Words By: Madeline Cronin
Who is Sporty Spice?
This is a climber who spends their free time outside, or at their local rock climbing gym, looking for a fun new route to send. The sport climber is an endurance powerhouse, and is aware they may take a little ride should they fall (especially if above their last clip!). Sporty Spice is looked upon with admiration by other climbers, and especially people on the ground wondering why they enjoy being so high in the air.
Not sure what to get your favorite sport climber for the holidays? We're here to share some of our ideas.
(Sender One Elf Hint: Most of these items can be found at both of our locations in Santa Ana, CA and Los Angeles, CA.)
Climbing Chalk + Chalk Bag
You can never go wrong with a chalk bag! Chalk is a very important tool for a sport climber to have while they are up on a wall. With a chalk bag, they can bring their chalk with them, no matter how high they climb, and keep their hands dry for the whole climb. Sender One has a wide variety of chalk bags with unique designs and colors from brands like Static Climbing, Organic Climbing, E9, Edelrid, and Evolv!
Climbing Harness
A harness is clearly a very important piece of equipment for every sport climber. Whether your Sporty Spice is just starting out, or is in need of a harness upgrade, it is a solid gift choice. Find harnesses from Petzl, Black Diamond, and Edelrid at our Sender One Shop!
Climbing Shoes
Every climber needs a slick pair of shoes in order to zoom up the wall. As is the case with most shoes (climbing or otherwise) they can be a very personal decision, so if you don't know which ones to get, pick up a gift card online or at the front desk! Lots of outdoor retailers sell climbing shoes, and you can find some by Evolv, La Sportiva, and Scarpa at the Sender One Shop!
*Sender One offers size exchanges on unworn gear
Climbing Rope
Unless your Sporty Spice is Alex Honnold, they are going to need a climbing rope to keep them attached to the wall. For sport climbing, a good climbing rope diameter is about 9.4 mm - 9.8 mm and we require they be 50m long to climb our walls at Sender One! Find a quality rope selection from Sterling Ropes at our Sender One Shop!
Good Reads
While resting in between climbs, whether outside at the crag, or taking a break between burns at the gym, a good book is a great way to relax. There are a lot of great climbing books that double as inspiring reads! We recommend The Push by climber Tommy Caldwell, and Alone on the Wall by climber Alex Honnold. While we don't have these at Sender One, you can easily order them online through Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Advanced Lead Climbing Class
Called "Flight School at our SNA location, the advanced lead class will help your Sporty Spice improve their sport climbing skillset. The class is 2 hours long, and participants will learn improved belay techniques involving dynamic belaying, as well as get some practice and experience taking and catching some trickier falls. SNA is already booking January classes, and LAX is in the process of solidifying some dates, so visit the links below, or purchase a gift card for your favorite climber to take the class once they find a date that works for them!
For more information about Flight School at Sender One Climbing SNA, click here.
For more information about Advanced Lead Climbing at Sender One Climbing LAX click here.
Sender One Climbing SNA | Santa Ana, CA
Sender One Climbing LAX | Los Angeles, CA