All About Drytooling with Kevin Lindlau

At the Michigan Ice Fest we were fortunate to have a long conversation with professional and competition climber Kevin Lindlau about all things ice, mixed, and drytooling.  Kevin is very well spoken. We quickly realized that many people would love to see that conversation to learn more about these specialized niches of the climbing world.  We talked about gear, movement, drytooling holds, and training, among other things. It’s a mountain of information and we’re grateful to be able to present most of it here.

Convo 1 - Gear, Gear Mods, Rope and Gear Damage

Convo 2 - MOVEMENT, HAND POSITIONS, THE MOST DIFFICULT THING ABOUT DRYTOOLING

Convo 3 - Training, Drytooling HOlds, and Comp Route Setting

These conversations have been heavily edited for clarity and brevity.  They are presented in no particular order. Use the topic headings to jump around the conversation.

There are two general categories: Competition Drytooling and Outdoor Drytooling.  The gear differs quite a bit. 

Competition Drytooling

Tools

The first thing that you're going to notice is the tools are different from most ice tools. They don't necessarily have to be different tools, but for competitions, we actually tend to have less aggressive tools. That’s kind of been the trend lately, but with more aggressive picks and a more aggressive beak.

A lot of our competition climbing tends to be done on slab walls that go into roofs, so we tend to have a less aggressive tool with a more aggressive pick. This way, on the slab climbing, we're able to engage better into the holds on those slab walls and do maneuvers similar to IFSC bouldering and sport climbing. It’s movement you don’t normally see outside.

Picks

Competition pick will usually have large beaks more aggressive angles and a stock ice picks. But one of the most significant differences between outdoor and competition gear is that for competitions the steel in the picks is heat-treated to be very hard. The benefits are that competition picks are less likely to ‘mushroom’ on the beak, so the steel isn't going to flatten when you're on some of the harder steel competition holds.

One of the trade-offs of very hard steel is that they are more brittle, but for competition climbing, this is an advantage because it allows the picks to dig into some of the softer competition holds, allowing for better purchase.

Outdoor Drytooling

Tools

There are many variables regarding tool choice for Outdoor Drytooling. Depending on the angle of rock that you're climbing on, you could use anywhere from a Nomic to an X-Dream to an Ice Rock A Speed.  All of these tools have very different geometries and the choice of tool really depends on which tool suits the route you’re climbing.

Depending on what you're climbing, the angle of the rock is going to dictate how the tool performs. For example, I would go with a more aggressive tool like a Petzl Ergonomic for something that's going to be super steep climbing.  For a route that is more low-angle drytooling, an X-Dream would be more ideal.  Another example, for routes in the M4 to the M9 realm, where it tends to be more slabby to just slightly overhanging, like 20° overhang, I would use something more similar to a BD Fuel or a Petzl Nomic. That's because the stock pick angle on those tools is better suited to that angle of rock.

You also have think about the drop back of the lower grip on your tools. When that drop is further back, that changes the angle of your wrist, which positions your wrist in a more neutral position when you're on steeper terrain. The steeper the terrain, the more drop back in the handle. That way you’re not torquing your wrist and causing injuries later. It's also using less muscle and your forearm flexors, which is going to make you more efficient in that terrain.

Picks

Aggressive picks and large beaks are counterproductive when you're climbing outside because the beaks on some competition picks have become so large, they actually hinder placements on certain holds and pockets.  

For outdoor drytooling the picks are still heat-treated but not as much as competition picks so the steel is not quite as brittle. The reason is that steel, when it's heat treated to be very hard, can't torque very well in cracks because it’s too brittle and is more likely to snap. The steel in stock picks as less brittle which means the picks are less likely to snap when torqued in cracks.

Tool Modification

You don't need a whole quiver of different tools to go out and drytool. It’s usually possible to modify the tools you likely already own. So, for example, Nomics are one of the most popular tools. An easy change to these tools is to adjust the bottom pommel, rotating it to change the size of the grip. This will give you more reach or less reach if you adjust the pommel to make the grip larger or smaller.

