Discover the power of stick clips for safer climbing! We will explore the benefits, usage, and ethics of stick clips. Learn how these essential tools minimize risks and boost confidence during climbs. Join us as we delve into the world of stick clips and elevate your climbing experience!

What are Stick Clips?

Stick clips are simple yet ingenious devices designed to help climbers protect themselves during the initial stages of a climb. They consist of an extendable pole with a clamp or carabiner mechanism attached to the end. The pole allows climbers to reach high or distant first bolts or anchors, enabling them to pre-clip the rope for added safety.

Why and When to use Stick Clips?

1. Safe Clipping

One of the primary reasons climbers use stick clips is to protect themselves from potential ground falls or dangerous positions. By pre-clipping the rope to the first bolt or anchor, climbers minimize the risk of falling from height during the delicate and often unsteady start of a climb.

2. To Bail From a Climb

Depending on the stick clip, you can carry it on your harness, which means if a climb is too hard to complete but you don't want to sacrifice any gear to bail, you can use the stick clip to help bail you out! This involves bringing the stick clip up with you and clipping the next bolts repeatedly until you reach the anchors from which point you can clean the route.

How to Use Stick Clips

There are two main types of stick clips, Pre-assembled and DIY, each with a slightly different way to use them.

 Pre-assembled

Clip sticks like the Pongoose Climber 700 come pre-assembled and ready to use anytime. These simply allow you to attach the quickdraw with or without the rope to then clip you bolt. Pongoose themselves have made an easy tutorial video of how to clip a bolt which you can view below:

Do It Yourself (DIY)

Some products like the Klippa tend to be a bit more barebones with the major advantage of being less bulky and lighter. The one downside to this is that you have to find your own stick which will reach the bolt. The Klippa is super easy to use and attaches to the stick with a little elastic to keep it in place. It then attaches to the bolt the same way by inserting your quickdraw and then raising it up to clip the bolt. Klippa also has a demonstration video below:

Our Selection of the Best Stick Clips

Best Overall Stick Clip: Pongoose Climber 700/1000 Stick Clip

The Pongoose Climber is one of the best stick clips one the market because not only can you use it to clip bolts, but you can unclip them as well as detach the head to attach cameras or chalk brushes to reach those high places. It's a great multi functional clip for its price.

It comes in two sizes: 700 (2.85m extended) and 1000 (4.3m extended) to get those pesky high bolts in places like Kangaroo Point.

Best Budget Stick Clip: Klippa

One of our brand new products, Klippa, is filling in a gap within the market by being easy to use, tiny and light. Most importantly it is also cheaper than all other options on the market at this stage. Klippa weighs in at about 20 grams and fits in the palm of a hand, meaning its not much effort to bring to the crag or store it on your harness.

It simply attaches onto a stick which can be found lying at the crag and used. The price, size and weight is the main pros for it, however, the only downside is that you must find your own stick that is also long enough to clip your bolt.