Stick clips

[Knottygirl]

SO the past few weekends that I've been at Smith all I see are people hauling around stick clips. Now I guess I can see a newbie using one to clip the first bolt....I was guilty of that one time! But when you use it to clip the second....third....forth...bolt! I saw some guy hauling it up with him and clip the anchors! I can see working on projects but I don't think these peeps were.

[spotly]

I guess I have mixed feeling about that. Not everyone wants to lead - if they wanted to top rope but couldn't walk to the top or they didn't have someone to lead it for them, I guess I could kinda see that. To each their own. But if they're out to lead and think that's what they're doing, they're fooling themselves. As for me, never used one and probably never will cause I'm too cheap to buy one just to clip an occasional first bolt that's "too high." If I'm not comfy leading without it, I just wouldn't do it or I'd see if my partner wanted to go up and set it up for top roping for me. JMHO.

[kevbone]

I made a stick clip. Cost about $10. Got the supplies from Home Depot. I have used it a few times. Never at Smith. Have you ever been feeling really good and tried to lead something at your limit and not been able to finish it. I have. In these circumstances. Its nice to have a stick clip to get to the top of the climb and not have to leave gear. Once again. To each your own.

[catbirdseat]

Sometimes the first bolts at Smith are pretty darn far off the ground, but once you've clipped the first, you are protected until you clip the second. I can see wanting to be protected from groundfall, but wanting to avoid falling altogether? That's silly.

[selkirk]

I had one that sat in my closet for a good long while before I gave it away. There are some routes down there athat justify it IMHO. BBQ the Pope is probably the classic. It's solid 10b climbing for the whole thing, from the move off the ground to the top. But for a 10b climber, that first bolt is way the hell of the ground and well within broken ankle/leg land if you fall getting there. But then again i'm awfully risk averse.

[dan_forester]

the one time my partner & I had a stick clip along at smith, I noticed that it made me an even more timid climber than usual. I found myself wanting to clip the first bolt on everything. while I don't blame folks for using them, I think that it doesn't get me in the right mental state for leading.

[Stella]

Don't be so hard on yourselves. The majority of hard climbs in the world (8b+ and up) are redpointed with at least 2 bolts clipped. And have you ever put in time on Scarface, for instance? There used to be a stick clip permanently stored under the Scarface Swing rock for stick clipping up to the hip scum bolt to work the lower half on TR. It ain't fun, doesn't sound very styley, but everybody does it at some point.

[hemp22]

I tend to agree - while it's often considered to be not the best style at a lot of places, stick clips are generally accepted and widely used at Smith. If other people want to use them on every climb, let 'em do it - but you don't have to conform and use one yourself. And I also agree that regular use of one can actually be bad for your lead head....

I don't carry one with me, but I'll admit that there are a couple times when it was nice to have one nearby so that I could avoid leaving a bail biner when I was too tired/pumped/cold/sweaty/hungry/weak/fat to pull through a crux...

[kevbone]

redpointed with at least 2 bolts clipped.

 

Thats not a redpoint!

[catbirdseat]

These are different times. Dwayner and Pope might have had something to say on this thread by now!

[Mr_Phil]

I had one that sat in my closet for a good long while before I gave it away. There are some routes down there athat justify it IMHO. BBQ the Pope is probably the classic. It's solid 10b climbing for the whole thing, from the move off the ground to the top. But for a 10b climber, that first bolt is way the hell of the ground and well within broken ankle/leg land if you fall getting there. But then again i'm awfully risk averse.

 

There's an easy 5.9 crack to the left which leads to the same anchors. No stick clip needed.

[kevbone]

 

There's an easy 5.9 crack to the left which leads to the same anchors. No stick clip needed.

 

I agree its 5.9, but I believe its rated 10.a in the book.

[selkirk]

It's a 5.9 crack, but the face moves at the top are 10a. And I've done that too.

[catbirdseat]

That would be New Testament.

[kevbone]

And I've done that too.

 

Wow, your cool.

[counterfeitfake]

I use a stick clip at Smith when I don't want to break my leg falling off the v4 start to a 5.10a climb.

[RuMR]

what about his "cool"?

[selkirk]

And I've done that too.

 

Wow, your cool.

 

Only when held up to your shining example.

[counterfeitfake]

or I don't want to land on the dog and five noobs at the bottom of the route.

[beecher]

Saw a couple older gentlemen climbing in the owens river gorge a few years ago, they stick-clipped all the way up the arete on the gorgeous pillar. My first thought was "that's lame!", but then I realized I was stuck climbing the low quality 8's & 9's there while these guys were enjoying a classic I wasn't ready to lead. It would have been harder to watch if someone was waiting to get on the route, but then they probably would have offered it up so they wouldn't have to lead it. I'll add "a time and a place for everything" to the already popularized "to each his own".

My solution has been to work on improving my climbing, since I don't want to make myself a target for crag bullies by being seen with a stick clip.

 

[kevbone]

And I've done that too.

 

Wow, your cool.

 

Only when held up to your shining example.

 

Shine on you crazy selkirk!

[billcoe]

SO the past few weekends that I've been at Smith all I see are people hauling around stick clips.

 

 

....I was guilty of that one time!

Guilty!

 

But when you use it to clip the second....third....forth...bolt! I saw some guy hauling it up with him and clip the anchors!

 

 

I can see working on projects but I don't think these peeps were.

 

[ilookeddown]

Stick clips are a result of poor bolting. Smith being the exception due to the erosion at the base of the walls. My first trip down there I climbed Relelations and even though 5.9, that first bolt is sure a long way up. If a route is bolted, it should always protect a possible injury.

 

If you want to stick clip a route good for you, but you may be missing out on the true rush of climbing. (sport)

 

[G-spotter]

i'd like to spray about how pure i am and how if you can't boulder the opening moves you shouldn't do the route, which is what i believe, but the fact is a couple years ago i borrowed a stick clip for 9 Gallon Buckets. yep, i am a sorry excuse for a human. I should have just killed myself and saved the world another 15,000 posts

[chris]

Stick clips are a result of poor bolting. Smith being the exception due to the erosion at the base of the walls. My first trip down there I climbed Relelations and even though 5.9, that first bolt is sure a long way up. If a route is bolted, it should always protect a possible injury.

 

If you want to stick clip a route good for you, but you may be missing out on the true rush of climbing. (sport)

 

Arguing about how well a route should be bolted is a topic here at cc.com with a long, colored, and...well...pretty beat history. Fact is, there are routes at Smith and elsewhere with a grey area of hard moves right off the deck, but a bolt wouldn't keep the leader from decking. One example I can think of off-hand is a 5.10 at Mt. Erie, with an ugly tumble if you pop of the opening moves (possibly off the bench). I found a suitable branch and stick clipped that first bolt!