Gifts For Climbers

If you want to get a thoughtful Christmas gift for the climber in your life but don’t know where to begin, you’re not alone. Climbing conversations can be full of confusing jargon and unfamiliar terms. Don’t worry, our Gifts for Climbers Guide will help you choose the perfect present this holiday season.

We asked our expert staff to share their insider knowledge and organized their ideas into categories to make choosing easier. Still unsure? Stop by the shop to talk with us, give us a call, or send us an email. We’re happy to help.

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, high performance chalks and baselayer 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 Small and  Large or the Flashed Wooden It Be Nice brush” 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, creams and salves to help the skin recover.
• Rope Wash prolongs the life of your rope. They clean the dirt and make handling easier. Or a Rope Marker to re-mark the middle mark of your rope.  Stuff these gems into your climber's stocking.
• Belay devices: The Petzl GriGri  is the go-to gold standard device that is used by climbers from big wall to the gym. Or choose one of the new GriGri alternatives, the Petzl Neox or Edelrid Pinch.
• Stay-warm accessories like Holmenkol Warm Feet cream, a special warming complex that gives your feet a warm feeling that lasts up to four hours.  Or Hotshots.  Put them in your chalk bag, your mitts, your shoes when you are not climbing to warm your toes and hands.
• Climbing rocks always leads to rips and tears.  Repair Patches are a great way to repair those pesky tears in your favourite garments.
• Freedom of the Hills playing cards: this deck of 52 playing cards features facts, figures, tips, and techniques from the bible of climbing, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. 
• 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.“ Eric 

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.
• Belay Glasses: Save your buddy's neck with Le Pirate Belay Glasses or Belay Specs Belay Glasses.
• Climb On Products:  Exclusive Climb On designs created with local artists.
• 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.
• Wearing a classic belt under a harness digs in.  Arcade belts  have a low profile buckle the doesn't dig in and a stretchy waist band allowing unrestricted movement.  Perfect for all climbers.

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.
• A stick clip, like the Metolius Basic Stick Clip or Pongoose Climber Stick Clip for 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 Trax Booties, or The North Face Thermoball Booties. 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 Patagonia Das Light Pants are durable, with a full side zip they are easy on/off, and they can be worn over everything including your harness.
• 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 Patagonia Das Light Hoody or Fitz Roy Down Hoody, and the Mountain Hardwear  Phantom Alpine Parka. 
• Keep hot stuff hot for hours with the double-wall vacuum insulated wide mouth bottle, a thermos perfect for hot tea, coffee, or cocoa, a delicious way to warm up between climbs.
• Baselayers:  Stay cozy with men's or women's base layers from Smartwool, Arc'teryx, Patagonia, and La Sportiva.
• Add a breathable insulated mid layer under your parka and over your base layer like the Arcteryx Atom, Patagonia Nano Air, or Mountain Hardwear Kor Airshell Warm Hoody.
• Ready to splurge?  Keep them sleeping warm with a Western Mountaineering Bag.
• Mitts to keep the fingers warm.  We recommend the Black Diamond Mercury Mitts when you need a durable belay mitt on ice climbs or cold alpine conditions and the Stance Mitts for packable warmth.

Gifts for climbing injury free

Climbing is hard on the body. A variety of sport therapy tools help climbers recover and climb injury free.  Check our Sport Therapy collection for a complete list of therapy tools.

• 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.
• Theraband Resistance Bands:  For all those physio exercises you know you should be doing. 
• Finger Massager: 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.
• Lattice Peanut Roller or Triggerpoint Foam Roller: Aid recovery rolling over muscles in the back, shoulders, legs, and forearms.
• 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.
• Muscle scraping tools to break up adhesions like the Wave Tools Therapy Arete Muscle Scraper  or Soft Tissue Release Tool.
• Cold Compression Gel Packs for Fingers: Cold compression has been proven effective for treating multiple finger ailments common to climbers.
• 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.  Or another favourite, One Move to Many, a book about how to understand the injuries and overuse syndromes of rock climbing.

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 or Training for Climbing.
• Is your gym climber looking to learn to climb outdoors?  Transition: A Guide to Climbing Real Rock
• The most popular training product of 2025, the Tindeq Progressor 200. This lightweight and packable tool for measuring pull force is useful for training, tracking training progress, and judging if fingers are warmed up and ready to pull hard. 
• Pair a training block with the Tindeq to train grip strength on edges, pinches, pockets and little crimps.  The Block, Ergo Edge, Quad Block, and MXEdge Lift.
• A Lattice Lifting Pin combined with the Lattice Fractional Weight Plates Set can be combined with tools like the Lattice Heavy Roller for training and rehabilitation.
• The Tension Grindstone Mk2 Hangboard is the Staff Pick for premium hangboard and the Beastmaker 1000 for best hang board for those newer to climbing and training.
• Belay Device: 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. Choose from an assortment of Chalk Bags for route climbers or Chalk Buckets for boulderers.
• Keep their shoes and gym bag fresh with Sole Spray Legendary Shoe Deodorizer.

