| When it comes to rock climbing. Safety is a big | | | | Then there are the examples that have one side |
| issue. If you are a big time climber, you know | | | | with a solid gate and the other with a wire gate. |
| what I mean. It is imperative to use the proper | | | | In these situations, the wire gate should be clipped |
| equipment and, more importantly, to use it | | | | into the rope. The wire gate usually has less |
| properly. Even people who have been climbing and | | | | resistance, and is therefore easier to clip into the |
| lead-climbing for years have been known to use | | | | rope. For quickdraws that have two carabiners |
| quickdraws incorrectly. This is a huge safety | | | | with wire gates, either side can clip either into the |
| concern. | | | | bolt or the rope. |
| What is a quickdraw? | | | | The second common problem is the scariest; it is |
| For those of you who aren't sure what climbing | | | | the orientation of the quickdraw. When climbing, it |
| quickdraws are, let me explain: imagine two | | | | can be difficult sometimes to know whether or |
| carabiners attached by webbing. The webbing is | | | | not you are pointing the quickdraw in the right |
| stitched with three to four layers and tested to | | | | direction. I'm not saying that the gates on the |
| withstand 17,000 pounds of pressure. Given the | | | | carabiners need to be facing inside or anything like |
| fact that they are there to catch you if you fall, | | | | that, but be careful to notice which way it is |
| this fact should be comforting. Climbing | | | | facing when you clip into the rock, it should be |
| quickdraws are used by putting one of the | | | | facing the same way when clipped onto the rope |
| carabiners in the bolt that is sticking out of the | | | | when the rope is leading back down to the |
| rock, and the other attaches to the rope, thus | | | | ground. |
| holding you into the rock. | | | | The way to test this is, if when the quickdraw is |
| Sport climbing routes are full of bolts to use with | | | | limp and resting against the rock, the rope should |
| your quickdraws. Depending on the difficulty of | | | | come from under the carabiner and come up |
| the climb, the bolts are usually placed ten to | | | | through the center, then over the upper side of |
| fifteen feet apart. The idea is to clip into the rock | | | | the carabiner. If the rope goes over the carabiner |
| while lead climbing, and if you fall, you only fall to | | | | and then down through the center and under the |
| the last bolt (plus the length of the rope past the | | | | upper side, you have done it wrong. Another way |
| bolt). The force of your fall will be upheld by the | | | | to test is when you continue climbing upward, the |
| quickdraw. | | | | webbing on the quickdraw should not twist, if it |
| Proper use of quickdraws | | | | does, you have it wrong. The danger is, in a fall, |
| It is very common for someone to use climbing | | | | the webbing will probably untwist, and the rope |
| quickdraws incorrectly, and very easy as well. | | | | might come from underneath the gate of the |
| First of all, you need to make sure that the | | | | carabiner, loop around it, and use your weight to |
| correct side is in the bolt. There are different | | | | unclip the rope. |
| types of carabiners for quickdraws. Some have a | | | | Now that we see how dangerous this can be, it is |
| solid gate and some have wire gates. The ones | | | | imperative that we practice the utmost caution |
| on which both sides have a solid gate, one of the | | | | when clipping into the rock. There should be no |
| gates will be bent. This side needs to be clipped | | | | rushing or carelessness when it comes to safety. |
| into the rope. The bend in the gate usually makes | | | | Be sure to double-check whenever using climbing |
| it a bit easier to clip, and the solid gate in the bolt, | | | | quickdraws while lead-climbing. |
| prevents it from coming unclipped. | | | | |