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rideandclimbkid
Nov 30, 2003, 10:37 PM
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Registered: Dec 4, 2002
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i had the oppertunity a couple weeks ago to toprope a route in ricks rocks where it was protected by #1 and #2 camalots. i was sitting at the top helping to take down the tr's cause i was the last climber and got the chance to try my had at placing a cam in the crack(iv never placed pro before) while dave(our guide) was taking down the first TR. is it hard to correctly place a cam? because it seemed pretty easy to me. i just looked for a little nub/high spot in the horizontal crack and seated the lobes behind it, let it spread, and it held when i tugged on it.
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barnes33
Nov 30, 2003, 10:44 PM
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its easy to correctly place a cam but its just as easy to place one incorrectly. it all depends on the direction of the rope, the direction of the pull from falling, whether or not it will walk on you, flare out on you, etc. i would practice as well as watch someone elses placements.
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randomboulder
Dec 1, 2003, 2:46 AM
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yeah, barnes is right. you should check out John Long's Climbing Anchors book. and have someone experienced critique you when practicing placements near the ground or on toprope.
-r
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holdplease2
Dec 1, 2003, 3:16 AM
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Placing a cam in a perfect placement is easy...but not all placements are perfect.
Make sure not to place the cam behind a loose block or a flake that can break off. Remember, the force the cam exerts it both outward and downward...make sure that outward force isn't going to cause trouble.
Also, there won't always be an "ideal" cam placement, sometimes you may have to make do...knowing what makes a good cam good will go a long way in these situations.
Finally, a good cam placment can be made bad...was your sling/draw/runner too short so now the rope drag is going to nail you? Is the sling such that it causes the biner to be bent across a rock when it is weighted?
So, while easy cam placments are easy, some hard cam placements can SEEM easy if you don't know what you are doing, and that is why reading John Long's book is a good idea...tons of pictures of the right way and the wrong way to do things.
Have fun learning to place pro! Have even more fun the first time you really get to test one!
-Kate.
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holdplease2
Dec 1, 2003, 3:26 AM
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Registered: Dec 18, 2002
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BTW...what do you ride?
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rideandclimbkid
Dec 1, 2003, 3:58 AM
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thanks for the replys guys. the funds arent quite there to buy a rack yet...still about...$1000 short haha..i was just curious. can you place camalots in a verticle crack? the person i was with said he wouldnt, and that there were better choices which i could believe...but i would think that constricting cracks are ok right? holdplease2 - i race motocross
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rock_buddy
Dec 1, 2003, 6:02 PM
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Registered: Nov 26, 2003
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you put the cam in the rock crack
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josephine
Dec 1, 2003, 6:21 PM
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In reply to: you put the cam in the rock crack
duh :roll:
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holdplease2
Dec 1, 2003, 6:32 PM
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Never motorcross, but do have street bikes. Fun Fun!
Regarding cracks: Vertical cracks go up and down, horizontal go across. Folks who don't do it often worry a bit about placing cams in horizontal cracks sometimes, but in my opinion this worry is unfounded. Vertical cracks are the norm and most folks are comfortable with these.
In the Gunks, for example, a huge portion of the placements are horizontal cracks and cams work fine there. If you buy rigid stem cams (unlikely) you have to make sure that you tie them off short (sometimes called 'gunks tieoff' so that the rigid stem is not levered against the rock and breaks. Also make sure the sling/webbing isn't running across the edge of the crack if it is super-sharp and might cut. Also make sure that if you have a deep placement the biner on the draw/runner/cam is not levered across the edge of the crack and at risk of breaking. My opinion.
-Kate.
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