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

• The Freedom of the Hills: "Freedom is the definitive guide to mountains and climbing." ―Conrad Anker
• 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.  Another favourite is the Beal 8.5 Opera Unicorn Dry Rope, one of the lightest and thinnest ropes on the market.
• Helmets are awkward and bulky to pack inside the pack and hard to attach securely on the outside. The Blue Ice or Mammut Helmet Holders are packable accessories that allow easy and secure attachment to the outside of alpine packs.
• 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.
• Keep their phone or electronics charged using portable batteries or solar chargers from Goal Zero.
• Quality Climbing Gloves: Gloves built for alpine climbing have high quality leather palms to withstand the high wear of rappelling and are often waterproof to keep your hands warm and dry in snowy wet conditions.  High quality warmer gloves have removable liners so you can dry the inner easily, especially overnight in your sleeping bag.  Gloves for dry tooling have sticky grippy palms and nice liner gloves offer dexterity so you can fiddle with clips or a stove while still wearing gloves.  Climb On stocks an assortment of gloves made for Ice and Alpine Climbing. 
• Ultralight static ropes for glacier travel or rappelling such as the the Petzl Rad Line, a favourite for glacier travel, or Edelrid Rap Line a favourite emergency line or rap line.
• Belay devices designed for narrow diameter ropes such as the Edelrid Mago , Nano Jul, or Grivel Scream. 
• Ultralight munter hitch compatible lockers designed for mountaineering like the Petzl Rocha and Grivel Plume
• For the summer alpine climber, a lightweight kit enables the climber to move light and fast.  Ultralight axes such as the Petzl Ride, Petzl Gully, Camp Corsa Alpine Axe , or DMM Flux .  Ultralight aluminium crampons like the  Petzl Leopard Crampons unique for attaching well to approach shoes as well as boots, Grivel Air Tech Light for a more technical 12 pt aluminum crampon, and Petzl Irvis Hybrid  combining the durability of a steel forefoot with a weight saving aluminum heel.
• Comfy, light and packable premium sleeping mats. The Thermarest NeoAir XLite is perfect for summer alpine adventures while the Sea to Summit Ether Light XR Pro has a whopping 7.4R-value making it great for winter camping.
  
• Poles to save the knees.  The Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z poles are extremely light and compact while the CAMP Backcountry Pro Poles  provide a little more durability and strength.
  
• Alpine running/scrambling packs allow fast movement through the mountains.  Some favourites are the Black Diamond Distance Packs.
• An Alpine Pack.  Approach packs made for carrying loads to stripped down ultralight summit packs, choose from a variety of alpine packs.
• Warm and comfy merino base layers from Smartwool.

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. 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, Black Diamond Z4 are easy to place micro-cams, and Fixe Aliens are the gold standard for micro cams.
• Coloour matching racking beaners to make quick identification of cam size easy.  Some light options are CAMP Nano 22, Black Diamond MiniWire, and DMM Phantom 
• 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. 
• Alpine draws are single length slings with two carabiners so they can be used as short draws or extended.  Since they are light and can be extended (to manage rope drag), multipitch climbers commonly carry 4-12.  Consider a 4 pack of the Mammut Sender Wire Alpine Quickdraw , the Black Diamond MiniWire Alpine Draw or the CAMP Mach Express Alpine Draws.
• Crack Gloves preserve their hands during hand-jamming and crack climbing.
• 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 eliminating the need to lug a backpack up a multipitch. 
• Gift a multi pitch pack like the Petzl Bug, Blue Ice Wadi 15,  Black Diamond Bullet 16, and Blue Ice 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 are also designed to be hauled.
• Petzl Bindi emergency headlamp: 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.
• A mid diameter multipitch rope that is relatively light weight and relatively durable.  The Edelrid Tommy Caldwell 9.6 Eco Dry Duotec features a duotec permanent middle mark and Mammut Crag Classic Duodess Rope is an unbeatable price for a duodess rope.  Shop single ropes for a full selection.
• A lightweight tagline, light for tagging and essential for planned and unplanned rappel descents off routes.  

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.
  
• 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.

