Probably most everyone reading this knows that when climbing outside you need to hang your draws while you are leading. This is one aspect where gym and outdoor climbing really differ. Despite this big difference it seems not many people spend time thinking about how to do it best, or even if there is a correct way to do it. As it turns out, how you hang your draws may actually make a difference in how safe your climb is. The other morning I made a quick video to demonstrate this. So, watch the video below to see how something as seemingly basic actually requires a bit of thought. As always, please click "Comments" below and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Monday, September 3, 2012
HANGING QUICKDRAWS
Probably most everyone reading this knows that when climbing outside you need to hang your draws while you are leading. This is one aspect where gym and outdoor climbing really differ. Despite this big difference it seems not many people spend time thinking about how to do it best, or even if there is a correct way to do it. As it turns out, how you hang your draws may actually make a difference in how safe your climb is. The other morning I made a quick video to demonstrate this. So, watch the video below to see how something as seemingly basic actually requires a bit of thought. As always, please click "Comments" below and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
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Good job Issac. One point that I have done in the past is to use a locking carabiner on the first bolt and sometimes on a bolt that is in a critical spot (usually means I am feeling sketched). Also if I am feeling desperate I clip anyway I can and then fix things before moving past. Kind of like at Seneca where you read about the pitons placed many years ago and not to use them. That is until you are feeling the need when actually climbing and come across an old piton and clip it "just in case". Physco pro I guess. Nice video.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thoughts Mike! I totally agree, and should have mentioned this in the video, that if you are in a desperate spot go ahead and do whatever you can to get the roped clipped.
ReplyDeletenice video, Issac. Is there ever a time when you think the opposite-facing carabiner set-up would be justified, or needed?
ReplyDeleteIt certainly could be justified if there is a protrusion/hold on on the wall where the gates of both biners (in a same-facing set up) would hit it and potentially open up. But otherwise, I really think the same-facing set up is better, because with the opposite-facing setup unless the climb is perfectly straight up then you are guaranteed to have one of the gates potentially affected by either the rock/wall or the bolt.
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