How Many TCUs Does It Take To Make a Valley Giant?
Mad Dog
Giant cam and I'm really fired up. I had them both made in magnesium alloy,
which knocks off a few ounces. The 9' cam feels about the same weight as a #5
Camalot. Tom Kasper makes them and you can check them out on his site, below.
When I met Brutus, he had some of these babies on his rack and I knew I just had
to have them. Imagine being able to push a 12" cam along in front of yourself
in a tight squeeze!
Lord Slime
> I recently picked up some bitchin' OW gear. I got one 9" and one 12" Valley
> Giant cam and I'm really fired up. I had them both made in magnesium alloy,
Nine FEET?! That's some OW!
> about the same weight as a #5
> Camalot. Tom Kasper makes them and you can check them out on his site, below.
> When I met Brutus, he had some of these babies on his rack and I knew I just had
> to have them. Imagine being able to push a 12" cam along in front of yourself
> in a tight squeeze!
Okay, the 11c OW on Freestone is your lead.
- Lord Slime
Clyde
> Imagine being able to push a 12" cam along in front of yourself
> in a tight squeeze!
Best way to use those. I would not recommnend taking a hard lead fall on
them...good chance they/you won't survive. Place BigBros if you're
leaving pro mid-pitch.
Scott Grimes
>I would not recommnend taking a hard lead fall on
> them...good chance they/you won't survive.
Just out of curiosity, why?
--
Cheers,
SMG
Mad Dog
>Mad Dog wrote:
Absolutely. Then again, a hard lead fall in a squeeze is gonna be a real
bummer. Does anyone sell Kevlar Squeeze Pants? Spongebob?
Crotch Robbins
Could you please explain why you believe that the Valley Giants
wouldn't survive a good whipper?
Crotch
Clyde
> Just out of curiosity, why?
Very large cams have a tendency to crumple or fold since there is so
much metal (giant lever) held by one corner. They appear very strong in
jig tests but can fail with little force in the real world. Brand or
material doesn't matter; applies to any that is light enough to carry.
Fine for overhead use (crack jumaring) where it can stop a slip. But
don't place one at the top of a crack and then continue leading thinking
it will hold a fall.
David
"Clyde" <ne...@clydesoles.com> wrote in message news:1ft1ve7.1rb7evr1dozxe6N%ne...@clydesoles.com...
Thanks Clyde, that makes sense. Would you extend that down to the #6 Friend?
I've always been afraid to fall on a Big Bro. They don't seem like the most stable
pro, although in the fall direction they can be pretty solid. I hear (read here?) that
they're coming out with a .5 (why?) and a #5 (cool!) soon.
I've been thinking of buying a #4 or two this year. Anybody here fallen on a
#4 Bigbro in a squeeze-chimney-width placement?
I'm not sure I understand the point of smaller Bros. Would anybody here use a
.5 Bro? Does anybody here use a #1?
David
Sunshine McGillicutty
>
>
> Thanks Clyde, that makes sense. Would you extend that down to the #6 Friend?
I'd extend it down to a #4 friend.
DMT
Melissa
What you say makes perfect sense. Still, I'd rather take my chances on the
Valley Giant rather than simply repeating over and over to myself on an
otherwise unprotectable chimney that if I fall, my body with jam in the crack
before going the distance. Of course, the easiest solution to this is to adopt
my normal practice of chimney avoidance.
Tom has a picture of a 16" plywood cam that he made for aid purposes which got
me thinking...Why not use really lightweight cams designed for bodyweight only
to lighten up an aid rack?
In article <1ft1ve7.1rb7evr1dozxe6N%ne...@clydesoles.com>, ne...@clydesoles.com
says...
David
"Melissa" <Melissa...@newsguy.com> wrote in message news:b6svp...@drn.newsguy.com...
>
> Of course, the easiest solution to this is to adopt my
> normal practice of chimney avoidance.
I thought you were on the chimney hardwoman program. What happened there?
Melissa
>
>I thought you were on the chimney hardwoman program. What happened there?
No way! I followed my bf up the DNB and have logged about 4 other chimney
pitches ever. I'm learning to follow them, but unprotected wide isn't even
something that I contemplate leading at this point.
Clyde
> Would you extend that down to the #6 Friend?
Nope, the #5 and #6 Friends are the only large cams I'd trust to leave
below my feet. They are beautifully machined to save weight yet retain
that lateral strength due to ridges. Plus they have stiff springs, which
is essential for staying in place. A well-placed BigBro is pretty secure
(just don't kick it as you go by). Personally, I prefer avoiding
off-widths if at all possible -- I'm not a masochist.
Lord Slime
> I've always been afraid to fall on a Big Bro. They don't seem like the most stable
> pro, although in the fall direction they can be pretty solid.
I've heard this fear from other people, but I've never had this reservation.
