Are leashed tools obsolete?

I'm wondering what people's opinions are on this. I personally climb with leashless tools, and have never tried leashed tools, but I'm interested to know what people think. Is leashless the only way to go these days, or are there still good reasons to use leashed tools?

I think the majority of people prefer to climb leashless in most circumstances. However there are sometimes when leashes are very good idea. Multi-pitch climbs where a dropped tool means you have to bail off the route, or a dropped tool means you're hitting your belayer and multiple parties below you. I was climbing in Michigan for the Ice Fest back in February and a lot of the climbs are over Lake Superior if you drop your tool it's going in the water and you're not getting it back. When making this decision I weigh the cons of the inconvenience of dropping a tool on that particular route versus the inconvenience of having leashes. Also Murphy's Law will tell you that as soon as you don't have leashes you will drop your tools...

You will never convince someone who has never climbed with leashes, but soloing ice routes using leashes is a pretty positive experience. Especially long Alpine routes where a straiter shaft tool is best choice. With no pro to set and little reason to change tools from one hand to another, it is pretty ideal and zero strain.

BD spinner leash-a great compromise when using leashless tools. I usually refer to it as a "tether" since it's quite different than a traditional leash. I've still never dropped a tool, but it gives me peace of mind and I typically use them on anything over a pitch.

Assuming you're using tools with modern ergonomic grips and we're discussing vertical ice and mixed climbing (as opposed to an alpine route where being able to plunge a straight shaft is nice) I think you're going to have a hard time convincing anyone to go back to traditional leashes. I used to have tools set up with the leashes that could unclip and while they were a nice variation to leashes still a pain to use.

i was never fan of a leash but almost always use a tether. A couple of years ago my partner was busting on my tethers at the belay as a guide was ripping up a route to our left with the same anchor, and dropped his nomic at the crux i tossed him mine as we rapped past. Another time a couple pitches up at the lake on a sunny 60 mph wind day, while he was counting screws leaving the belay a diff partner and i watched his axe do a 180, he always rocks the tethers now. 

I can climb a little better with leashes when I'm not in as good of shape. It's not as fun and it's more crap to deal with, but I can get up stuff I shouldn't.

I have seen a lot of dropped tools. Mostly it's in a dry tooling situation where it's pretty inconsequential. Of the times I've seen it on ice, it's been someone using leashes. You still have to disconnect to place screws. That's where problems occur.

I think I am grasping terms here correct me if I am wrong

leash - wrist to axe connection

BD spinner leash AKA tether AKA Umbilical - axe to belay loop connection

Personally I think it is important to make a distinction,  the cross over where you switch hands/ tools is basically impossible with a leash on the wrists, huge down side.  where as with an umbilical system it is much easier.  might sound like a gumby here but the umbilicals give me an added sense of security if I were to fall.  I took a bad ice fall several years ago and decked out, both of my axes remained in place and probably would have saved me a lot of pain had there been a umbilical or leash sysem in place, that was a single pitch lead and I ripped out a screw...  100% my own fault but I climb rock and ice with a different mind set these days. I only climb ice with umbilicals now, I just cant afford any more serious injuries.

Leashless is 'new wave' and you're going to have a hard time convincing any leashless climber to use leashes. The only people who seem to use them around here are those that have always done so. It's less hassle, and if you know how to swing a tool you're probably not going to drop one placing pro. Leashes do allow you to just hang on forever, but you can also sit on a screw if that's your jam. Some use an umbilical but their merit is in alpine I think. The Camp one is quite nice. 

I thought the BD spinners were rated to 2KN?? but I could be wrong... I have for sure seen some home made ones that are webbing + bungee and would 100% be strong enough for a short fall.

. wrote:

I thought the BD spinners were rated to 2KN?? but I could be wrong... I have for sure seen some home made ones that are webbing + bungee and would 100% be strong enough for a short fall.

The tools will likely pull out in a fall. 

jkd159 wrote:

Just FYI, every set of umbilicals I've seen are not even rated to body weight. 

Have a look at the Grivel Spring leashes or the Blue Ice Boa leashes.  Both of these are rated for more than body weight, well unless you are a very very big person.

If a full strength carabiner is used I’d think both of those a leashes should hold well over a 1000lb as they are made of 1/2” tubular webbing and are bar tacked.

I have used the Boas for 4 or 5 years on terrain where dropping a tool would be bad news.  They are smaller and lighter than the BD spinners which I like.

One needs to choose the right tool for the climb. This is not say that there is a singular type of tool that will work for a particular climb. There are several. One just needs to understand the pros and cons. Go watch the Meru film. You will see Conrad climbing with BD Venoms with leashes but not tethers. Lots of swinging and plunging but high risk if a tool is lost. In other words the leashes are the tethers. The same for Uli Steck on Cholatse. So no leashed tools are not obsolete.

I would never go back to a leashed tool for ice climbing. . it is simply  way too much extra work for placing pro. I  do use the BD spinner teather modified with real mini biners for all my climbing and soloing.  I would not feel comfortable on any commiting climb without the teathers.  I had a stuck tool soloing a few weeks ago and the move I pulled to get it free would have been super risky without the teathers.   I do have leashes on my mountaineering axes/ walking sticks.