Gifts For Climbers

Do you have a climber in your life and want to buy them a thoughtful gift this Christmas, but don't know where to start? Do you listen to their climbing conversations filled with jargon and terminology with bewilderment? Don't worry, we can help you make the perfect gift decision this holiday season with our Gift for Climbers Guide.

We surveyed our expert staff, gathering their insider knowledge, and putting all their ideas into categories to help you decide. Still not sure? Drop by the shop and chat with us in person, give us a call, or email us. We are here to help.

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Jump to: Stocking Stuffers • Gifts for All Climbers • Gifts for Small Climbers • Gifts for Cold Climbers • Staff Favourites • Gifts for Gym Climbers • Gifts for Alpine Climbers • Gifts for Crack Climbers • Gifts for Boulderers • Gifts for climbers who love to read • Gifts for Sport Climbers • Gifts for Ice Climbers

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Stocking stuffers

Buying a new climbing rope or traditional climbing rack can be expensive so here are some smaller items that are universally loved by climbers.

• Chalk: Select from chalk blocks, loose chalk, liquid chalk or specialty drying chalks. “Chalk. You always need more chalk.” Sarah M.
• Chalk Accessories that we all love: Chalktopus, Chalk Bag/Bucket, Brushes or Finger Tape. “A nice brush like the Climb On Boar Hair Wood Brushes” Katy H.
• Skincare: Climbers obsess about their skin so help them prepare for battle with dryer, tougher skin. Choose from a range of products from Rhino Skin Solutions.
• Skincare again… after a hard day of climbing the skin care continues with files, sanding blocks, creams and salves to help the skin recover.
• Rope Wash and Rope Brushes prolong the life of your rope. They clean the dirt and make handling easier. Stuff these gems into your climber's stocking.
• Belay Glasses: Save your buddy's neck with Le Pirate Belay Glasses or Crush Vision Belay Glasses.
• Belay devices: The Petzl GriGri is the go-to gold standard device that is used by climbers from big wall to the gym. A gift that you can't go wrong with.
• A gift to make them laugh is the Wag Bag. Everything they need to safely dispose of solid human waste. “I think one of the most practical gifts in the store is the ReStop WAG BAGs. Good for any outdoor adventure.“ Erik S

Gifts all climbers love

Share the joy of climbing with these treasures that appeal to all climbers. A number of our staff suggest shoes and ropes because they quickly wear out and need replacing.

• Climbing Shoes: New shoes are like fresh starts. Whether they're bouldering or tackling multi-pitch climbs, a perfect-fitting pair of climbing shoes will have them confidently tackling routes and problems.
• Climbing Ropes: Ropes take a beating, get worn out and become filthy. Take care of their lifeline and replace it when it's flat, damaged, or old.
• Don't know which shoes to buy? Don't know which rope to buy? Choose a gift certificate.
• Possibly the most classic gift out there! Socks: Who doesn't love warm dry feet? Try giving them a pair of Smartwool or Darn Tough socks with funky and unique designs.

Gifts for small climbers

Looking for the perfect gift for small climbing enthusiasts? Look no further!

• The Edelrid Ohm: This ingenious device helps smaller climbers manage weight differences with their belaying partner, making climbing safer and more enjoyable.
• The Kong Panic or Kong Frog Prog: Help them clip out-of-reach bolts, keeping them safer while cursing the lanky first ascensionist that bolted the route.
• Kailas Clip UP IV: A light compact stick clip small enough to clip to your harness. This aids in clipping bolts past cruxes while working routes or pre-clipping the first bolt to protect against ground falls.

Gifts for climbers who are always cold

Some of us feel the cold and need a little extra protection on cooler days. These next items are for climbers who run cold.