The Bro's I've placed have been Totally Bomber (tm). Of course, I've been
placing them (mostly) in parallel-sided cracks. If the crack flares, then...
That's why I want Mad Dog (or better, Brutus) to lead that OW on Freestone
(besides the fact that I probably can't even climb the f*cking thing).
> I hear (read here?) that
> they're coming out with a .5 (why?) and a #5 (cool!) soon.
The only reason for the .5 I can think of is that they are far lighter-weight than
cams of the same size. For an extended fist-crack, you could place a bunch
of them. Of course, you might flame-out doing it.... so I agree, why?
> I've been thinking of buying a #4 or two this year. Anybody here fallen on a
> #4 Bigbro in a squeeze-chimney-width placement?
I have a #4, and have placed it a few times, but I haven't fallen on it.
- Lord Slime
Shilajit T Gangulee
Lord Slime (jbyr...@SPAMfriiPLEASE.com) wrote:
: "David" <my_usen...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
I took a test fall on Bro4. It held just fine, though the fall was short (10
feet) and I weigh about 130 lbs (maybe 145 with gunks aid rack). I've taken
several short pops onto Bro3 as well. It held even in verglassed cracks. I
can't wait to get me a Bro5.
-t
A.M.
> Nope, the #5 and #6 Friends are the only large cams I'd trust to leave
> below my feet. They are beautifully machined to save weight yet retain
> that lateral strength due to ridges. Plus they have stiff springs, which
> is essential for staying in place. A well-placed BigBro is pretty secure
> (just don't kick it as you go by). Personally, I prefer avoiding
> off-widths if at all possible -- I'm not a masochist.
Tom apparently made them to aid a 5.11+ OW pitch on El Cap (which he didn't
get to do yet) ...
His Trip Report on rc.com is great :
http://www.rockclimbing.com/photos.php?Action=Show&PhotoID=5017
Steelmnkey
>I've heard this fear from other people, but I've never had this reservation.
>The Bro's I've placed have been Totally Bomber (tm). Of course, I've
>been placing them (mostly) in parallel-sided cracks. If the crack
>flares, then...
Agree with this. I've used my #3 quite a bit. The placements I've had with it
have (so far) been pretty trustworthy looking, but I haven't fallen on it yet.
>The only reason for the .5 I can think of is that they are far lighter-weight
>than cams of the same size. For an extended fist-crack, you could >place a
bunch of them. Of course, you might flame-out doing it....
>so I agree, why?
Seems kinda like nobody will buy the .5 to me, but whatever. The only other
benefit I've found with regard to racking Big Bros is that when they're hanging
from a gear harness, they don't tend to poke you in the ribs like big cams can.
They get in your way less...
>I have a #4, and have placed it a few times, but I haven't fallen on it.
I took a couple #4's up a big fat crack and toward the end, I was looking for
someplace to place one just because I'd dragged them all the way up the route.
Haven't tested one yet...
G.
Brutus of Wyde
>
> Could you please explain why you believe that the Valley Giants
> wouldn't survive a good whipper?
He already did.
Moot point. The big cams are not optimum protection for leaving
behind, they are a moveable top rope, and excellent for bodyweight
aid.
The one time I left a #9 behind, (with a double shoulder length
runner) it walked out of the placement. ("Bed of Nails" 5.7, 50 feet
right of Cat in the Hat in Red Rocks) No criticism of the unit, or its
maker -- the Valley Giants are the best thing I've ever seen in big
cam design. I own three #9s.
With Big Bros, often one has to look hard to find the optimum
placement, but the combination of bros and wagon wheels almost makes
wide cracks sane. Sure beats looking around for #0 brass nut
placements behind the exfoliating flakes peeling out of the festering
chimney...
Brutus
Crotch Robbins
> He already did.
Yeah, I recdot via google so get behind the times a bit. By the time
my message appeared on google, there were a half dozen responses in
the thread.
> The big cams are not optimum protection for leaving
> behind, they are a moveable top rope, and excellent for bodyweight
> aid.
> I own three #9s.
But if they are a moveable TR, shouldn't one be enough? ;-)
I'll have to hit you up and borrow those for my pinkpoint attempt on
Uncle Fanny. I'll be spending all of May and June rehearsing the
pitch on TR, and if anyone wants to film it, the PP is scheduled for
October when temps are cooler. Do you think this will get me into
Masters of Stone #6?
> #0 brass nut placements behind the exfoliating flakes
> peeling out of the festering chimney...
Psych pro at its best.
Crotch
Dingus Milktoast
"Brutus of Wyde" <bbin...@ebmud.com> wrote
> Moot point. The big cams are not optimum protection for leaving
> behind, they are a moveable top rope, and excellent for bodyweight
> aid.
That make good handholds for #2.
DMT