First off, awesome job at being creative. It's that kind of thinking that will make you a good aids climber. That is what you want to be someday right? Just kidding.

Well dude, there is a slight problem with your picture there. Notice how you clipped both at once. The red hex is the one that will be holding your weight, because notice how the grey one is lower than the red.

If you fall and the grey one gets weighted first (although red is shorter due to height position, think if the rope ran slightly to the left) it will be tugged out from under the red. This is almost indistinguishable from the pic, but it is something to look at.

What you should have done, was clip into the red only, and then clip a keeper sling from the grey into the sling of the red (or the cable of the red), and not the rope. That way, if you fall, the red gets weighted only, and the grey only serves to act as an extended part of the crack. You also could have turned the grey upside down so that it is flaring upward, further allowing the red to be in a constriction (you would then put your keeper sling on the grey cable that you feed through the top (facing downward now) of the hex).

However, good job on the climb!!! I am just giving you things to think of.

TRADitionally yours,

Cali Dirtbag

Well dude, there is a slight problem with your picture there. Notice how you clipped both at once. The red hex is the one that will be holding your weight, because notice how the grey one is lower than the red.

If you fall and the grey one gets weighted first (although red is shorter due to height position, think if the rope ran slightly to the left) it will be tugged out from under the red. This is almost indistinguishable from the pic, but it is something to look at.

What you should have done, was clip into the red only, and then clip a keeper sling from the grey into the sling of the red (or the cable of the red), and not the rope. That way, if you fall, the red gets weighted only, and the grey only serves to act as an extended part of the crack. You also could have turned the grey upside down so that it is flaring upward, further allowing the red to be in a constriction (you would then put your keeper sling on the grey cable that you feed through the top (facing downward now) of the hex).

I had my first 5.8 trad lead earlier in the day...

Based on the number of mistakes that you have related about this single climb. I would have to say that you might be better off finding another hobby. Something safer. Really.

Good on ya for figuring that out with the level of experience you have. Buuuuuuut... taking falls on your second ever trad lead seems a bit premature. Pick your routes carefully, especially at this critical stage of the game. Live long! Prosper! :D

I can assure you most of my climbs are not this mistake ridden!

I won't be quite so harsh, but it sounds like you may want to be taking this trad thing a bit slower. :roll:

I applaud your creativity with the hexes, but at the same time it worries me that you took a 10 footer on your second trad lead after failing to judge properly what gear you'd need to lead it.

~Adam~

aving the first hex pop out as soon as he climbed above it, well ... that's his fault for not putting a cam in there.

Another thing you might want to try next time is to simply thread the sling (or wire) of the red hex through the sling (or wire) of the gray hex. Saves a carabiner, keeps the weight on the red one.

since this was his first piece, it should be a no-brainer that it should be a multi directional, i.e. cam, opposed nuts, etc. to avoid the zippering effect. also as his belayer, you might have pointed this out to him when he was placing the first piece. even if that hex didn't pop when he climbed above it, it most certainly would have popped when he fell, thus starting the "zipper". it's important to make sure your first piece is bombr.

Good advice from thegraytradster...at your level of experience carrying way more than you need is an excellent idea. I alwyas did. And I still sometimes do in areas that I am unfamiliar with. Having a nice big piece for a spot like that would be really great. You totally should have only clipped one. "At the end of the day" I would have to say this had a higher chance of pulling than i would be willing to rely on as my only piece off the deck. Very creative though. However, and a big however, place creative, almost experimental type pieces like that when you don't really have to rely on them(at first) then when you really need them...farther along in your career you will have the skills and the creativity to hook up something creative & bomber. Another thing..I saw a very bomber spot for what looks like a #2-#3.5 cam..hard to tell from the pic...and on a climb that looked anything like this those piece should totally have been with you.

"At the end of the day" I would have to say this had a higher chance of pulling than i would be willing to rely on as my only piece off the deck. Very creative though. However, and a big however, place creative, almost experimental type pieces like that when you don't really have to rely on them(at first) then when you really need them...farther along in your career you will have the skills and the creativity to hook up something creative & bomber. Another thing..I saw a very bomber spot for what looks like a #2-#3.5 cam.