• Insulated Booties: “Some insulated booties like the Outdoor Research Tundra Tax Booties Men and Women, or The North Face Thermoball Booties Women and Men. They're good for the fall weather and chilling at the boulders” Ethan S
• Perfect for cold days at the crag or a mid-layer while ice climbing, the Mountain Hardwear Compressor Alpine Pant Men and Women are durable, with a full side zip they are easy on/off, and they can be worn over everything including your harness.
• The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Pant Women and Men are ultralight and packable, ideal for layering up when the temperature drops and small enough to carry in your backpack for on overnight trips.
• Keep hot stuff hot for 18 hours with the Microlite 1000 Twist Bottle, a thermos perfect for hot tea, coffee, or cocoa, a delicious way to warm up between climbs.
• A Belay Parka: Belay parkas are extra warm coveted pieces of gear that feel like a luxury item, but are essential at keeping you warm and comfortable in winter. Check out the Mountain Hardwear Phantom Down Parka Women and Men with box baffle design, the Phantom Alpine Parka, the Vision Down Parka which is Black Diamond's warmest down parka, or the Mountain Hardwear Compressor Synthetic Hoody Men and Women built to be a hard wearing warm jacket in wet conditions.

Photo by Nikki Smith via Mountain Hardwear

Staff favourites

• DMM Pivot Belay Device: Smooth on the way up multi-pitches and smooth on the way down. The Pivot is an auto-blocking multi-pitch device that is easily unblocked to lower your second.
• Edelrid Swift Protect Dynamic Climbing rope: Built to have the cut resistance of a >10mm rope, but at only 8.9mm. These ropes are light, cut resistant, and outlast other similar diameter ropes.
• Hellinox Chairs: Who doesn't love a lightweight compact camp chair.
• Performance Windshells: Everyone who spends time outdoors needs a windshell like the Black Diamond Alpine Start Men and Women or Mountain Hardware Kor Air Shell Women and Men Weighing less than 200g and packing into its own pocket, a windshell easily clips to the harness or fits in the pack. As ultralight softshells they are breathable enough to wear when you are sweating while also protecting against wind and light precipitation. They can also double as a sun shirt. Great for everything - hiking, running, multi-pitch climbing, ski touring, and alpine climbing.

Gifts for climbing injury free

Climbing is hard on the body. A variety of sport therapy tools helps climbers recover and climb injury free.

• Lattice Extensor Bands: Developing strength in forearm extensor muscles helps the fingers in handling intense loads and is an important part of grip training for any climber.
• Lattice Resistance Bands: Perfect for adding or taking the load off while training and ideal for rehabilitation exercises or warming up before a session.
• Finger Massager Ring: Relieve finger tension and boost circulation with this simple yet effective tool.
• Sweet Spot Back Massager: Soothe aching back muscles with this targeted massage tool.
• Foam Roller: Aid recovery with this versatile roller, great for reducing muscle knots.
• Therabody vibrating self massaging tools: Seeing a therapist is expensive and not always possible when you are on the road so effective powerful self massage tools is a must for releasing tight muscles.
• Climb Injury Free, by Dr. Vagy: Need a comprehensive guide for exercises and techniques for injury prevention and recovery? This book is a great tool for any climber.

Gifts for gym climbers

 

Shopping for a climbing enthusiast who loves hitting the local gym? Here are some perfect gift ideas that will have your gym climber buddy scaling the walls with joy!

• Books on training: Beastmaking, Training for Climbing, or The Rock Climbers Training Manual.
• Climbing Apparel: Embrace apparel that says “I am a climber”, from brands like La Sportiva, Ocun, and Lattice.
• Belay Device: The Mammut Smart 2.0 is an easy-to-use and safe belay device which is perfect for single pitches in the gym. Alternatively, select from one of our assisted braking devices that help them catch their gym partner when they fall.
• Chalk Bag: Every climber carries a little pouch of white stuff around like their life depends on it. Why not make others smile with this Organic Rainbow Edition chalk bag or a Deluxe Bouldering Bucket of chalk for those who love indoor bouldering?
• A Gym Tote for your gym kit like the Sterling Pickle Bucket Tote Bag or the Flashed Frank Slider Pad.
• Training tools: Our favourites are the Tension Block, Lattice Quad Block, Lattice Heavy Roller, and Lattice Lifting Pin

Gifts for alpine climbers

When it comes to finding the perfect gift for that intrepid alpine climber in your life, look no further!

