This bar of chocolate actually weighs more than Edelrid's super lightweight harness. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
Who can resist the offer of free chocolate? We certainly can’t so when German brand Edelrid kindly tempted grough with an 80g bar of the stuff, we gladly accepted.
Edelrid isn’t going into the confectionery business, but was emphasising the point that the chocolate weighed the same as its new climbing harness, the Loopo Lite.
The brand boasts it’s the world’s lightest fully-certified climbing harness. Being sticklers for accuracy, we put the Loopolade chocolate on the scales and they actually tipped them at 88g, so the harness undercuts the confectionery.
Edelrid says the Loop Lite is ideal for high Alpine ski touring, glacier crossings and weight-optimised alpinism. In other words, for uses when a simple harness suffices and every gram counts.
It said: “All of the Loopo Lite’s features are optimised to save weight. The load-bearing belt is made from ultra-light, high-strength Dyneema material, which was specially developed for this harness.
The Loopo Lite
“The four fabric gear loops are made from Dyneema cords. Detachable elasticated straps on the leg loops make it possible to put on the harness without having to remove crampons or skis.
“The double tie-in loop has reflective elements for better visibility in the dark.”
The Loopo Lite comes in small, medium and large sizes and is certified to EN 12277, C. It will sell for £60.
Edelrid also unveiled its Bulletproof hybrid carabiner, combining steel and aluminium parts to minimise wear.
It is made from aluminium with the exception of a steel reinforcement element at its vertex. This provides protection at the point that is most susceptible to abrasion.
The company said: “The Bulletproof carabiner solves one of the greatest problems experienced by sports climbers: edge wear.
The Edelrid Bulletproof carabiner
“This problem rarely occurs when using steel carabiners as this is an extremely robust and abrasion-resistant material. However, steel is also extremely heavy. As a result, rock-climbers almost exclusively use aluminium carabiners in express sets.
“The main strengths of aluminium lie in its low weight yet high strength. However, it also has the disadvantage of being highly susceptible to wear; material can be worn away by abrasion.
“When using express sets there are two particularly critical points where abrasion can occur at the carabiners’ apex: on the top carabiner, the edge of bolt hangers can create sharp ridges, while on the bottom carabiner abrasion is usually caused by the rope.
“On the bottom carabiner in particular, the apex can become so worn that a sharp edge is created, which, in the worst case scenarios, can even cut through the rope.
“On the Bulletproof carabiner, this critical point in the carabiner’s apex has been reinforced with a steel inlet. This perfectly protects the carabiner at the points where the most abrasion occurs. The rest of the carabiner is made from aluminium, so it is still light and a joy to use.”
The Bulletproof carabiner will sell for £12, with a quickdraw set available for £27.
The Edelrid Skimmer, top, is the thinnest half-rope, at just 7.1mm diameter. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
Still in climbing territory, Edelrid’s Skimmer Pro Dry 7.1mm claims another first: the thinnest half rope on the market. The Isny-based brand said: “The magical 7mm mark is the lower limit for possible half-rope diameters. In launching this rope, Edelrid once again raises the bar with regard to the possibilities of modern braiding technology and climbing rope production.
“The Skimmer Pro Dry 7.1 mm is what ultra-light fans have been dreaming of: it is doubly certified – as both a half and a twin rope – so you can lead using the half-rope technique even on complicated routes.
“With a half rope, it is also possible to follow on a single strand. Experienced alpine climbers can use the Skimmer to climb as a three-person rope team. The Skimmer Pro Dry 7.1 mm has a weight of just 36 g per metre, making it one of the lightest ropes on the market.”
Edelrid said development of the Skimmer was made possible by meticulous fine tuning when preparing the yarn as well as of the settings on the braiding machine. “Here at Edelrid, we have been braiding ropes for over 150 years.
“We know how to trim raw materials and set machines in order to explore the limits of materials and machinery. The development work resulted in a rope that enables people up in the mountains to push the limits of alpinism.”
The Skimmer Pro Dry 7.1mm also has a sheath proportion of 40 per cent, giving it a robust design for its extremely low diameter of 7.1 mm. Its water absorption is less than 2 per cent. “Thanks to the Pro Dry impregnation, it barely absorbs any water,” the company said. “This makes the Skimmer the perfect rope for lightweight alpinism: ultra-light, doubly certified and UIAA dry standard compliant.”
It will be available in 30, 50, 60, 70 and 200m lengths. A 60m rope will cost £165.
