The 10 Best Climbing Deals From MEC For Summer 2023

The original Vapor helmet set new standards for low weight, ventilation and protection, and now you can get last season’s version for a staggeringly good price. The helmet achieves its unique blend of low weight and protection by combining a sheet of Kevlar with a series of carbon rods. These components are moulded inside the EPS foam, which is covered with a thin polycarbonate shell. The result is a helmet that delivers all-around impact protection without the bulk often found in helmets with more conventional construction. A low-profile ratcheting adjustment system easily accommodates a variety of head shapes, and the replaceable headlamp clips provide a secure headlamp attachment point for early morning starts or if you get benighted.

The Super Chute takes the traditional rope bag design and updates it with an innovative funnel-like tarp. The result is a rope bag that allows for easier loading when you’re moving from route to route. The bag itself is roomy enough for an 80 m cord, and the durable aluminum G-hook closure buckles ensure easy operation. Throw in a large tarp with two tie-in points (top and bottom of the rope) and a smoking good price, and there’s no rational reason not to grab Super Chute during this sale.

If you’re looking for a lightweight, versatile and affordable belay device, look no further than the ATC Guide. This slot-style belay device allows you to belay and rappel with ropes ranging from 11 mm all the way down to 8.1 mm. This range ensures the ATC Guide is suitable for single-rope roadside cragging as well as more alpine-oriented adventures where twin or half-rope techniques may be deployed. As a bonus, the ATC Guide can also be used in assisted-braking guide mode (like a plaquette), allowing you to belay one or two climbers from the anchors on multi-pitch routes.

If you’re just getting into climbing or you want a simple and lightweight belay device for cragging and easy multi-pitch routes, consider the ATC-XP. This slot-style belay device is compatible with rope ranging from 7.7 mm all the way up to 1 1mm in diameter, and thanks to its toothed V-shape slots, it delivers a surprising amount of control and braking power for belaying and rappelling.

Sport climbing is surprisingly hard on your gear, and in particular, the biners on your quickdraws. As the top biners are getting gouged out by hangers, your bent gate rope-end biners are getting grooved out from all the lowering. At least the DMM Alpha Sport Bent Gate biner can solve half of this problem. Designed from the ground up for optimal rope clipping on challenging sport routes, the Alpha Sport Bent Gate, with its unique shape, allows the rope to drop effortlessly into the biner. And thanks to its hot-forged I-beam construction, the Alpha Sport Bent Gate clocks in at a reassuringly solid 24 kN gate closed strength, 8 kN cross-load strength and 9 kN gate open strength.

If you need a lightweight just-in-case axe for ski touring or easy mountaineering, grab yourself a Grivel Ghost. Built in Italy by Grivel, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious climbing gear manufacturers, the Ghost Ice Axe features a lightweight, slightly curved aluminum shaft with subtle grooves along the sides. These grooves create an I-beam shape which not only improves the grip, but also allows Grivel to employ thinner sidewalls (less weight) without compromising strength. The head (including the pick) is constructed from hot forged steel, ensuring excellent strength and durability while remaining sufficiently light. This is an exceptionally well-engineered ice tool at a great price.

Hangboards have been a climbing training-tool staple since the 80s. And while many companies have tried to update the basic hangboard designs of the past, few have offered any real innovation. That statement cannot be said about the Rock Prodigy board. Designed to not only offer graduated increases in hold size, the Rock Prodigy also (thanks to its unique two-piece construction) can be mounted to accommodate climbers with different shoulder widths. And when you consider that Rock Prodigy has over 30 grip positions, a skin-friendly texture and carefully radiused hold edges, it becomes evident that this is one of the best hangboards on the market today. Get one and get stronger.

The Mantra blends comfortable outdoor styling with a durable recycled nylon fabric to create a great-looking and functional climbing pant. La Sportiva adds a hint of elastane (6%) to the material for added stretch, and the articulated knees and gusseted crotch further ensure easy movement during wide stems and high-steps. Throw in a wide drawcord-adjustable elastic waistband that sits unobtrusively under a harness, and you have a great pair of climbing pants for routes or bouldering.

We get it; high-tech synthetic fabrics provide a ton of advantages over cotton, especially when you’re climbing in cold, wet conditions. But if you’re spending most of your time cragging in fairer weather or yanking on plastic in an airconditioned gym, organic cotton, with its soft hand and ability to resist absorbing odours, is actually a pretty compelling textile. It seems that La Sportiva agrees because the Fiona Tank, which is clearly targeted at sport climbing and boulderers, is built with organic cotton. The attractive tank also features a very functional racerback design as well as an attractive petal hem with side slits. This is an appropriately functional and beautiful top that is now available at a great price.

Whether you’re embarking on your first big wall or simply jugging up a fixed line to take a pic of your friend and they are working on their project, you will need ascenders. And right now, the Edelrid Hand Cruiser ascender is on sale at a great price. The Hand Cruiser features a comfortable moulded grip that large enough to use with gloved hands and has a large shelf-like area at the top, allowing climbers to grasp the ascender with both hands, a technique that’s useful for some advanced ascending systems. Edelrid specs a large clip-in point that accommodates multiple biners and also adds a second clip-in point higher up for appropriate ascender orientation during traverses and other challenging jugging situations. The stainless steel cam provides a solid bit on iced or muddy rope ranging from 8 mm all the way up to 13 mm in diameter. Get a pair for traditional big wall ascents, or grab one and mate it with a Gri Gri for jugging shorter sections of rope.

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