Quickdraw

Quickdraw
Use(s)	Lead climbing, mountaineering

Quickdraw is an essential piece of a climbing equipment used for connecting the rope with a running protections. It consists of two carabiners connected with a sling.

Clipping

Clipping with fingers

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  Grab the rope between the thumb and the index finger.

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  Use the middle finger to hold the carabiner in place.

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  Push the rope against the carabiner gate while still keeping the carabiner in-place by your middle finger.

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  The rope slips into the carabiner.

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  And gets clipped.

This clipping method works only with the right hand - carabiner gate faces left, or with the left hand - gate faces right. In other cases, use a different method.

Risks

Aside from safety recommendations for carabiners, there are few more rules to follow while working with quickdraws.

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  Position the carabiner in a way that the gate is pointed away from the direction of climb.

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  Improper positioning of the gate can lead to unclipping of the carabiner during a fall.

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  Backclipping of the carabiner is also risky as it might also lead to the uncliping of the carabiner.

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  If direction of the climb is uncertain, securing can be done by placing two carabiners with gates pointed in the opposite directions.

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  alternatively, carabiner with a screw-gate can be used for the same purpose.

Self-unclipping of the rope during a fall

If the carabiner is positioned and/or clipped wrong, the lead climber risks that the rope unclips itself from the carabiner during a fall. The risk increases if the carabiner is back-clipped.

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  Falling into an incorrectly placed quickdraw poses a risk.

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  During a fall, the rope might push against the gate of the carabiner.

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  Then slip through the gate of the carabiner.

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  And release itself.

Alpine quickdraw (alpine draw)

TODO

Packing and unpacking the alpine quickdraw

TODO

Clipstick

TODO