• Adam the Climber follows Adam Ondra from his unconventional climbing-filled childhood to his rise as one of the world’s most groundbreaking climbers. Through Dal Pra’s storytelling, the book reveals Ondra’s early curiosity, the influence of his devoted climbing parents, his explosive talent across multiple disciplines, and behind-the-scenes stories from iconic ascents like La Dura Dura, Flatanger, and the Dawn Wall. It’s a vivid look at the moments and relationships that shaped his passion for climbing and his pursuit of the extraordinary.
• Secret Plans Vol III – 40+ Years of Cartoons for Climbers by Tami Knight. A humorous collection of cartoons capturing decades of climbing culture. It highlights the quirks, mishaps, inside jokes, and shared experiences that climbers instantly recognize.
• Flow is an anthology celebrating women in adventure sports, blending powerful personal stories and global photography to challenge stereotypes and highlight resilience. Featuring voices from countries around the world, the book explores how women in activities like kayaking, climbing, mountaineering, and highlining navigate identity, barriers, and self-discovery. Edited by Denisa Krásná and Alena Rainsberry, it offers a transcultural feminist perspective that examines gender, race, class, and sexuality in extreme sports. Ultimately, “Flow” is a tribute to the women reshaping outdoor adventure and inspiring others to pursue their own path with courage and unity.
• The Push by Tommy Caldwell. Caldwell’s memoir about resilience, trauma, obsession, and the pursuit of one of the hardest climbs ever attempted: the Dawn Wall on El Capitan. It traces his childhood, the hardships he survived, and the mindset that drove his record-setting achievements.
• I Could Die at Any Moment by Greg Hill. A candid memoir by ski mountaineer Greg Hill, reflecting on a lifetime of chasing adrenaline and confronting risk. The book explores close calls, motivation, personal philosophy, and the emotional cost of constantly living on the edge.
• The Greater Fool: Brad Gobright and the Blinding Shine of Originality tells the story of Brad Gobright, a climber who embodied the fearless, boundary-pushing spirit of the archetypal “Greater Fool.” The book explores his extraordinary courage, vision, and relentless pursuit of what others deem impossible, celebrating both his daring achievements and the enduring light he brought to the climbing community. It’s a tribute to a unique life lived at the edge, where risk, brilliance, and inspiration intersect.
• Granite Mariner by John Long is a collection of John Long’s most celebrated stories from nearly five decades of adventure writing. Blending literary, noir, absurd, and cosmic tones, the book captures the intensity of extreme sports—from navigating Borneo’s rapids to climbing Yosemite’s granite walls—while exploring the inner lives, struggles, and triumphs of athletes. This volume brings together the classic tales that have inspired and captivated readers around the world.
• The Future of the Responsible Company offers practical guidance for rethinking business in a time of cultural and environmental crisis. Drawing on 50 years of experience at Patagonia, Vincent Stanley and Yvon Chouinard share how the company evolved to prioritize sustainability, responsibility, and meaningful work. The book examines the impacts of traditional capitalism on people and the planet, and provides actionable steps for companies to reduce harm, improve products and operations, and earn trust from workers and communities. It also explains Patagonia’s new ownership structure and serves as a roadmap for building a business that can thrive responsibly for generations.
• A Fine Line: Searching for Balance Among Mountains. A Fine Line follows alpinist Graham Zimmerman as he navigates the thrills and risks of high-altitude climbing while confronting loss, climate change, and personal responsibility. From first ascents across Alaska to Pakistan, Zimmerman reflects on the balance between ambition, community, and family, offering a thoughtful coming-of-age story that explores the evolving ethics and emotional realities of modern mountaineering.
• Freiheit: Freedom in the Mountains is the autobiography of climber Thomas Huber, tracing his journey from childhood at the foot of the Alps to daring first ascents and extreme mountaineering feats. Through triumphs, accidents, and serious health challenges, Huber reflects on passion, courage, doubt, and the drive to keep moving forward. The book is both a personal story of one of today’s most renowned mountaineers and a celebration of freedom in the mountains.

• Uplifted: The Evolution of a Climbing Life by Sonnie Trotter - A memoir from Sonnie Trotter chronicling three decades of climbing. It blends personal stories, lessons learned, major ascents, and reflections on how climbing shapes identity, community, and perspective over time.

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.

• Climbology: An Innovative Approach to Master Movement: A guide to how climbers should move, not how they should train.
• 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. One of the lightest and thinnest on the market is the Beal Opera 8.5.
• 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. Gift Custom Spirit Quickdraws available in a rainbow of colours or the ultimate sport quickdraw the DMM Alpha Sport.
• 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.
• Climbing packs are specially designed as crag bags or multipitch packs.  Check out a selection of packs designed for sport cragging or sport multipitch.
• Assisted-braking belay devices provide extra safety and are especially useful when belaying a climber working a route and falling repeatedly.  The Petzl GriGri is a long time favourite, the Petzl Neox is a new device designed for quick pay out of slack to a lead climber, and the Edelrid Pinch has long lasting steel rope bearing surfaces and a close-to-the-body attachment so the PINCH does not need to be fixed in place when releasing the rope and the brake rope can always be gripped with all fingers.
• Nitecore EMR40 Electronic Mosquito Repeller: give the gift of mosquito free belaying.
• Belay Specs Belay Glasses. Using belay glasses while climbing can improve belayer comfort, belayer attentiveness, and communication between the belayer and the climber.
• A stick clip, like the Metolius Basic Stick Clip or Pongoose Climber Stick Clip for clipping bolts past cruxes while working routes or pre-clipping the first bolt to protect against ground falls.
• "Nice to haves" such as a nice boar hair brush or premium chalk products from Tokyo Powder or Friction Labs.

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.

• The Art of Ice Climbing: Much more than an instruction manual, this book offers an in-depth description of the practice of ice climbing, from alpine to dry tooling. 
• 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 and is made from recycled ropes.
• Crampons: Upgrade their climbing kit with the Petzl Dart a modular, technical, and lightweight favourite crampon or 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 Arc'teryx Atom, Patagonia Nano Air, Arc'teryx Proton and Mountain Hardwear Kor Airshell Warm  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, Mixalot Gore-Tex Infinium Gloves and Terminator 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.