Ice tool umbilicals

[Dane]

With the invention and popularity of leashless climbing a once condemmed and decades old climbing tool has come back. While they are not mandatory, they are in vogue. It has been over 35 years since I saw the first pair of umbilicals in use.

 

Umbilicals being used on Polar Circus in the winter of 1979.

 

 

Back in the late '70s and into the early '80s umbilicals were looked upon as a weak man's crutch. Mostly thought of as something the Canadians used (but never really did much) to aid sections of rotten, cold and really steep ice. We can blame all that on Bugs McKeith inventing the idea of ice aid while putting up some of today's modern classics, like Nemisis and Polar Circus. Just two among his many, many difficult ice climbs. Most visiting American climbers thought they were way ahead of the game by not using umbilicals while running up the first "free" ascents of the Canadian test pieces. Few outside Canada really made the "first free" ascents many claimed. Canadians had already been there on most of them and didn't fight back the cat calls.

 

No Internet back in the day so info was often sketchy and incomplete or just a fubar rumor. It was hard to keep track. Of course not every one used umbilicals even back then. But a few did. 1st and 2nd ascents of Slipstream did.

 

Jim Elzinga photo on the 1st ascent of Slipstream

 

They were not used for aid or for hanging to place screws. Although when required you could do either. The real use was to save your ass if you happen to fall. Hopefully an umbilical would keep you on the ice. BITD leads were long and run out. Ice screws could be hard, difficult or just plain impossible to get in, depending on the ice and out side temps. Weighting your umbilicals are a way to save the 2nd's strength while pulling screws if you can deal with that idea ethically.

 

No one sane thought the idea of falling with tools and crampons OK. Falling on the old gear generally required a hospital stay or worse.

 

Once I switched from Chouinard curved tools to a set of Terrodactyls for technical ice I seldom climbed without at least one umbilical attached to my harness or swami. As the tools changed the old umbilicals generally went straight on the new tools. Big jumps from Terros, Clog, Chacal, Pulsar.

 

Pretty simple change as mine were just a set of tied 9/16" nylon tube webbing.

 

The first manufactured umbilicals I saw..years later... where done up by Grivel. The "Grivel, Double Sping Leash" with a mini wire gate "biner" specifically designed for the task. While leashless tools really hadn't caught up with the possibilities yet, Grivel umbilicals were seen on some pretty amazing climbs often used by climbers sponsored by competing tool companies. The umbilical had finally "arrived". But no one outside a tiny circle of hardcore alpine climbers really knew it yet.

 

South America

 

I worry more about dropping a leashless tool, than I do falling off. But when you can protect yourself from both mistakes it makes sense to ante up and use that protection. More than one really good climber has poked fun at me because of my support of umbilicals. More climbs and climbers I admire used umbilicals and have been suggesting you do as well.

 

http://www.psychovertical.com/?doublespringleash

 

http://cascadeclimbers.com/alpine/colin-haley-alpinism-hardware-part-two

Alaska

Chamonix

Alaska

Canadian Rockies

Alaska

Alaska

Candian Rockies

Alaska

Nepal

Thanks to all for unknowingly donating their photos for this post.

 

 

Easiest way to get yourself a pair of umbilicals is by reading Dave's web site and making your own. Good stuff!!

 

http://www.alpinedave.com/leashless_rig.htm

 

 

The second way is buy a pair of the commercially made ones.

 

Grivel offers several versions and Black Diamond offers their "Spinner" unit.

For what it costs to make a "good" pair of umbilicals both Black Diamond and Grivel offer real value imo.

 

Here is some detail on what I use and my observations.

 

 

 

Grivel was my first commercial set. I was lucky enough to get the original Grivel 3KN mini biner version with a girth hitch atatchment. Not a big fan of the mini locking version out now. Or a biner attachment to the harness. Good elastic and webbing that attaches to the harness by a girth hitch (small loop is passed through harness belay loop and tails are feed back through and out the small loop cinching tight on the belay loop) Very simple. Length is shorter than some seem to like but if I sit down on the leashes (6'1 and normal ape index) at full extention for both tools the Grivel leash will allow my tools to be out of reach. Just barely so, but still out of reach. It is durable.

 

Black Diamond had dozens of Spinner Leash prototypes out the last couple of years for real world testing and feedback. Again I was lucky enough to get a pair of those and used them a lot. Better yet for good feedback, I let all my partners use them.

