Approach Shoes by Gus Alexandropoulos
Consisting of a short sewn sling, a straight gate biner and a captive, easy-clipping bent/wire gate rope-end biner, quickdraws are mandatory gear for almost every route. Not only do quickdraws allow for faster clipping on desperate routes, but they also create a short extension that minimizes rope drag and helps prevent nuts and cams from shifting. It’s this easy-clipping versatility that has made quickdraws popular on everything from remote alpine routes to easy-access sport climbs.
Grivel Alpha Quick Easy
$19
Grivel’s Alpha Quick Easy quickdraw combines the highly functional Alpha straight biner and similarly shaped Beta bent gate biner with the incredibly innovative Quick Easy draw assembly. The biners display Grivel’s typical high-quality construction and feature snag-resistant keylock gates and a mid-size body that seems just about perfect for any climbing situation. Grivel has also added a small groove on the straight gate for easier handling when clipping. While these are all much-appreciated features, it’s the unique Quick Easy draw that really distinguishes these quickdraws from the many other options on the market. The Quick Easy consists of a narrow Dyneema sling that is covered by a semi-rigid plastic handle-shaped sleeve. The sleeve even has finger grooves, which allude to the draw’s special properties. Not only does the sleeve protect the sling from abrasion, but it also helps stabilize the rope biner for easier clipping. But perhaps its biggest advantage over conventional quickdraws, is that it offers an excellent grip for pulling up when working sport routes. This last feature is especially appreciated on steeper routes where after falling, climbers need to pull on draws to get back on the rock. As such, these are some of the best sport-climbing specific draws available.
DMM Alpha Sport
$32
dmm’s Alpha Sport quickdraw is specifically designed to address the clipping and durability needs of sport climbers. Both the ropeend and bolt/gear-end biner feature a beefy body with a snagresistant keylock gate and a ribbed spine for secure handling. The bolt biner’s gate has a unique scalloped shape that ensures a solid grip, while the rope-end biner has an almost J-shaped gate that seems to encourage effortless rope clipping. To prevent any accidental clipping of the rope biner into a bolt hanger (or wired nut), dmm uses a different coloured top and bottom biner. The two carbiners are connected with a robust variable-width sling that offers a great handhold when trying to pull back onto steep routes. dmm also includes a small rubber sleeve that prevents the rope biner from shifting while also protecting the draw from abrasion. This is a great sport climbing-specific draw that offers exceptionally easy clipping as well as excellent durability at a reasonable weight.
Mammut Bionic Evo Express
$28
Featuring extensive hot-forging, the Mammut Bionic Evo Express quickdraw combines high strength ( 10 kN open gate,) low weight and easy handling. The biners feature a bow-back shape that offers a secure grip and a snag-resistant keylock nose. The gear-end biner has a scalloped gate for easier handling when clipping while the rope-end biner has a similarly easy-handling wire gate. Connecting these biners is a 10 mm Dyneema sling that provides plenty of strength and durability without adding excess weight. The result is a quickdraw that is equally at home on difficult sport routes as well as hard trad climbs and alpine adventures.
Petzl Djinn Axess
$18
Looking at the Djinn Axess quickdraw, it’s difficult to believe that this is Petzl’s more cost-effective alternative to its top-of-the-line Spirit Express quickdraw. The Djinn has the feel and look of a premium draw, but at a more accessible price. The Djinn biners feature a large easy handling body that thanks to an H-cross section, is surprisingly light. Petzl has sculpted the body so that there is a large rope-bearing surface and has also added a snag-resistant keylock gate. To further improve handling when clipping bolts or gear, the straight gate biner features a grip-improving notch. The two Djinn biners are connected with a beefy polyester sling and Petzl includes its now often duplicated rubber string that not only prevents the rope-end biner from shifting, but also protects the sling from abrasion. During testing, the Petzl Djinn Axess quickdraw excelled in almost every climbing situation and is a great high-quality option for climbers seeking a durable and versatile quickdraw.
Metolius FS Mini II
$19
The already popular FS Mini quickdraw has been updated this year making it an even more compelling option for many climbers. With the FS Mini II, Metolius has increased the gate opening by about one milimetre, smoothed out the nose angle and reduced the weight of these already feathery-light biners by one gram. Metolius joins these biners with their burly 11 mm wide slings and also adds a JIG rubber stabilizer that prevents the rope-end biner from shifting when clipping. In a five-inch draw-length, the Metolius FS Mini II quickdraw comes in at just under 55 g, which makes this a great choice for longer trad routes while still retaining the functionality necessary for sport climbing.
Edelrid Slash $15
With their incredibly versatile shape and size the Edelrid Slash Set quickdraws offer excellent performance and durability. Edelrid starts with a biner body shape that is suitable for sport climbing, trad and even winter adventures. Edelrid then adds a snag-resistant keylock nose, which further increases the biner’s versatility. Throw in a beefy 16 mm wide sling (perfect for the abuse encountered on sport routes), a rubber sling protector that stabilizes the rope end biner and a reasonable retail price, and it’s clear that the Edelrid Slash Set quickdraws are really just about perfect for any new or experienced climber.
Omega Pacific Vulcan $21
Omega Pacific’s (OP) Vulcan draw has a number of features that will appeal to any climber looking for a versatile and lightweight quickdraw. The draw consists of OP’s hot-forged Vulcan biners that weigh just 32 grams, yet offer a shockingly strong 26 kN closed-gate strength ( 9 kN open-gate), which is higher than most (if not all) small wire gate biners. The biner also features an easy-to-hold bow-back shape as well as a wide rope-bearing surface. For the Vulcans, OP has chosen to use its unique Inf inity wire gate that is pinched in the middle. This shape minimizes the chance of the gate opening if the biner is dragged against the rock and also helps prevent tangling with other gear on the rack. A Dyneema sling ensures the rope-end biner stays put when clipping without adding unnecessary weight or bulk. All these features result in a great quickdraw that can easily transition between sport routes and more backcountry-oriented trad climbs.