You can also swap out the stock ice picks for aftermarket drytooling picks. Click here for Aftermarket Picks. Swapping out picks changes the pick angle of the tool, making it either more aggressive or less aggressive, which in turn changes the grip angle, putting your wrist in a more neutral position, ideal if you're going into a steeper terrain. These picks are also going to have a different build as far as how their teeth are oriented on the pick. Pick teeth on mixed or drytooling picks are specifically designed to function differently for use on rock.

Cheeks vs. No Cheeks

For competitions, cheeks, or ‘stein teeth’, are desirable because they engage into the plywood quicker and easier. 

But I've actually gone away from using cheeks. When drytooling outside I found cheeks cause a lot of pick shift, which is something that we're always trying to avoid.  We’re aiming for ‘silent tools’, where the tool doesn't move.  Cheeks can be very beneficial, when you're going into a stein pull where the tool is engaged upside down on the rock. The cheeks, or the head, or the ‘stein teeth’, as we call them, are fully engaged on the rock in that orientation.  But cheeks sit on either side of the main pick, and usually there's anywhere from a quarter inch to a half inch, depending on which tool that you're using, between the two cheeks. So what happens is when you rotate from side to side, the cheeks cause a lot of rotation and shift, switching back and forth from cheek to cheek as you rotate on the tool.

Also, because the teeth in the cheeks are so sharp, they sometimes skate on the rock and cause you to fall. Cheeks don’t allow the center of the tool or the center of the top of main pick to settle into little dihedrals or nooks in the rock. For outside, I prefer going away from cheeks. That's obviously different for everyone. For comps, you’ll see lots of climbers using cheeks.

How are the crampons different for drytooling?

Lots of differences. To talk about those difference, you need to understand the general build of a crampon.  There are front points. Could be one or there could be two points on the front. That’s called a mono point or a dual point crampon. Then we have all the points that are under the base of your foot that we refer to as rakes. With that general build of a crampon, the different points all have different functions and do different things.

I use a smaller boot that we call a comp boot for drytooling and mixed climbing terrain. The crampon on a comp boot is bolted to the sole of the boot, like the cleat on cycling shoe. On my boots I use a mono point.  Monos allow the boots to function more like a rock shoe. This allows more mobility in how your ankles and hips can rotate on the rock. Monos also allow you to keep a greater pressure on that singular point, so you to keep that front point engaged.

With dual points, there’s a problem with angles and leverage. When the two points are engaged on the rock, if you then rotate your heel left or right, one of the points levers off and disengages. One point is always disengaging the other and that can cause a fall. A mono point is more beneficial than dual points for drytooling and mixed climbing.

The next thing to consider are the rakes. Rakes are all the points behind the front points. When doing more vertical mix climbing and drytooling, rakes can be useful because it allows you to smear and stand on larger ledges. They allow you to engage more points on ice if you're mixed climbing. When you shead into steeper terrain though, you want to be cautious of having these extra rakes. Rakes can actually be a big hindrance when you get into steeper mixed climbing. They can start to act like dual point and lever you off a foothold. The front rake can actually push your mono point off of the rock. 

Quick note: We don't call them secondary, or tertiary points. The reason is because there's so many different points, it would go 2nd, 3rd, 4th, all the way back to the heel. Referring to them as rakes just lets us is talk about all of them at once.

Next, rakes are something that the rope can get tangled in. That is one of the more common causes of flipping a mixed climber upside down. The rope gets hooked behind their rakes and flips them when they fall. You want to be very careful of that.

I have different buildups of crampons that I'll use.  I tend to use the old Black Diamond Raptor crampons, but there's a lot of aftermarket crampons that are 4-piece crampons. 4-piece means is there's four individual l-bracket shaped pieces of steel that bolt on to the boot. This arrangement allows you to mix and match the build of your crampon. My personal preference (as seen above) is to use two small rakes in the front of my crampon. Then underneath the ball of my foot I have rakeless crampons, which are just two I-bracket pieces of steel with no spikes on them. This setup keeps the rope from getting tangled on my crampons, but still gives the performance of having two extra points underneath the ball of my foot to stand on without pivoting off of the rock.