 

 

Only thing I can see that has changed in the Spinner leash is the over all length has been shortened on the current version. I've seen current reviews commenting that the BD Spinner leash set up is now too short. Trust me? The Spinner IS NOT too short for anyone under 6'8" and a huge ape index that I know! The "too short" comment doesn't make sense unless the reviewer is mistakenly writing about a short early prototype?

 

If you happen to fall on the Spinner you'll have some work cut out for you getting back to your tools. The Grivel set up is managable but only just. The Spinner will make you work for a living it you weight it unprepared. But if you are using the most modern ice climbing techniques you should be stacking your tools on top of each other which should help. You'll need the extra reach to accomplish that and still have only a short fall for your Spinner to catch. It is a tough balancing act to get the right umbilical length and still get it to do everything required of it.

 

If you need to weight your tools intentionally, you had better stack them or you'll not be able to reach a tool using either brand name.

 

While I like simple and wasn't impressed with the swivel of the Spinner originally, everyone else that used mine was. I've come to accept its advantages over time. And no question having a leash set up that avoids all the tangles and twists that will come with umbilicals is an advantage. Grivel no longer offers their 3KN wire gate mini biner version. On the other hand BD took notes and then used them on all the details. BD uses a proprietary hydrophobic webbing, a over built mini swivel and mini wire gate biner that will fit most tools head and spikes. It is a good piece of kit. And would cost a small fortune to duplicate in the same quality.

 

I try to climb smart and if a technical ice tool goes in my pack so does a umbilical system. See ya out there!

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Typically use umbilicals for alpine climbing (alpinedave style), but left them on the ground yesterday thinking I wouldnt be leading any hardish pitches. Ended up leading some thin ice and mixed, and found that I didnt really like not having the umbilicals, as the fear of a dropped tool is disconcerting. I dont mind so much on pure ice with solid sticks. Anyhow, lesson learned and I'll keep em on me in the future.

[kurthicks]

Great post Dane.

 

Although Grivel doesn't offer their spring leashes directly, they are available from Needle Sports in the UK. Needle obtains the supplies from Grivel and manufactures them according to Grivel specs. I got a double spring leash from them two years ago, long after Grivel officially stopped producing them. After shipping it cost about the same as if I had bought it off the shelf here in N. America.

 

http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Axes_33.html

 

[img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RUjVxScF49w/Rrde1CzeOcI/AAAAAAAAAB0/FPamRsF0oeQ/s640/P2030010.JPG[/img]

 

[Stopgo]

If anyone's interested in the Grivels, I picked up my pair at Feathered Friends last spring.

[montypiton]

I'll admit, as I made the transition away from leashes, it was several seasons, (and dropped tools - I can be a slow learner) before I returned to umbilicals. I tried incorporating a swivel into my homebuilt unit, and broke the damn swivel first time I weighted it! Now I'm back to just a length of cord or web approximately 1.5 times my ape index, simply girth-hitched to my harness's belay loop at the webs midpoint. A Camp nano carabiner attaches a tool to each end. Simple & cheap, and I can't say I miss the swivel anyway. A length of shock-cord threaded through 9/16 web makes a stretchy version which reduces klusterfactor considerably. Since we already own carabiners, the only expense is the 8' or so of web, and possibly the length of shock-cord you thread through it if you choose to do that. So there's really no excuse for not having your tools attached to you!

[Dane]

Think I posted this before. Last season I picked up 7 tools...5 of them Nomics....all dropped. Some lost to the original owners forever. And I saw two good whippers. (30+ feet) All things a pair of umbilicals would have prevented.

 

This I forgot to add.

The BD Spinner should be available at any BD dealer soon enough and on line now.

 

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/climb/technical-ice-tools/spinner-leash?gclid=CMXy8f2OoJ4CFSReagod9mcUmQ

 

The current version from Grivel is in stock and available now from Mtn Tools in Carmel CA. "Order up ANY Grivel items - as we (Mtn Tools) are the factories mail order agents in North America.

 

http://www.mtntools.com/index.html

 

[ColinB]

The Spinners are available already but BD is regularly running through their stock of them. Special orders or reserving them through shops is the easiest/only way to get your mitts on a pair it seems.

 

If you're in Portland, Climb Max just got some in and had a couple left after special orders.

[Davis]

I bought the BD spinner leash--I thought it would be too short when first using them since there is a little tension with my arm outstretched, but ended up quickly getting used to that and appreciated the lack of a dangling cord. I recommend them.