Short clips

Trailers to full length videos and stand-alone quick tips; everything we make that is under 60 seconds

Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski

Preview to: Skinny, Light Tag Line on Your Rappel from a Climb? Consider These Risks, First

The proliferation of new light-but-strong materials has led to some questions about just how skinny and light a tag line (a static rope used just to retrieve your main rope) can be when used for a rappel (abseil). Well, there are some considerations that we need to keep in mind if we decide to save weight by going super light with a tag line. The full video goes into the risks we add as well as how to mitigate them.

Read More
Short Clips, Quick Tips (07) Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips, Quick Tips (07) Jason Kolaczkowski

The Five-Three Blake's Hitch for Ropes with a Wider Bend Radius

When making a friction hitch using a rope with the same diameter as the main line, we can add a fifth wrap to the bottom of a standard four-wrap Blake’s Hitch, running the finishing end through the bottom three wraps, as opposed to two. This creates more wraps bending around a two-strand section so that ropes with a wider bend radius, like most climbing ropes, can have that wider, two-strand section to grab.

Read More
Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski

Preview to: the "Double Fix" Knot Pass Technique on Rappel (Abseil)

If we have a single point of damage on our climbing rope and need to rappel (abseil), two climbers can work as a team and use two different instances of fixing the rope to perform two different single-strand rappels. We then avoid having to use time-consuming knot passing techniques by avoiding, rather than passing, that knot. The full video goes deeper into how we do this and shares some risks to watch out for.

Read More
Short Clips, Quick Tips (07) Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips, Quick Tips (07) Jason Kolaczkowski

Quickdraw Carabiner Gates for New Climbers

When we are making a clip on lead, we are at one of our most risky points of the climb. So, we want to clip as cleanly and quickly as possible. If you are new to climbing and researching what quickdraws to purchase, one consideration that can impact that speed-to-clip are the gate styles on those carabiners. Here are some common gate types and some pros and cons of each.

Read More
Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski

Preview to: It's More Than You Think! Why Modern Tools Help Ascending the Climbing Rope

It used to be the case that ascending the climbing rope was done using two soft goods wrapped around the rope with two friction hitches. That method requires that we put the waist prusik further up the rope than the leg loop. But modern tools have inverted that configuration. The major benefit of that setup is more than efficiency of ascent; it's much simpler to overcome a lip of rock or ice, now, and the full video more deeply explores why.

Read More
Short Clips, Quick Tips (07) Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips, Quick Tips (07) Jason Kolaczkowski

Considering Quickdraw Carabiner Sizes for New Climbers

Lead climbers can be pretty vulnerable when clipping into their protection, as they remove one hand from the wall and introduce slack into the rope. So, clipping efficiently is important for safety. As such, the interaction between carabiner sizes and our clipping preferences should be a consideration when making quickdraw purchases.

Read More
Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski

Preview to: Six Climbing Friction Hitches and Their Pros and Cons

We use friction hitches in many different circumstances in climbing. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different hitches can help us select the right hitch for the right situation. The full video goes into the six hitches that I turn to most frequently along with a discussion of their pros and cons so that we can better match a hitch to a need.

Read More
Short Clips, Quick Tips (07) Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips, Quick Tips (07) Jason Kolaczkowski

Four Methods for Clipping a Quickdraw While Climbing on Lead

Lead climbers can be at their most vulnerable when making a clip into their protection. So, we want to make sure that we are using a method for clipping that makes us feel quick and confident that we can get it done right the first time. Our free hand and the gate direction will dictate available methodologies, but within those constraints there are options.

Read More
Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski

Preview to: What is End Roping in Climbing? When Can We Use It and How Do We Do It Safely?

End Roping is a technique that allows us to move a climbing party of three quickly through moderate terrain without the fuss of more complicated rope systems. But there are risk mitigations we should implement to set the system up and there are circumstances when it would not make a safe option. The full video gets into when and how to employ an end roping system.

Read More
Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski

Preview to: Improve Climber Communication with Extended Master Points On Moderate Terrain

The kind of blocky, ledgy terrain that we often see on moderate climbs presents both ample natural protection points as well as communication and rope abrasion challenges. Well, we can use the former to help mitigate against the later. The full video provides a few different methods for extending a belay stance and master point out when faced with a comparatively safe, but large and communication hindering, ledge.

Read More
Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips Jason Kolaczkowski

Preview to: Enjoy Scrambling (Easy Rock Climbing) with These Types of Shoes

Ever hear climbers talk about “insecure climbing” and the fear that brings to them? Well imagine feeling insecure at every step up a rock face. This is what a scramble, which should be a fun romp, can feel like in the wrong footwear. Scrambles are examples of where approach shoes can really make a difference in our enjoyment of the outdoors. The full video gets into how their specific features combine to make such a big difference.

Read More
Short Clips, Quick Tips (06) Jason Kolaczkowski Short Clips, Quick Tips (06) Jason Kolaczkowski

N95 Masks for Backcountry Smoke on Your Camp, Hike, or Climb

In certain parts of the world, wildfires are becoming a worsening problem, and the likelihood of being impacted by smoke on our camp, hike, or climb is increasing. Smoke damage to our lungs can be a serious health issue, so we've taken steps to help mitigate that by leveraging a tool that we never used to have a few years ago but which is nearly ubiquitous now.

Read More