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To backclip or not to backclip

Original Post
Brent Butcher · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 275

I recently got back from a trip to Red Rocks and was greeted with tons of criticism when I entered my local climbing gym. People believed that I backclipped the first bolt. I am trying to defend myself and my honor. I even have more evidence to prove that I am not guilty, but for now, I want you (Mountain Project Members) to be the judge.

backclipped or not?

Brent Butcher · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 275

Here is another photo. Note* It is the first quickdraw

better view

Phil Lauffen · · Innsbruck, AT · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 3,098

definitely back clipped

J. Albers · · Colorado · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,926

Its hard to see from your first photo, but there are only two options...

If your draws are setup so that:

a) both biner gates face the same direction (to the climbers right in your photo), then yes, you are backclipped

or

b) your draws are facing opposing directions, i.e. the rope end biner, when lying flat against the rock, faces to the climbers left (and the draw is NOT twisted 180 degrees), then no, you are not backclipped.

...and if I was going to guess, I would say it looks like your are indeed backclipped in the first photo. Question for you: do you own Freedom of the Hills? Perhaps you should get a copy, because it would answer this and tons of other questions that anyone stepping off the dirt should probably know.

Andy Hansen · · Longmont, CO · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 3,130

Sometimes those BD draws get a bit twisted. It's hard for me to tell from these photos. It looks like in the first photo you are backclipped and in the 2nd you are not.

Nathan Scherneck · · Portland, OR · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 2,370

Yo Brent, you shouldn't need to post a photo on MP to figure out if you'd backclipped. It should feel wrong as soon as you clip. I suggest practicing clipping techniques until you've got them dialed. Won't take too long.

Tits McGee · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 260

What's your belayer saying to you? "Dude, you are totally back clipped."

If you have the gates on your draws facing the same way - you are. If they face opposite you ain't...

Your Profile says you can climb 10 trad, shouldn't you have clipping down at that level?

Erik W · · Santa Cruz, CA · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 280

Looks backclipped to me.

coloradotomontana Erley · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 75

Your chalk bag is on backwards as well.

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

definitely looks like you butchered that first clip, although on the plus side, at least the rope would be molesting the beam side and not the gate side if you peeled.

Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0
Pat Erley wrote:Your chalk bag is on backwards as well.
Agree, chalk bag is definitely back clipped.

Please refer to my post in the dumb things climbers have said thread.
mountainproject.com/v/gener…

@slim ... very clever.
Brent Butcher · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 275

Yes, my chalk bag bag is on backwards, a strap broke on it the day before on Mescalito (Cat in the Hat). I just put it on real quick.

Before I climbed the route, my belayer, photographer and myself looked at the first quickdraw for 5 minutes before determining that this was the proper way to clip the rope to the first quickdraw. My point is that looks can be deceiving. You can clearly see that it is not backclipped. This is the last pic I am posting.

final picture

I caught so much flak from my local gym. This photo helped save face, so to my credit do I deserve to have my honor restored?

Ryan Kelly · · work. · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 2,960

No.

Erik W · · Santa Cruz, CA · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 280
Brent Butcher wrote:This photo helped save face, so to my credit do I deserve to have my honor restored?
You might have, that is until you admitted it took three of you 5min to determine the first clip on a pretty plumb-line route.
Nathan Scherneck · · Portland, OR · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 2,370

So why start this thread by posting the two not-so-good pics and leave out the one that answers the question?

You could've done two laps on that route in 5mins.

Goran Lynch · · Alpine Meadows, CA · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 6

The most interesting aspect of this thread is that there's a gym full of backseat climbers who have incredible ESP! You enter the room and SHAZAAM they know how you clipped while climbing elsewhere.

Remarkable.

Luke to Zuke · · Anchorage · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 220

You spun the biner around... classic move.

Rick Blair · · Denver · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 266

How does you changing direction and not being back clipped in the last picture negate the fact that you are back clipped in the first? What am I missing?

Edit: I see, the gates are facing the opposite direction.

Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711

At first blush, it looks backclipped, because its hard to see which direction the draw is twisted.

I always tend to try to face the gates of my carabiners away from the direction of travel. Ie, opposite how the rope would run if I popped off. Had you done that, it would have been much easier to tell if you backclipped, I'd think.

Yeah, chalk bag on backwards ha ha.

Also, your belayer is belaying palm up with his brake hand in a position that wouldn't hold a fall...

-1 for the belayer's loafters with white socks, too. That's a fashion faux pas. Even if they're those ratty looking things Sharma shills for...(har har).

Cheers!

Choss Chasin' · · Torrance, CA · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 25
Brian in SLC wrote: Also, your belayer is belaying palm up with his brake hand in a position that wouldn't hold a fall... -1 for the belayer's loafters with white socks, too. That's a fashion faux pas. Even if they're those ratty looking things Sharma shills for...(har har). Cheers!
Look on the bright side Brent had you fallen and decked it would have been your belayers fault! I saw a guy try to catch a fall with that hand orientation and ended up dropping climber and sustaining massive rope burns on both hands (since he was trying to grab the strand going up with left hand). Freedom of the hills, and, "Mountaineers Handbook", (the latter being kind of techy) are both good resources if your trying to break out of your plastic pulling gym world!
Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0

what i said was dickish - good for you for climbing and welcome to MP.com.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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