the risk of injuries. Most climbers would probably benefit from regular stretching and exercises to balance out the specific focus climbing places on certain muscle groups.
Non-locking carabiners are a fundamental part of any climbers rack, so you should take time to become familiar with the factors that affect performance before making your selection.
Everyone is a photographer these days, so we thought we'd ask professional snapper, Ray Wood, who documented our recent Frankenjura trip in stills and video, to reflect on how we can get the most from our day to day photography.
Working on rope rescue systems over water can be very problematic, with multiple risks and limited guidance, then again… it can make for a soft landing!
Not all connectors are the same and so choosing the right one for the job in hand can be a daunting task. Different shapes, materials and locking mechanisms form a bewildering array of choice. Add in the potential for captive eyes, swivels or pulley variations and the list of options is vast.
A question we get asked at DMM is why is knotting Dyneema® (Dynatec) to make your own slings strongly not recommended. It may be possible to achieve quite high breaking strengths using specific knots but that is only part of the picture.
If you are improvising to avoid cross-loading a carabiner over an edge is it better to use a lark's foot or a basket hitch?
There is an important reason when using quickdraws, for being consistent in which carabiner of the pair is used for clipping the protection. Failing to do so could mean damaging your rope or worse.
Anodising combines nature with science by thickening and toughening the naturally occurring protective oxide layer on the surface of the aluminium alloys used in manufacturing our climbing hardware. One of the key benefits of this process is greatly increasing the life-span of the product.
It might seem like a no-brainer, but landing safely from a boulder problem is not always an easy task.
Nylon (polyamide) and Dyneema®/Spectra®/Dynatec (polyethylene) are two synthetic raw materials used in the manufacture of slings and quickdraws. Understanding the properties and differences of these man-made fibres will guide us to best practice at the crag for using such products. The accompanying video compares how the elasticity affects the strength of nylon and Dyneema® slings, and the effect if you put a knot in the sling.
Rocio Siemens is a freelance mountaineering instructor based in North Wales and has recently been accepted on to the British Mountain Guide scheme. She regularly puts our kit through its paces in the course of her work and climbing for herself. Rocio sent us a short piece outlining why her Boa biners are so handy in winter:
