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marknd
Jan 5, 2003, 6:44 AM
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Can someone please define "back-clipping".
Related question: While clipping on sport routes, it seems that the top biner of the draw must face parallell to the rock (ie - cannot face out from rock). So then there is no wrong way to clip the top biner. Is this correct?
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duskerhu
Jan 5, 2003, 8:59 AM
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Hey Mark, good questions... When you're clipping the rope through a draw as you climb, the rope should come up from the belayer to the rock and out through the biner to your harness tie in.
Its kind of hard to relate in writting but this may be easier to picture...
If you clip a draw to a bolt hanger and pull the draw straight out, perpendicular from the rock, the rope should come straight up through the biner to your harness. Now, if you let the biner go (in its relaxed "hang down" position) the rope comes from your belayer, up the rock, through the rock-side of the biner and out to your harness tie in.
This is the proper way to clip.
Back-clipping is clipping the rope backwards through that biner. Meaning the rope would come up the rock and through the "air side" of the biner towards the rock and back around to your harness tie in. If you were a foot above the bolt at this point and now pulled the draw straight out from the rock, you'd see that the rope is going through the biner the wrong way and your draw would be twisted.
This is potentially dangerous because when back-clipped, if you fall and load that biner with the rope, there is a chance that the rope could cross the gate, effectively opening it and the rope pulling through.
As to your second question, sometimes it does matter and sometimes it doesn't matter which way the top biner on the draw is clipped.
On most sport routes, bolt hangers are placed at an angle and these are the times when it will matter most which way the biner is clipped. If the hanger is in a horizontal orientation, it will matter less (because theory is that the biner will slide/turn toward the direction you'd need it).
Generally, you want the gate of your top biner facing away from the direction you are climbing. Meaning, if you come to a bolt and know that you are going to be climbing to the right of it, you want to clip that bolt so the gate of the biner is facing left. The reasoning here is that as you climb to the right of that bolt, the rope drag on the biner causes the draw to come up and basically point right which will, if clipped correctly, position the spine of the biner in the hole of the hanger.
If you were to clip this with the gate facing right, as the biner comes up, the gate slides into the hanger hole. If you fall at this point (with the biners gate lodged in the hanger hole), you're at a greater risk of experiencing BINER FAILURE! (at this devices weak link; its gate) and possibly a long, deep dirt nap...
There will be times when you climb to the right of that bolt and before you get to the next bolt, you have to traverse to the left of the previous bolt (WHOLY BOLT USAGE Batman ). Depending on the hangers orientation, the biners gate may or may not flip into the hanger hole. The best advice is to be aware of your gear and direction at all times and know the risks you are taking.
Wow, talk about long winded... If you have any questions, PM me and I'll try again...
Live Free!
Play Hard!
Climb On!
duskerhu
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easysteve
Jan 5, 2003, 10:38 AM
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Man, that's a little confusing.
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one900johnnyk
Jan 5, 2003, 2:46 PM
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it hought it was a very good description. and way to poitn out the reasoning behind it instead of just telling him to have the climber's side of the rope come out through the front of the biner w/o an explanation. good lookin out, husker du
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deafclimber
Jan 5, 2003, 3:59 PM
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see this link.
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/bd/instructions_biners.html
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marknd
Jan 5, 2003, 5:15 PM
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Thanks a lot. This helped (after reading it 1/2 dozen times, biners in hand)
This site's a great source.
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jomamazaho
Jan 11, 2003, 6:59 AM
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the link two or three replies above seemed to help me a lot. Thanks to who ever posted that one.
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duskerhu
Jan 11, 2003, 11:21 AM
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Hey, that is a good link deafclimber!
Wish I'd had that when I wrote my reply... It is kind of hard to explain without pics or in person...
duskerhu
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woodse
Jan 11, 2003, 3:25 PM
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Here's another good illustration link:
http://www.climbing.com/Pages/rockcraft/Sport/sport_image_pages/sport-fig01.html
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pelliott
Jan 17, 2003, 3:49 AM
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I don't like that last picture because the bolt is clipped backwards. The gate on the bolt should be facing to the right on both pictures if indeed the leader is climbing in the direction of the arrow. The movement of the draw could open the gate on the bolt.
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marknd
Jan 17, 2003, 6:10 PM
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elliot,
So according you your way of thinking, the gates of both biners should be facing the same direction (ie- away from the direction I'm climbing towards). Makes sense, but then why do you always see quick draws with their gates facing in opposite directions? For example when you buy them.
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pelliott
Feb 16, 2003, 7:05 AM
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That is a good question Mark. The only reason I can think of is that maybe not all of the clipping issues have spread to the whole industry. Black Diamond and Petzl seem to be on top of things more than the rest of the manufacturers.
[ This Message was edited by: pelliott on 2003-02-16 00:47 ]
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jt512
Feb 16, 2003, 7:54 PM
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Quote:
So according you your way of thinking, the gates of both biners should be facing the same direction (ie- away from the direction I'm climbing towards).
That is correct.
Quote:
Makes sense, but then why do you always see quick draws with their gates facing in opposite directions?
You don't. Quickdraws with gates opposed was the traditional setup. However, safety concerns caused sport climbers to start setting up their draws with the gates facing the same direction some years ago. It has only been in the last couple of years that gear manufacturers have started to "get it." BD switched a couple of years ago, announcing the change and explaining the rationale in their catalogue, and Petzl's technical manual now states that the same-side orientation is the correct setup.
-Jay
[ This Message was edited by: jt512 on 2003-02-16 11:58 ]
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