Aid Climbing: 5. Cam Hooks
Aid Climbing & Big Walls
•
1m 17s
In this video we examine the various cam hooks used in aid climbing. Cam hooks are an invaluable tool when aid climbing: they can save time, and when used correctly they are quite “bomber” (or solid) compared to other forms of hooking.
Cam hooks can be used in pin scars created by lost arrow pitons and knife blades and sometimes they will even hold in angle scars.
They come in three sizes, small, medium and large. Small hooks can only be used in vertical cracks or seams, while the medium and larger cam hooks can be used in both vertical as well as horizontal placements such as in roofs. They also work well in certain situations such as on fragile, expanding flakes.
When placing a hook, try to bury the flat end of the hook into the crack up to the point where it turns. Set the placement by pulling down and then gently weighting it.
We hope you found this video helpful. Feel free to comment below with questions or thoughts!
Please remember, climbing is inherently dangerous. Climb at your own risk.
Up Next in Aid Climbing & Big Walls
-
Aid Climbing: 6. Jumaring Basics
In this video we examine the basics of jumaring. Jumaring, or “jugging”, is a means of ascending a fixed rope, which in aid climbing is done to either clean a pitch or simply ascend to a previous established highpoint.
First, adjust the length of your daisy chain to match your arm’s reach on y...
-
Aid Climbing: 7. Jumaring Over Edges ...
While jugging a pitch, you will likely encounter numerous obstacles. Roofs and protruding edges are examples.
When jugging through a roof, it’s important to place your jugs just past or just before the edge—as opposed to stopping directly on it.
Step 1: Approach the edge and stop just short...
-
Aid Climbing: 8. Jumaring Texas Style
In this video we look at another jumaring technique known as the Texas style (aka frog or double leg style). Texas style jumaring is a useful technique for ascending a free hanging line because it allows the climber to get all their power into the lower jumar, in order to slide the upper jumar.
...