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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

Rave About Your Rack Please do not post retail SPAM.

Topic Date User

tell us your cam-popping whipper epic 12-Jul-2010 At 5:43:12 PM garbie

Message

This was a weird one. Was climbing Gates of Janus, a 16 corner crack at Mt Boyce, many years ago when about 3/4 the way up realised I didn't have enough or the right sized gear, so decided to lower off to get more. I lowered off what I thought was a bomber cam, probably a #2. When I was still 5 or 6m off the ground the cam popped & before the next bit of gear down could hold me, I decked. Luckily it was sloping ground and I rolled down the hill coming to rest up against a tree, with only a bruised heal. I couldn't understand what had happened until I mentioned it to somebody who seemed to remember that one side of that crack is a big semi-detached pinnacle (although it didn't look like it) which he reckoned could move - it must have moved enough for the cam to pull. Cams multiply the load (by what factor?) and it was able to force the crack far enough apart. Anybody else noticed anything unusual there? - I never went back to have a good look. PS I haven't lowered off a single piece of gear since.