Heel Crampon?

No. Heel crampons are out of fashion. Heel crampons used to be fitted to competition boots and mixed climbing boots, and they served a purpose. There used to be a heel spur, which was essentially a front point sticking out the back of your boot. This had many uses (heel hooks, bat hangs) but it was extremely dangerous.  Climbers also decided that heel spurs we problematic to our sport because it allowed for no hands rests. It became a style choice. Those went away for the style of our sport, but also for safety. People were getting stabbed. They would catch on the rope. They could cut the rope. They were very dangerous. So those went away. 

A lot of people keep the rakes in the back, underneath the heel. This allows them to have traction when outside in mixed terrain walking around on ice or a snowy slope.  But since comp boots are so specialized, when climbers do use them Outdoor Drytooling, they usually get rid of those heel rakes for weight savings and for safety. And  you often don't need the extra traction. You put your comp boots on right at the bottom of the climb, so you don't need to walk around in them. Most times people don't use competition boots for going out and doing big, huge ascents. It does happen, but rarely.

How do you Tape Up the Tools?

Depending on what you're trying to do, there's different tapes and methods you can use, each with upsides and downsides.

A cheap easy way to tape tools is to tightly wrap a bike inner tube secured at the top and bottom with athletic tape. The rubber in the tubing is very tacky against gloves. It's very resilient and will last a long time and you don't need to switch it out very much. The downside is bike tube rubber can be very heavy. Bike tubing is very thick and makes your tool have a larger diameter. The larger the diameter of the tool, the more you’re going to pump out trying to grab it when you're climbing.

Every climber has slightly different taping method but I would recommend using tennis grip tape. Tennis grip tape is really thin, it's very lightweight, and tackier than a rubber tube method. It’s also tackier than the stock tape that most tools are sold with.

When taping a tool, do not tape all the way up to the head of the tool. It's not necessary and it adds  weight to the tool on a section of the tool that you're not actually going to grip.  Also, taping too far up can make biting the tool harder as well as some of the more modern techniques that we do with the tools. 

There are very specific ways that we wrap the tape on the tools, and every climber has their own preferred method, but tape from the pommel up to the top of second position. The rubber on the lower grip starts to get slimy on tools over time. This tape is going to maintain your grip. Make sure that you're taping to the end of your pommels too, the part that your pinky actually rests on. The reason that you want to tape the pommel is because that's where the majority of your weight is hanging on the tool. You might notice a lot of people don't tape these. The pommel is probably the most important part to tape on the whole tool. Then tape first and second positions. The lower grip and the upper grip. Past the second grip, it's not necessary to tape the rest of the shaft. But you do want to tape what's called the ‘bite zone’, or third position, and that's so you can bite the tool, which is a more modern style for mixed and drytooling. The reason you want to bite the tool versus putting the tool over shoulder is because when you shoulder a tool, if you're on steeper terrain, the tool can roll off your shoulder and you’ll drop it. 

The Bite Zone

If you’re into more modern drytooling and mixed climbing, you’ll want to be able to bite the tool. Use 2mm rubber electrical tape.2mm E TAPE ? Need a link. I found 0.2mm E Tape.  You can pick it up at any hardware store. Cut 4 -  2.5” inch (xxCM) strips and double them up so you have 2 lengths of 3-4mm of tape. Put those on either side of the the balance point, or 3rd position, on the tool. This is so your teeth have something soft to bite into and you don't damage your teeth biting bare aluminum. It's important when taping the bite zone that you find the balance point of the tool. If you tape off balance point, when you bite the tool it will tilt your head one way or the other. It's really difficult on your jaw and it's not going to be effective and you're not going to want to bite your tool. Once you find the balance point of the tool, you'll then use climbing tape or athletic tape, and you'll tape over that rubber electrical tape on either side of the bite zone.

