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General Climbing Discussion

Author

Clipping technique

Pretzel

20-Jan-2008
11:25:50 AM

Whilst watching Chris Sharma on Dreamcatcher on Dosage 4 I was fascinated to note how fast he clipped. It was almost a continuous movement, not unlike a bowler delivering a flipper. I curently clip by putting my middle finger at the base of the biner, and holding the rope with my thumb and my thumb pushes the rope through the gate. Others hold the back of the gate. What is the consensus on the most efficient way to clip?

gordoste

20-Jan-2008
1:32:17 PM

i don't really think about it too much, but i am pretty sure i loop the rope over my thumb and use the index & middle fingers to steady the biner as i clip (pushing against the spine of the biner). this definitely works well on overhanging climbs but on slabs it seems to be a little trickier. however i don't mind as it's easier to hang around on a slab.

evanbb

20-Jan-2008
5:42:04 PM

I usually flip the biner back over the right way, then try an get it back out of the crack. Sometimes it takes 2 hands. Then I hold the rope up at the biner and try and remember which side is out, which is in, and where I'm going to go next. Sometimes I like to grab the rope from below my last piece too.

tmarsh

20-Jan-2008
5:55:37 PM

On 20/01/2008 Pretzel wrote:
>What is the consensus on the most efficient way to clip?

Grab the draw with both hands and let it take your weight. If you are pumped, take the opportunity to shake out. Clip the rope.

rightarmbad

20-Jan-2008
6:19:20 PM

Clip in hard to your piece and then use 2 hands to clip whilst milking the rest for all it's worth...

tmarsh

20-Jan-2008
6:53:08 PM

On 20/01/2008 rightarmbad wrote:
>Clip in hard to your piece and then use 2 hands to clip whilst milking
>the rest for all it's worth...

See. Now that's exactly the sort of advice that makes Chockstone such a valuable resource.

muki

20-Jan-2008
7:07:42 PM

On 20/01/2008 Pretzel wrote:
> clip by putting my middle finger at the base of the biner, and holding the rope with my thumb
>and my thumb pushes the rope through the gate.
or
> hold the back of the gate.

I use both methods depending on what the gate is doing (facing left or right) get used to doing it both
ways with both left and right hands, that way you will never be caught short, hang a biner from a
convenient item such as a veranda post and sit down to practice, one hand rope in same hand rope
out then swap hands rope in rope out (I find the easiest way to get the rope out is to bend it against
the gate, as it would do if back clipped, then pull the rope "pop" out it comes practice every day for a
half our or so and you to will have sharma like reflexes and clipping style. BP

cruze

20-Jan-2008
7:54:41 PM

I wouldn't mind knowing whether the middle finger in the bottom of the draw is allowed in climbing comps? Seems a strong climber could use the technique to gain a pretty handy mono... The other technique may provide a little less assistance.

On a personal note, depending on how sketched I am it can range from an elegant fluidic gliding movement to an all out shaking shove-and-hope in the direction of the biner.

rolsen1

20-Jan-2008
8:13:54 PM

Test the bolt (by hanging on to it for a while), make sure it is ok then.....

>Grab the draw with both hands and let it take your weight. If you are
>pumped, take the opportunity to shake out. Clip the rope.

belayslave

20-Jan-2008
10:40:23 PM

On 20/01/2008 cruze wrote:
>I wouldn't mind knowing whether the middle finger in the bottom of the
>draw is allowed in climbing comps? Seems a strong climber could use the
>technique to gain a pretty handy mono... The other technique may provide
>a little less assistance.

This is something i've thought of on a number of occasions while fullfilling my duties as belayslave.
There are currently no rules against any kind of clipping - apart outlining the position allowed for being
furthest above the draw prior to clipping.

I'm sure if someone wanted to stir up a s**t storm they could make an appeal at a competition to see
what the head judge would say. Wonder how you can actually test/prove it though.?

evanbb

21-Jan-2008
7:17:53 AM

On 20/01/2008 belayslave wrote:
>I Wonder how you can actually test/prove
>it though.?

By hanging electronic strain gauges on the back of each ring bolt. If the load approaches 30% of your body weight you're cheating.

belay bunny

23-Jan-2008
9:11:19 PM

look at catalogue Petzl, Pretzel, and all the prestidigitation of the arcane art of clipping will be revealed.

richardo

23-Jan-2008
9:34:06 PM

Chiselling is better than drilling

dreamingof8a

29-Jan-2008
10:02:01 PM

Climb high enough so that you can push the biner against the rope

rod

30-Jan-2008
7:05:27 AM

i had trouble clipping for ages with my index getting caught all the time: last season i changed all my biners to a slightly bigger, more fat finger friendly design and the problem went away...i'm still a crap climber though.

There are 15 messages in this topic.