Story By:Steph Davis
Photos By:Nick Kelley
Location:Moab, Utah
Vast ever-changing landscapes, dramatically fluctuating temperatures, and soft, slick rocks make high desert climbing a unique challenge that requires being prepared for any and everything. Here’s how climber Steph Davis packs up for a day of ascents.
STEPH DAVIS
Specialty
Climber
The rule in climbing is that whatever you don’t bring always ends up being the thing you need. So, I bring it all – or at least as much as I can.
The average van trip for me runs about two to four days long. And even after living in the desert for thirty years, I’ve still barely scratched the surface of its vastness. On top of its sheer physical size, the desert is a harsh landscape that keeps you on your toes mentally and physically at all times. Because of this, getting ready is always a prepare-for-anything climbing situation.
PREPPED FOR THE TOP
What goes in must eventually go up.
1
AN ULTRA-LIGHT, ULTRA-VERSATILE HARNESS
My background in alpine climbing has hammered into me the mindset that lighter is always better. So when I’m picking out a harness, I’m always looking for whatever is lightest, most comfortable, and comes with really great gear loops. If you have to carry all your gear with you up a wall, why not make it as easy as possible?
2
MY FAVORITE PAIR OF SLIPPERS
The first thing I consider when picking a shoe is the type of rock I’ll be on. The harder the rock, the stiffer the shoe. So for a climb where the sandstone is incredibly soft, I reach for a slipper-style climbing shoe. The flexible sole allows me to better press into the soft rock, while the streamlined shape keeps it from catching on any fasteners or jagged edges. I also bring multiple sizes to accommodate different sorts of climbing and crack sizes.
3
QUICKDRAWS
The weight of my gear adds up very quickly, so I make sure to always have the lightest quickdraws on hand as possible.
4
THE GOLDILOCKS OF CHALK BAGS
After many years of climbing, I’ve finally found my perfect chalk bag. And I say “my” because how a chalk bag’s shape and size works for you really comes down to your hand size. I have smaller hands, so something more fitted works for me. But if you go too small, your hand will get stuck. Too big and you’ll be digging way too deep for a piece of chalk.
Camino® 35 Carryall Tote Bag
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5
HOT TEA TO-GO
When it’s cold outside, I like to have tea to help warm up before the climb. I’ll pack a Rambler® 26 oz Bottle which keeps it hot until long after I’ve made my descent.
6
CAMS OF EVERY SHAPE & SIZE
If I know what kind of climb I’ll be doing that day, I’ll bring whatever that route requires plus a few extra cams in critical fingers through hand sizes. But on days where I don’t know what kind of climb we’ll take on, I grab a rack of double sets of every sized cam I have as well as four sets each of those critical sizes.
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