Petzl Adjama Harness Climbing Gear Review - By Tom

I’ve used the PETZL Adjama climbing harness for a number of years in its various iterations and it's a pretty staple bit of climbing gear on the scene.  With the latest model I’ve been impressed with its ability to haul gear as well as be super comfortable. It’s got five gear loops of varying sizes making it is super easy to organise your rack. It’s adjustable leg loops also offer a much wider range of movement. The main thing about this climbing harness is its versatility. It can go from hauling quite a large rack on long multipitch climbs, to alpine, to just general light weight sport climbing and gym climbing.

PROS

• SUPER COMFORTABLE – For when you’re left waiting around, or even just resting, the quality of padding the PETZL Adjama has in its waistbelt and leg loops can make all the difference, and for many is the deciding factor between this and a cheaper harness.
• ADJUSTABILITY – The waist belt has a huge range of adjustability, but the big point here is the leg loops. Having adjustable leg loops is an unbeatable perk and marks a big difference between this and other high-performance harnesses. Ultimately, I’ve found that having leg loops customised to fit my leg improves my flexibility and performance while climbing.
• GEAR LOOPS – With 5 gear loops of varying sizes, but you’ll notice that they are larger than most other harnesses. You have ample room to haul gear up, and each loop is shaped for easy clipping and unclipping on the go.

CONS

• There’s not really any cons for me. If you wanted to be picky you could say that it is slightly heavier than some other sport climbing specific harnesses but the features and comfort certainly justify the couple extra grams for me.

THE VERDICT

The Adjama is the perfect choice for all climbers from beginners to advance who are looking for a versatile harness that is well suited to different types of climbing. This will cover gym climbing, sport, trad and alpine easily. I’ve found it difficult to justify buying a different model when it comes time to buy a new harness. Nothing I’ve tried can beat the comfort and flexibility I’ve found in the Adjama.

By: Tom Hetherington-Welch (Mountain Equipment Sydney staffer)