Climbing Harness

Along with ropes and carabiners, the harness is an essential component of mountaineering safety equipment when you're rock climbing and passing over glaciers with seracs and crevasses. The harness is simply a nylon strap or some loops of rope fastened above your hips or around your chest and it is secured to your groups main rope. The idea is that if you were to fall the rope would catch you before you fell very far. The group member and behind you will also be fitted with the equipment, and will be clipped to the same rope, and if you fall they'll try to set themselves so that they'll stop you from slipping further. A harness is a very light but sturdy part of the safety system, and it is absolutely a necessity when crossing any dangerous terrain.

For a waist-fitting harness there is a belt that reaches around and rests above the hips. As a balance the harness also attaches around the upper thighs. There is also a alternate fitting around the chest below the shoulders. Some climbers prefer the chest fitting because they want to be sure they don't lose their balance and flip around and smash against a cliff wall if they fall. Another consideration is for a climber carrying a heavy or bulky pack. They may wish to wear both the waist and chest harnesses or a full body set. This can help to balance and stabilize the load. In selecting a harness for your climbing make sure it fits comfortably and snugly, is lightweight, and gives you an adequate range of motion for your legs or arms. For a womens waist harness it will have slightly different fit in the rise between the leg and waist loops. There are also different ways of applying padding for comfort, such as laminated foam and stitched fleece. Since you'll be fitted with a harness over your cold weather clothing be sure to try it on in advance in your full outfit.