Clipstick tricks
As you’ll see from my Route of the Month below, there’s a little bit of a sports climbing theme this month. So, here’s a little tip involving the use of a ‘cheat-stick’, or ‘clip-stick’ to give it its proper name.
Suppose you have just completed a sports climb and had used the clip-stick to clip the first bolt. Your partner now wants to lead the route but, like you, with the first bolt already clipped.
Start to pull your rope down, having left all the quick draws in place. Just before the tail of the rope reaches the lower-off point at the top, pause and reach up with the clip-stick and twist the head of the stick around the rope just above the first bolt. Now pull the rope using the clip-stick.
The last bit of the rope will run through the lower-off and it will whistle down to the ground leaving the first bolt already clipped and ready to climb. Voilà.