That’s the final part of the taping process. That should end roughly about two thirds of the way up the shaft. Leave the top third of the shaft of the tool up to the head where the pick attaches completely blank. That's going to save you weight and make the tool more efficient to climb with.

Have you ever damaged your rope with your picks or crampons?

I have. It is very scary. This is another reason I climb with dull picks and dull crampons: to try to mitigate the risk of rope cutting as much as possible. This has happened to many climbers. Marcus Garcia for example, Tyler Kempney and a few other climbers. It's very scary.

Picks and crampons are very sharp.  A rope under tension, like when you fall, is easier and more likely to cut through. You have to be very careful. It’s why I remove the back rake so they're less likely to catch on the rope. Even with dull gear, with enough force a cut can still happen. You have to be careful and very good with your rope management.

I actually keep the secondary points on picks dull as well. On most of my drytooling picks, I take a file and I'll round them out a bit so they're not a sharp point. I think if you're alpine climbing or mixed climbing, you’ll want to keep those points fairly sharp. But if you're going to doing single pitch drytooling, it isn't necessary to have sharp points and in fact it can become a safety hazard. 

There's a lot of variables here though. If I'm doing an mixed climb where I'm going to have to do big hooks around horn type ice features and hooks over ice bulges, I’m going to want to have sharper secondary teeth on my picks. If I’m going up small crimpy edges and pockets up a vertical face, I won’t need sharp secondary teeth on my picks.  You have to be very conscious of what you're climbing and know how you need to alter your gear to perform at its best on that terrain.

Breaking Picks and Points

Climb long enough and eventually you’re going to break some picks and points. I've broken many points and many picks. There's different reasons that they snap. One is the heat treatment of the steel. Another reason is how you're using the picks on holds. I used to like to climb with a super heat-treated steel that was really, really hard but kind of brittle. However, after snapping many of those picks, I've gone back to using stock picks because the steel is usually a little bit softer, and that allows the pick to bend, so it's less likely to snap. It still can snap, but usually it'll flex. And then you can usually bend it back. Steel has a memory to it, so usually if you bend or flex it just a little bit, it will bend back to its original shape, unless you go past that memory point. At that point, it's wise to get a new pick because you've compromised the strength of the metal. Usually what causes picks to snap is when you put them in a crack and you torque or twist the pick too hard in the crack.

When twisted, the pick creates friction on both sides of the pick.  The more force that we can put on either side of that by twisting the pick, the more engagement we're going to have with the steel against the rock, keeping the placement more locked in. But that's a lot of force on the pick, and not in the orientation it's meant or designed to be used. At some point, the forces exceeds the strength of the metal.  That's when I've snapped most of my picks. Other times I've snapped picks is when I've used my tools steinpulling in pockets. Instead of the engagement points being the head of the tool and the beak of the tool, in weird shaped rock the pick can engage halfway or a quarter of the way down the length the pick from the tip. That causes an enormous amount of levering force in the first inch and a half of the pick. Picks usually snap in that first inch and a half when subjected to that kind of force.

The leather on golf gloves is very tacky against all of that grip tape that we talked about earlier, which gives better grip, using less forearm flexor muscle to hang on the tool.

The next reason for using golf gloves is there's so little material inside of the glove that it takes very little energy to close your hands. As gloves start to incorporate more insulation, they get thicker, and that's more material for you to have to physically squeeze with your hand, which requires more muscle and effort, and that can pump you out quicker. The thicker the glove, the more difficult it will be to hang on a tool.

Most drytoolers don’t drytool in mid-winter.  That's not necessarily true in all cases, but in general, they're climbing in slightly warmer conditions, so they can get away with climbing in golf gloves.

Another benefit is golfs gloves don’t cause any issues with clipping. A lot of people try to use wide receiver gloves or batting gloves, which do have a very tacky material so you can catch a ball with them. The downside is, whatever material those gloves use for some reason is also very tacky on metal as well. Climbers have found that when you clip your rope into the carabiner, the glove material can get caught in the gate and cause you to panic and take an early fall. Golf gloves are kind of the peak of drytooling glove technology at the moment.

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