stick cliping
Question
how do i stick clip to reach the first bolt?
Answer
Dear Mark---Good Question---First, about the clip----a stickclip can be homemade or, now bought. I have made mine using PVC poles, a hole drill in the end, and a biner fitted to the hole. In this case, the biner must be rigged so the gate will open. With mine, I put a short sling in the biner, anda second loose biner at the low end. When I am ready to clip, I loop the climbing rope through the lower biner, and wa-la, the rope is clipped. The problem with this method is that you end up with this long pole hanging from the first bolt, possible obstructly the rock.
I have also seen homemade clips using clips from Home Depot mounted at the end. The clips/clamps are the knind used to hold together wood for gluing, and they are about 4"-6" long. In this scenario, you clip a biner/draw to the clip and send it up to the bolt. Once clipped, I presume you yank your clip away, leaving the rope clipped through the biner at the bolt.
I also imagine you could buy one of the long-armed grasping devices sold to seniors/disabled. You see them at pharmacies. They have a grasping "hand," so you could see how these work.
Nowadays, major climbing stores all sell manufactured stickclips. I think "Trango" makes one. These are engineered, and work as described---biner in clip, rope in biner, arm set to bolt, clip biner, retract stickclip.
For more on climbing safety, please see, my book, "Ultrasafe, A Guide to Safer Rock Climbing," available at Amazon.com.
Good Luck
George Allen
Beginning rock climbing
Gettitng Started