• Alpine Climbing Ropes: We recommend the Edelrid 8.2mm Starling Protect Pro Dry Rope. This half and twin climbing rope uses the same Protect technology used in our other favourite, the Edelrid Swift 8.9, offering far greater cut resistance.
• A Parka or Belay pants: See gifts for climbers who are always cold. It takes technical clothing systems to keep you warm and comfortable in the mountains. The high $ price is because premium materials are needed to create a garment that is very warm and also packable and durable.
• A technical Headlamp: The Petzl Nao RL 1500 lumen headlamp is an ultra-powerful, rechargeable multi-beam headlamp that fits perfectly over a climbing helmet. If that is too pricey the Petzl Swift headlamp is also very bright, at 900 lumens. A bright headlamp is a must when spotting the next rappel station in the dark. Throw in a spare battery if you are feeling generous such as the R1 for the Nao RL or the Core for the Swift.
• Guide books: Help them plan their next trip with a copy of a guide book for a new alpine climbing destination.
• A compact Satellite communicator: The Garmin InReach Mini 2 enables two-way text messaging or sends a SOS message to a rescue monitoring centre. These are an essential piece of safety gear for anyone spending time out of cell range.
• Quality Climbing Gloves: Gloves built for alpine climbing and that can stand up to rappelling have leather palms while thinner gloves are made for dexterity. High quality warmer gloves have removable liners so you can dry the inner easily, especially overnight in your sleeping bag at night. Climb On stocks an assortment of gloves made for Ice and Alpine Climbing.
• A lightweight crevasse rescue kit: The Petzl RAD System is designed to be lightweight enough to carry but makes crevasse extraction significantly easier.
• Warm and comfy merino base layers from Smartwool.

Gifts for crack climbers

If you know someone who loves twisting their hands and feet into cracks then consider these perfect gifts for the traditional climber in your life.

• Climbing Cams: Every climber loves adding to their rack. Black Diamond Camalot Ultralight are great for the climber who wants to trim weight, Totem Cams offer secure placements that are especially valuable in smaller sizes, Black Diamond C4 are the gold standard for cams, Wildcountry Friends and DMM Dragons have extendable slings, and Black Diamond Z4 are easy to place micro-cams.
• Nice Nuts: A colour coded nut set is nice to have. The Black Diamond Stoppers Set Classic is a good starting point, DMM Alloy Offset Nuts and Peenuts are Squamish favourites providing secure placements, and the Wildcountry Superlight Offset Rocks are a good ultralight option.
• Slings: Slings are indispensable for building anchors and extending protection placements. 180-240cm lengths are great for building quad anchors. The Petzl Pur'Anneau slings are exceptionally durable and light weight.
• Crack Gloves preserve their hands during hand-jamming and crack climbing.
• Crack Climbing by Pete Whittaker teaches the essentials and more to every budding crack enthusiast.
• Petzl Spatha Knife: A small knife is an essential emergency piece of gear that every multipitch climber should carry.
• Multipitch Chalk Bag: With a few extra pockets the Mammut Alpine Chalk Bag has enough space for your phone, keys, a snack bar, and a strap for your jacket this chalk bag eliminates the need to lug a backpack up a multipitch. If you want something slightly smaller the Flashed Slickfoot Chalk Bag is another great option.
• Gift a multipitch pack like the Petzl Bug or Blue Ice Wad 15 or Wadi 22: Multipitch packs are small packs with just enough space and features to carry what you need for the day. They fit snug and secure while rock climbing, and also designed to be hauled.
• Wind Shell: The Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody or Mountain Hardware Kor Airshell are both packable and can clip to your harness.
• Petzl Bindi or Black Diamond Flare are emergency headlamps: So small there is no excuse not to stuff it in your multipitch kit, and much better than a phone light if the route takes longer than planned.

Gifts for boulderers

 

Searching for the perfect gift for your bouldering buddy? Check out these fantastic options.

