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redpiton
Apr 24, 2003, 11:54 PM
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Registered: Apr 8, 2003
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Greetings
Cam hooking, Hooking in general, usually used in Aid climbing...can anyone give me an accurate description of this technique?
I don't need anyone to respond "google" either. You know who you are and frankly, ya don't help. :o
-Drew
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tim
Apr 25, 2003, 12:06 AM
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http://www.rockclimbing.com/...mp.cgi?Detailed=3303
You slot it into a vertical or roof crack, weight it so that the hook twists, and it holds. They work great, I wouldn't get on an aid lead without my micro and regular camhooks. (and talons) Spooky at first but once you get used to them you won't believe you ever lived without them. Bonus: they weigh almost nothing. Certainly a lot less than the cams, nuts, and pitons you might otherwise have to place where you can now leapfrog.
(btw... I found this in 3 minutes by searching Google... picture by Richard Heinrich aka Spike, posted by Pete Zabrok aka Dr. Piton.)
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brutusofwyde
Apr 25, 2003, 12:33 AM
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For, like, climbing on hooks, you set the hook over the top of an edge or flake (or in a hole or divot), clip to it, move up on it, lather, rinse, repeat.
Especially fun are blind hook placements, placements just out of reach where you tape the hook to the top of the hammer to get the hook just a few inches beyond your fingertips, hook tosses, hook placements at the end of a 10-foot or more cheat stick (when used by the FA team, of course) equalized oppositional hook placements, tied off hook placements, and duct-taped hook placements. On some pitches with extensive hooking (such as on Zenyatta) the only protection on most of the pitch is some big ole hooks taped in place.
You will be entertained if you step onto an unprotected 5.8 friction slab after 40 feet of hooking. ["Why do we do it? we're insane, that's why." -- Warren Harding]
Often it is advised when transferring weight onto the hook to keep your weight centered directly below the hook to keep from dislodging it. Take care on traversing moves in particular.
Leeper cam hooks are a completely different animal, and addressed elsewhere in this thread. Don't use camhooks in soft sandstone. The leverage can destroy the placement.
See also: Crack-n-ups, cammed KBs, enchanted hooks, hammer-set-camhooks, hookers, and hookahs.
Brutus
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tim
Apr 25, 2003, 12:40 AM
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Speaking of blind placements...
The Fish has the last word in safety for hooks -- "Wear sunglasses or other protective eyewear, unless you like the Pirate look." Not too many things grosser than a guy who's just popped a Fish hook into his eye ball sans shades. That shit is ill :-)
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ubotch
Apr 25, 2003, 1:14 AM
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Can cam hooks take a fall or are they just for body weight?
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jhwnewengland
Apr 25, 2003, 1:22 AM
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In reply to: Can cam hooks take a fall or are they just for body weight?
Even if they could, good luck getting them to stay there as you move past them. No, you don't leave them as pro.
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tenn_dawg
Apr 25, 2003, 1:23 AM
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They'll take a fall if you can find a way to leave them.
Duct tape comes to mind.
Really though, you usually just use them for a single move aid climbing, them pull them out. They won't stay in the rock without some weight hanging on them.
Travis
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johnhenry
Apr 25, 2003, 1:48 AM
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Cam hooks rule!
Vertical, roof, and even horizontal placements are all doable.
They are a crucial part of the "better way", though Dr. Piton does not use them.
If a regular hook can hold a fall, you better believe these babies can (though you won't want to make a habit of it). The best tip I have heard about placing them came from Ammon. He said not to let the arm drop past four o' clock or eight o'clock in vertical placements. Solid advice from a cam hook junkie.
I have blown cam hook placements in basalt and it ain't a pretty scar... Check the slings regularly.
But in granite,
Cam Hook on!
John
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ubotch
Apr 25, 2003, 1:53 AM
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Thanks
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atg200
Apr 25, 2003, 6:22 AM
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In reply to: You will be entertained if you step onto an unprotected 5.8 friction slab after 40 feet of hooking.
thanks brutus - i've needed an excuse to clean my monitor anyway. the british art of understatement has nothing on you.
anyway, it can't be stressed enough. do not cam hook on sandstone!!! and be careful getting high and levering out on these things. obvious i know, but one of my most memorable falls happened when i blew a cam hook i was top stepping on during an attempted first clean ascent on devils tower.
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brutusofwyde
Apr 25, 2003, 4:42 PM
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Camhooks in solid granite can definitely hold a fall. If the placement is just at the right angle, it is sometimes possible to tap the camhook into the placement to secure it. This works so well that, for a while at least, there was a fixed camhook on Zodiac. DO NOT try this on softer rock!
Brutus
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passthepitonspete
Apr 25, 2003, 4:53 PM
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I routinely tap my cam hooks into granite cracks with my hammer. They are emphatically the bomb and will most assuredly hold falls, though I don't like to leave them behind because I only have a few.
Knowing how hard to tap is the secret. They can be a bugger to extract if you overtap.
The things are also awesome on expanding flakes, especially if you are climbing at night! As the flake opens when you weight the hook, you see sparks! Yep - the flake opens, but the hook won't pop out. It will, however, get your attention.
I use cam hooks far more than I'll ever publically [sic] admit.
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mrhardgrit
Apr 25, 2003, 5:07 PM
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Yeh....! There's nothing better than aiding at night! I love to see those sparks fly when you're pounding those LA's home.
Have you also noticed those funny little insects that come out in the millions after dark sets in? They only really occur on the first 5ish pitches. I had them jumping all over my arms, my face and even a few hopped into my mouth! Almost as good as Jolly Ranchers....
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passthepitonspete
Apr 25, 2003, 6:45 PM
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Those little silverfish bastards. Man, they're everywhere. The pins spark all the way down if you drop one at night.
But you haven't really lived, Tom, til you've had one of those El Cap Frogs hop into your mouth while you're lying in your ledge!
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clorda
Apr 25, 2003, 7:24 PM
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Registered: Nov 27, 2001
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Recently, I've bought 2 cam hooks from two different sources. On both occasions, I asked for a "regular". One is the same size as the one in the picture, but the other one is smaller. It has the same width all along, from tip to hole.
Soooooo, what size is the one in the picture ? Regular or wide ?
Thanks,
CL
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brutusofwyde
Apr 25, 2003, 7:39 PM
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.In reply to: Soooooo, what size is the one in the picture ? Regular or wide ? Thanks
They come in at least 4 sizes that I know of.
For lack of a better description, extra wide (believe this is aluminum) for use on fragile features, regular-wide (pictured), regular-narrow (the other cam hook what you got) and micro.
I use the two "regular" hooks the most by far.
Brutus
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climbingcowboy
Apr 26, 2003, 2:34 AM
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Registered: Jun 24, 2002
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Hey Brutus how many of each size would you recommend of the Leepers?
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