Mountain Drifter Skyhook Stick Clip: Review
Mountain Drifter Equipment is an outdoor startup company based in Bend, Oregon.
Their Skyhook was a fully funded Kickstarter project, and they are now ramping up production to meet growing demand. We got our hands on some samples to put through testing, and we are now selling the product.
Popping off the first few moves of a route sucks. Breaking your ankle popping off the first few moves of a route sucks more, and leaves you with a pretty lame response each time you hear “How’d you break your ankle?”. Enter the stick clip.
In its most basic function, a stick clip lets you pre-clip the first bolt of a route. Ideally though, you can clip draws, unclip draws, clip your rope to a hung draw, and bring the stick up a route to cheat past a crux. There are numerous purpose-built climbing stick clips on the market now, and with that, one might not expect to see a wildly different and revolutionary new product emerge. However, this is not what Mountain Drifter Equipment is claiming to have done with their new Skyhook stick clip. What they are advertising is a lightweight, compact (but long enough), and effective stick clip that offers better performance than the others. I think they’ve nailed it.
The Skyhook is long enough to cover you for everything short of completely absurd first bolts, and packs down small enough to fit on a backpack. Extended, the pole is sturdy and cannot spin. There is no question that the Skyhook is a high-end stickclip. Those looking for a low budget option should head to the hardware store for a painter’s pole and a spring clamp or a Superclip. If you are looking for one stick clip to do everything you need, read on. At $109.95 CAD, the Skyhook is competitive with others in the market. I dive into more detail below on the more important aspects of a stick clip.
Length
With an extended length of 10’5” (3.17 m), you’ll be able to clip almost any first bolt you encounter. There are competitors coming in a bit longer, for example the Trango Beta Stick Evo at 12’, but my experience is that this is rarely needed. Even a short climber will be able to clip a bolt 17’ off the ground once you account for reach. What stands out is the rigidity at full extension; having the stick clip flex and sway during clipping is a common complaint that makes clipping a high bolt annoying. The Skyhook solves this problem.
The collapsed length is 29.5 in (75 cm) including the Superclip. This is small enough to strap to a backpack without having it catch every tree branch on the approach, and also small enough to fit into a checked bag — especially if you remove the Superclip end.
Clipping Mechanism
This is an important one, and one that has been re-invented numerous times with moving parts, complex and intricate plastic bits, and frankly a lot of issues. The Superclip clipping mechanism is simple, outstandingly durable, and has no moving parts. The Skyhook has an aluminum threaded end onto which the Superclip attaches. The fact that Mountain Drifter uses an aluminum machined part for this threaded end is worth noting as a testament to their commitment to quality. Machined parts generally add manufacturing cost compared with ones of moulded plastic, but are stronger and more durable.
Extension Mechanism
Flip-lock joints secure the telescoping sections of the stick clip. They are fast, easy, secure, and they fit into a channel within each section that prevents any rotation from occurring. Reaching out to stick clip a bolt only to have your carabiner suddenly spin 90 degrees is frustrating; these channels prevent that.
Weight
At 545 g (1.2 lbs), the Skyhook is not the lightest option. Compare for example the Kailas Clip Up, with a mass of 365 g. My feeling though, is that the weight is worth it. You are probably not dragging your stick clip up a fast and light alpine ascent, which likely means that rigidity, durability, and function outweigh a couple hundred grams of extra backpack load.
Overall, the Skyhook is a promising addition to the market of high-end stick clips. It offers a simple but highly functional solution at a competitive price. There are clear trade-offs, as discussed, but the Skyhook strikes an impressive balance between them that is likely to serve most climbers better than its rivals.