• Meige Rechargeable Flood Lights: Shine a spotlight on boulders for those after-work winter sessions.
• A portable hangboard: Build strength on training days and warm up on climbing days. Our favourites are the Tension Flash Board and the Lattice Mini Bar Portable Fingerboard.
• Flashed Frank Slider Pad: This briefcase is especially designed to carry everything you need to take to the boulders plus acts as a slider pad.
• Brushes: Thin brushes for getting into cracks, wide brushes for coverage and regular brushes too, lots and lots of brushes.
• Brush Tools: Boulderers work hard to keep every hold clean and dry. Check out the Flashed Lobster Claw, an ingenious tool for attaching your brush to a stick to brush even the highest holds.
• Skincare Kit: All climbers fixate on skin care, but no group does this more than boulderers. Essential skin care products to have in your skin care kit include: Finger tape such as Flashed Finger Tape also available in 13mm both widths being useful, repair cream like Rhino Repair and Rhino Split Stick, a skin file, nail clippers, agents that stop the skin from sweating such as antihydral or Rhino Dry or Rhino Tip Juice, and if you want to climb through a split tip add Super Glue Gel.
• Tools to keep your hands warm between burns like Hot Shots.
• All the gifts listed in "Gifts for climbers who are always cold". The best bouldering is in cold dry conditions so between tries boulderers need extra layers to stay warm.

Gifts for climbers who love to read

Do you know a climber who enjoys a good book on a rest day? Look no further for fantastic gift ideas. These books are perfect companions for climbers who love to get lost in a good story or are looking to improve their game.

• Hangdog Days is a captivating collection that vividly chronicles the era when rock climbing exploded in popularity, attracting a new generation of talented climbers eager to reach new heights via harder routes and faster ascents. “Hang Dog Days explores the early days of sport climbing in America” Tyrone B.

• Stone Nudes: Breathtaking photography captured in stunning black-and-white images of athletic figures captured in motion on cliffs in breathtaking wild landscapes.
• Valley Of Giants: A collection of both famed and untold stories from women at the heart of Yosemite climbing.
• Climbing Psychology: Dive into the mental aspects of climbing and improve your game.
• The Rock Warrior's Way: Master mental skills to become a more confident climber. “I think the mental training aspect of our sport is often overlooked, this book helps to give you the tools to strengthen your mind!” David F.
• The Push: Tommy Caldwell's gripping memoir of resilience, adventure, and climbing's transformative power while he became the first person to free climb the Dawn Wall of Yosemite's El Capitan.

Gifts for sport climbers

Know a sport climber who's always seeking their next project or is a red pointing machine? Check out these perfect gift ideas. These gifts will put a smile on the face of any sport climber.

• Personal Anchor System: Pick from one of our lanyards that create a safe, reliable connection point when cleaning an anchor. The PAS is a versatile and safe way of attaching for moments when they're hanging around.
• Lightweight Harnesses: The Petzl Aquila harness is one of our favourites it offers a comfy, featherweight harness that ensures mobility & comfort during redpoint attempts and while working climbs. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is non-returnable so be sure of the size or choose a gift certificate.
• Redpoint Rope: Gift a lightweight rope for sending hard routes and achieving that coveted next grade. When you need a skinny easy handling rope try the Nano 8.9mm Xeros Rope.
• Bulletproof Quickdraws have a steel insert which makes them last way longer and protects the rope. Throw in a couple for high use application like anchor draws.
• Petzl Spirits and Petzl Djinn, also available in a Quickdraw 6-pack, are timeless favourites
• A rope bag keeps their rope clean and tangle-free, they are durable and save coiling the rope which makes them an excellent gift. Check out the Edelrid Drone II Rope Bag or the DMM Classic rope bag.

Gifts for ice climbers

Know someone who thrives on icy adventures? Here are some fantastic gift ideas for the ice climber in your life. These gifts will melt the heart of any ice climber.

• Ice Screws: Keep them safe with high-quality ice screws for reliable protection on frozen routes. A new sharp ice screw is always a good gift. We can't decide which we love more the Petzl Laser Speed Light or the Blue Ice Aero Ice Screw.
• Ice Clippers: Organize ice screws and tools with these handy clippers designed for quick access. The Ederlid SM Clip L 3R attaches over almost any harness.
• Crampons: Upgrade their climbing kit with the Grivel G20 Plus specialty crampons for superior ice penetration and precision on technical ice.
• A lightweight breathable insulated hoody is made for being active in cold weather conditions, jackets like the Mountain Hardwear Kor Airshell Warm Hoody or Black Diamond First Light Hoodies are mid/outer layers that provide warmth and weather protection while breathing enough for high output activities like ice climbing.
• Gloves: Approach gloves, climbing gloves, belay gloves or mitts. Ice climbers use and wear out lots of gloves. Check out the Black Diamond line of gloves specifically designed for Ice Climbing: Torque Mixed Gloves, Terminator Gloves, Punisher Gloves, and Enforcer Gloves

Still can't decide? The easiest and the only universal gift that is sure to make them smile is the Gift Card. Give the gift of choice.

