There is a specific kind of frustration unique to climbing.
You stand at the base of a beautiful line. The sun is warm. Your shoes are tight. Your chalk bag is full. You look up at the first bolt—and it is ten feet away, around a corner, behind a bulge of rock that no human arm was designed to navigate.
You can climb V7. You can lead 5.12. But right now, you cannot reach the first clip without taking a fall that might end your day.
This is the hidden crux. The one they don't talk about in training videos. The one that has nothing to do with finger strength or core tension.
It is the crux of reach.
And for years, I simply accepted it. I would jump. I would dyno to the bolt. I would ask my taller friend to clip it for me. I would stand on my tiptoes, stretch my spine, and pray.
Then I discovered a tool that changed my approach to projecting: the Two Stones Stick Clip.
A Tool for the Rest of Us
Two Stones is not a brand that screams for attention. Their gear is quiet, functional, and built for climbers who spend more time on real rock than in the gym. The Stick Clip is a perfect example.
At first glance, it looks simple. An extendable pole. A brush adapter. A clip ring. But simplicity, when done right, is genius.
The pole is made of aluminum alloy. It is light—so light you will forget it is in your pack. But it is also strong. Not strong like a steel pipe, but strong enough to hold a brush, a quickdraw, or a rope without bending or wobbling. You do not need brute force. You need precision. And the Stick Clip delivers precision because it does not fight you.
The Reach That Keeps You Safe
The most obvious use of a stick clip is clipping the first bolt. If you trad climb or sport climb outside, you know the danger of a ground fall before the first clip. The Stick Clip extends from 60cm to 280cm with five sections and a twist-and-lock mechanism.
Let me be honest: twist-and-lock poles can be terrible. Some brands require the grip strength of a professional arm wrestler to tighten. Others loosen after three twists. The Two Stones mechanism is smooth. A quarter turn locks it. A quarter turn releases it. No frustration. No slipping mid-reach.
At full extension—nearly 3 meters—the pole remains stable. You can stand on flat ground and reach a bolt that used to require a precarious ladder or a dangerous jump. This is not just convenience. This is safety.
One Adapter, Infinite Angles
But the Stick Clip is not just for clipping bolts. This is where Two Stones did something clever.
The adapter attaches to the end of the pole and allows you to mount a climbing brush. And here is the feature that makes outdoor projecting genuinely easier: the climbing brush angle adjusts from -10° to 280°.
If you have ever tried to clean a high hold that sits under a roof or behind a flake, you know the frustration. A fixed brush forces you into contorted positions. You hang with one hand, stretch with the other, and still miss the hold.
With the adjustable angle, you can rotate the brush to reach any surface. Overhangs. Underclings. Deep cracks. The bristles go where your hand cannot. You stay secure on the wall or safe on the ground while the brush does the work.
Brushes That Last
The Stick Clip comes with two extendable climbing brush. The bristles are made of dense boar hair. Synthetic brushes fall apart. Cheap bristles bend and lose their shape. Boar hair is different. It is stiff enough to scrub caked-on chalk but gentle enough to avoid damaging textured rock or wooden training holds.
I have used my set for two seasons. The bristles are still straight. The density is still there. They do not shed. They do not smell. They just work.
And because the adapter is compatible with most brushes on the market, you are not locked into a proprietary system. If you already have a favorite brush, it will fit. Two Stones respects that climbers have preferences. They built an adapter that welcomes your gear, not replaces it.
The Bonus That Lives on Your Harness
Here is the detail that tells you the designers actually climb.
The Stick Clip comes with a bonus: a clip ring for quickdraws or rope settling. It is lightweight, easy to change, and attaches directly to the pole.
Why does this matter?
Because when you are working a project, you often need to hang a quickdraw on a bolt before you can pull the rope. Or you need to settle the rope into a quickdraw after a whip. The clip ring turns the Stick Clip into a precision placement tool. No more swinging a draw on the end of a stick and hoping it catches. The ring holds it steady. You place it exactly where you want.
And when you are done, the entire tool packs down to 60cm and slides into your pack. No awkward straps. No external carry. It just disappears until you need it again.
The Verdict
The Two Stones Stick Clip will not make you a stronger climber. It will not improve your endurance or your footwork. But it will keep you safer. It will let you reach holds you cannot touch. It will clean the chalk off that one high crux hold that always spits you off.
Climbing is about solving problems. The Stick Clip solves a specific, frustrating, often dangerous problem: the problem of reach.
For less than the price of a new harness, you can stop jumping for the first bolt. You can stop straining your shoulder to clean a roof. You can climb smarter, not harder.
And sometimes, climbing smarter is the only way to climb another day.
---
Two Stones Stick Clip
Aluminum alloy. 60cm to 280cm. Adjustable angle -10° to 280°.
Comes with two boar hair brushes and a clip ring.
Safety should not be hard to reach.