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Topic Date User

directional gear 4-May-2012 At 11:13:53 AM Olbert

Message

On 4/05/2012 kieranl wrote:
>It's really quite fun to learn, mucking around with opposed wires, keeper
>pieces, directionals even funky stuff like stacked nuts (can save your
>backside one day when you're all out of small cams).

I have heard about stacked wires but never actually attempted it - I guess the time to learn is definitely not when I'm sketching out way above gear and am about to die as all the gear rips out below me. It should be noted that this should be a fairly extreme technique, I would wager many many climbers make it through their whole trad climbing careers and never use this (...then again I'de also wager there a few climbers who are definitely happy they did know this technique.)

>If you want simple, here's a simple rule : put in lots more gear than
>you think you'll need, with at least 2 pieces close together before every
>hard bit, if you can get them.

I run by the rule of if you are scared, place more gear. I had three bomber pieces in about a metre before the crux section of the route I was trying at Point Perpendicular on the weekend and after I fell off I then placed another piece higher whilst sitting on the rope - I then proceeded to fall onto that piece as well a bunch more times. I've forgotten the point of this story but suffice to say my seconder had got bloody hands getting my gear out - so it was a pretty successful day.