ATTENTION SPORT climbers, TOP ROPE climbers and AID climbers

Hi, I'm a high schooler in a business class, and my team is trying to improve current stick clips by making some modifications. Our idea is to allow you to easily and comfortably use the stick clip up on the wall. We are doing this by allowing the stick clip to be one-handed retractable/extendable, retract down to a small size, and have a clip that can allow it to clip to your harness and sit on your hip while you climb. Imagine you're at a climbing route you really want to try on top rope, but aren't confident enough or strong enough to attempt the initial lead climb to get to the top and set up a top rope anchor. Well, you could use our product to help cheat your way up. Also, tons of routes have lots of runout, meaning a stick clip is much shorter than the distance between the bolts. So if you need to climb a little to get in range of the next bolt, our one-handed feature will allow you to keep one hand on the wall so you don't fall. Furthermore, even if you want to properly lead the route, you could bring our stick clip up for added comfort or unexpected runout. Lastly, we are thinking of building our stick clip to place Sky hooks for AID climbers, and are wondering if that is something people would be interested in. Any feedback, whether it's ideas to improve or concerns, is very much appreciated.

Sounds like an interesting idea. I am mostly concerned about a groundfall, so I'm only focused on the first or second clip depending on how high they are. Also, I am deeply maniacal about size and weight. So I have the smallest Trango telescopic stick clip that is maybe only 5 ft tall. Sometimes I have to climb a little even to clip the first clip or I'll use a spare sling and attach it to my trekking pole or a tree branch I find on the ground for extended reach. This is a little inconvenient but keeps my stick clip small and light. All to say, I would not personally find value in a single-handed stick clip that I assume would be heavier and more complicated than my little shorty I have now.

I agree that it sounds like an interesting idea and a cool project to explore. Like Andrew, I use stick clips when I'm concerned about a ground fall and that's about it. I've never stick clipped my way up a route but that's partially because I'm primarily a trad climber and if I need to get up something above my paygrade that I want to work on, I either french free it or lead it using aid climbing methods (i.e., trad gear). If I projected sport routes I could see myself stick clipping up a route if it was a hard project and I really wasn't willing to go for the moves on lead yet.

I think there probably is a small niche market of people who carry stick clips up routes with them, and for those folks I'm willing to bet that size is far and away the most important thing. Even hanging a stick clip off your harness can be rather distracting (and ridiculous looking) but maybe if it was able to be slung over the shoulder/across the chest, it'd feel less awkward. Maybe.

You mentioned aid climbing and hanging sky hooks. That actually might be the part that makes the most sense to me and I'd expand upon it to say that "cheater sticks" are sometimes used in aiding to reach far away bolts and/or fixed gear. A single hand operated extendable and compact type device like you're describing might be something particularly useful for aid climbers who need extra reach to get to a key placement or bolt.

Best wishes on your project.  There is a harness- size telescoping stick clip on the market now; the collapsing arm is similar to an antenna on an old portable radio.

BITD Randy Leavitt and Rob Slater used a gizmo they called a "Lovetron" for extended hook placements on their El Cap testpieces.  It was one of their tools to minimize drilling.  One may have had a 30' range.  Easier to keep with the haul bag than on your harness.

The Lovetron was a fine innovation since, as we all know, placing a hook you can actually see isn't nearly scary enough....

My aid cheat stick built over 30 years ago for placing hooks. This is just a spring clamp from the hardware store that I hose clamped to my pole and taped to keep the clamps from snagging stuff with a 4mm cord to operate the clamp.

I had thought about making one using the Leeper “Friend of a Friend “ for placing cams. I could use the FOF to get about 12” by itself.

Good luck with your project.