Meet our staff members

Our crew of climbers that meet and greet you on the shop floor or work behind the scenes all love climbing and helped build the list above, but who are they? How long have they been climbing and what are their climbing styles? Do they have a favourite piece of equipment and what are their climbing-related interests or achievements?

Sarah M. “I've been climbing for 8 about years. I tend to climb anything techy with crimps.“

Ethans S. “I've been climbing for 6 years. I like granite bouldering, it's taught me a lot about movement and always has complex sequences. My favourite piece of gear is probably my Organic Big Pad or Evolv LV Phantoms.”

Angelica T. “6 years of bouldering indoors, 3 years outdoors sport climbing, 1 summer trad climbing. Interested in getting into more alpine climbing and scrambling."

Karina B. “Climbing for 28 years as of 2023. I like being a jack of all trades and master of none! My favourite piece of equipment is a well-fitting pair of shoes! Nothing is better than being at one with the rock when your shoes are an extension of your style capabilities. I also enjoy long easy moderates where the climbing seems endless and continuous.”

Keiko U. ”I've been climbing for 7 years, I love sport climbing because I like to do projects and the feeling of achievement. I like nice long quickdraws. (I use DMM Alpha Sport)”

Jarret H. “7+ years, I partake in most forms of climbing other than high altitude, big wall and ice climbing, hard to say favourite piece of equipment but let's say the Grigri.”

Erik S. “I have been climbing for almost 10 years. I am almost exclusively a Trad multi-pitch climber. My favourite piece of recreational rock climbing gear is my 8.9mm Edelrid Swift Protect dynamic climbing rope.”

Katy H. ”I have been climbing 32 years. I first trad climbed in Squamish in the early 90s. I like trad climbing best, but I also like sport climbing and alpine climbing and I have enjoyed bouldering and ice climbing. Most of the climbing I do now is short-duration or family-friendly, but I have done month-long climbing expeditions to put up first ascents and climb big walls in Greenland, the Himalayas, BC Coast Range, the Northwest Territories, and Patagonia. My favourite pieces of equipment improve safety and comfort. I like my Phantom Down Belay Parka that is very warm and light, I like my belay pants that keep me warm, I like my ultralight cams so I can carry more for the same weight providing more pieces of protection, and I like my Swift Rope and Rapline that are light and cut resistant.”

David F. “I have been climbing between 10 and 15 years. I consider myself a jack of all trades when it comes to climbing disciplines. Everything from trying hard indoor boulders to seeking out new multi-pitches. My favourite climbing toys are shiny new and novel trad gear though!”

Yuki K. "Years climbing: 13 years, Climbing Style: Most favourite is Trad/Alpine Rock but also enjoy Sport and Boulder, Favorite Piece: BD Z4, Black Totem, CAMP Ball Nuts.”

Tyrone B. “Over 30 years; Have climbed all disciplines and in Europe, Asia and North America but a common thread has been sport climbing and bouldering and my favourite place remains Squamish. I spend hours exploring and developing new zones and climbs. I treasure the accoutrements that make climbing and road-tripping that much more enjoyable: portable coffee solutions are a must like a GSI Java Drip; an MSR PocketRocket 2 with a 4 oz canister barely takes up any room for warm refreshments at the crag (key for warming hands before a send too), or a compact hammock. My trusted sidekick is my stick clip, a Superclip attached to a painter's pole which doubles as a walking stick (cut down the rounded end and attach some rubber cut from an old climbing shoe). The end has a few hose clamps for a brush feature when I'm in pebble wrestling mode. I figure I'll have a stick ready for aggressive grouse too.“

Amy B. “15 years climbing. Love it all sport, bouldering and Trad alike. Recently have been loving the steep and burly. My favourite equipment currently is the Theragun Mini and some hand warmers for the chalk bag. SAS associate board member, 3 years of mentoring with Mountain Mentors”