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? Submitted By: Brent Butcher on Nov 18, 2010

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

better view Submitted By: Brent Butcher on Nov 18, 2010

definitely back clipped

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.

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.

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.

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?

Looks backclipped to me.

Your chalk bag is on backwards as well.

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.

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 Submitted By: Brent Butcher on Nov 18, 2010

No.

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.

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.

You spun the biner around... classic move.

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.

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!

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

You're not back clipped.

The first pic looks like it, but the belayer being to your right, the climber biner turned clockwise towards you.

The first and last pic match. You're fine dude.

You're belayer could use some work though, take in slack instead of leaving you with a dick load, as in the second pic.

On my quick draws, both biners face the same way.
Depending on which hand I'm using to clip, i face the biner the opposite way for easier rope clipping. Get in the habit of knowing your own system so you don't have to question yourself.

Sadly you also forgot to put your helmet on. Between that and your belayer, a fall surely would have ended badly back clipped or not.

But at least your rope, draws, and shirt are all color matched.

It looks like you may not be backclipped (the rope is going from the rock out) but the biner gate is facing in the wrong direction in the first photo. Remember "spine towards the line." You are traversing left and the gate is facing left. This can unclip.

Spine-toward-the-line Submitted By: Brian on Nov 18, 2010