It's a perfect fall day at your home sport crag and you roll up with Team Strong, a hand-picked crew of your best friends, who are coincidentally the best climbers in your home town. You slip your feet into perfectly-broken-in Solutions (one of 5 pairs you keep on rotation) and tie into a svelte 9.2mm dental floss rope with an attractively dressed double bowline.
In one try, you rodeo the first draw of your 5.11 warmup (sandbagged!) and start smoothly up. Then you reach to clip the third draw and... oh the shame! You thought you were a seasoned sport climber. Heck, your harness is so sporty, it only has a single gear loop! How could you fumble the clip so badly? What a gumby! You fall, flash-pumped, muttering about rusty gates and stiff ropes...While most people assume clipping well is simply a matter of experience, I've learned that experience is no substitute for in-depth research, extensive practice, and borderline-OCD.
Ninja Clipping (different from fast clipping, as I'll explain in a bit) reduces the risk of falling mid-clip, and conserves energy on hard redpoints. At a certain level, though, it's more about flashiness than utility. Ninja clips are like rodeo-clipping, liquid chalk, and drop-knees. Sometimes helpful, always stylish, but ultimately a bit silly (and in the case of drop-knees, suspiciously French).
Ninja Clipping: A Manifesto
1. Ninja clipping means clipping quickly, with the most relaxed hand-motion possible. Speed alone is not our goal; Managing pump is.
2. Ninja clipping means using more secure methods for difficult clips (such as cross-clips or reach-clips), where it may be difficult to achieve accuracy or the natural orientation of your hand to the draw.
3. You should choose clipping techniques based on their potential Ninja-ness, not based on how efficient they seem before you have practiced them.
4. Ninja clipping means when you are on the rock, you do not think about clips. This requires equal proficiency with all techniques in your arsenal, and a minimal number of methods, so that you don't have to decide which method to use for a given situation.
5. When done right, Ninja clipping should look and feel awesome.
For a shining example, see Adam Ondra at Arco: 1:22. Note how quick the clip is, though his motion is unhurried. This is economy of movement at its finest. Note also how relaxed his hand is and how the clipping motion is seamlessly integrated with a brief shake. This is what we should all aspire to.
Clipping Techniques
Here's a video I made of the following clipping techniques (total time: 59 seconds).
Basic Pinch (gate-out)
Most people start out using this technique. It is easy to learn and is very fast when done right. Unfortunately, it requires precise aim and is orientation-dependent. It is not ideal for clipping behind your head on steep routes, and it is easy to fumble if the rope slides up your finger.
My Take: The scissor-pinch is more robust and comfortable for big-hands, without sacrificing speed. I don't use the basic pinch anymore, though it works for some people.
Used by: Sean McColl, Yuji Hirayama (one of the fastest and most consistent clippers ever)
Snap-Clip (gate-in)
Another common beginner technique that can be made really fast. The Snap-Clip is excellent for cross-clips and hard-to-reach clips, but requires precise aim, unlike the basic thumb and split-finger (see Sharma fumble the clip on Pachamama). The strain on the hand is minimal, but still - every little bit counts, and this technique is less relaxed than the basic thumb.
My Take: Because you need to aim this one precisely, it is slightly slower than a perfectly-executed thumb-clip. However it is still indispensable for cross-clips and other awkward clips.
Used by: Many pro climbers use this, but Jonathan Siegrist has some of the fastest clips on film: 24 Karats, and a cross-clip at 2:17.
Scissor-Pinch
This is a clear improvement on the Basic Pinch. The added security from scissoring the rope between your fingers means this does not require much accuracy, and is not very orientation dependent. Can be done very fast (think of a whipping motion, like you're doing an Ali-G style finger-snap). Great for steep climbs where the clip is above and behind your head.
My Take: This is a very reliable and fast clip that is only bested when the draw is close to your body by the more comfortable reverse Basic Thumb. I use this extensively.
Used by: Many top climbers, including Chris Sharma and Adam Taylor.
Basic Thumb (gate-in, can be done underhanded for gate-out)
Initially difficult for large hands, this clip results in a completely relaxed hand motion when done right. It requires very little accuracy, but is orientation-dependent. If the orientation is off, a small extra motion must be added to get the rope behind the gate, delaying the clip.
My Take: This requires some practice, but has the potential to be the single most efficient clipping method for most gate-in clips.
Used by: Adam Ondra uses this technique exclusively, with terrifying results. Dave Graham also uses this, often to cross-clip.
Split-Finger (gate-in, can be done underhanded for gate-out)
Not as quick or relaxed as other methods, this is nevertheless the most reliable method of all. Essentially you are grabbing the rope and carabiner with all your fingers, and forcing the one through the other. This can be performed with gloved hands in a whiteout. It is extremely difficult to mess up.
My Take: I fall back on this for awkward clips, and find it especially good for under-the-arm cross-clips. It's not my first choice though.
Used by: Patxi, Sean McColl, Dave Wetmore (1:12, 1:51, and 1:55).
The "Adam Taylor" (gate-in)
This is an unusual method that looks like the Snap-Clip, but instead of the middle finger uses the 4th finger to oppose the rope, much like a thumb-clip. It requires precise aim, and doesn't seem all that fast or fluid.
My Take: I personally don't see any advantages to this method, but you don't argue with a weekend warrior who has sent 5.15.
Used by: Adam Taylor.
Your Clipping Arsenal
A good clipping Ninja has a small set of clipping methods and ruthlessly hones his/her technique. Currently I rely on the scissor-pinch and snap-clip, reserving the split-finger for awkward clips (such as under-the-arm cross-clips). My current goal is to replace the snap clip with the basic thumb in all cases except for cross-clips, as I believe the thumb-clip to be superior, though trickier to master. Your personal preference will of course be a large factor in your choice of clipping methods. Here are some ideas to get you started:
"The Beginner"
You don't know how to clip, and fumble at least half of all your clips. I suggest you learn the snap-clip and the basic pinch. Remember to practice both methods with each hand.
"The Junior-Ninja"
You clip confidently with the snap-clip and basic pinch, but once in a while you fumble a clip because of aim or orientation. I suggest you eliminate the basic pinch in favor of the scissor pinch. Stick with the snap-clip because it is fast, but also learn the split-finger clip for when you need absolute security.
"The Ninja-Master"
You are a master at the snap-clip and scissor-pinch, and you make limited use of the split-fingered thumb clip. I suggest you learn the basic thumb and try to use it for 80-90% of your gate-in clips, as it is slightly more efficient than the snap-clip.
"The Adam Ondra"
Learn the basic thumb and use it all the time, for everything. I don't understand how this works, but somehow, it does. I am not yet worthy of this method, and I'm guessing you aren't either.
That's all for now! Happy clipping, Ninjas-in-training!
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Acknowledgments:
Thanks to Andrew Bisharat's book Sport Climbing for names and descriptions of the snap-clip, pinch, and thumb clip. Thanks to Garry for introducing the concept of Ninja-ness to me.
I'm gonna go ahead and admit that I enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteBig of you, Julian.
ReplyDeleteI can't see anything in the videos. Please turn a light on!
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Taternicka jargon has evolved for a very long time. Check that you know all the words in the lexicon below ... We have added new passwords from the Taternic jargon! We invite you to read! I also recommend the dictionary of mountain terms, and if you have encountered a strange English expression, you may find it here: Climbing dictionary. Climbing Holds is something wonderful
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