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Cam BD #5 purple is it needed for Arapiles?

PeterM

24-Mar-2013
10:32:04 AM

Hi
I am coming from NZ this Easter
Should I bring this cam - does anything need it like Watchtower Crack - use up to 5"(130mm)?
Thanks

ChuckNorris

24-Mar-2013
10:54:22 AM

I wouldn't bother. it'll be handy for watchtower, but you can just borrow one or two for the day from a local.

Dave_S

24-Mar-2013
1:53:03 PM

I probably wouldn't bother bringing it. It might be useful at the end of pitch three, when you are laybacking up towards the belay ledge, but the last piece of pro before that layback is a bolt, so unless you're uncomfortable at that grade, you should be able to just leave it run out until you get to the ledge. The point on Watchtower where people lament not having big gear is more the start of the fourth pitch, where you're climbing an awkward offwidth from the ledge to a bolt about 4m up, and a fall could mean a factor 2 on the belay, or a painful bounce off the ledge. However, a BD #5 may not be big enough for that. I recall a BD #6 placed there being towards the limits of its expansion!

Oh yeah, and if you'll be climbing Watchtower Crack, get yourself two boltplates. (Maybe 3 if you have butterfingers.)

Wendy

24-Mar-2013
2:49:02 PM

On 24/03/2013 Dave_S wrote:
>I probably wouldn't bother bringing it. It might be useful at the end of
>pitch three, when you are laybacking up towards the belay ledge, but the
>last piece of pro before that layback is a ~~bolt~~ a carrot placed on the first ascent some 30+ years ago, so unless you're uncomfortable
>at that grade, you should be able to just leave it run out until you get
>to the ledge. The point on Watchtower where people lament not having big
>gear is more the start of the fourth pitch, where you're climbing an awkward
>offwidth from the ledge to a bolt about 4m up, and a fall could mean a
>factor 2 on the belay, or a painful bounce off the ledge. However, a BD
>#5 may not be big enough for that. I recall a BD #6 placed there being
>towards the limits of its expansion!
>
>Oh yeah, and if you'll be climbing Watchtower Crack, get yourself two
>boltplates. (Maybe 3 if you have butterfingers.)

There, that's more like it .... I personally carry both my no. 5s up Watchtower. If you find yourself with a strange desire to do routes like Electra, Bulger or Kama Sutra as well, bring the big cams. Otherwise, I could be persuaded to lend you mine in exchange for chocolate.

Dave_S

24-Mar-2013
4:07:44 PM

I'm actually somewhat glad that I'm receiving this information after climbing the route. :-D

At least the carrot has a very decent BD #1ish cam placement in the horizontal crack, to back it up.

sliamese

25-Mar-2013
3:17:39 PM

Its a very common size at araps, so i'd reccommend carrying your #5 on everything. Usually you cant see where it might go from the ground but you'll want to take it, trust me...

There are 6 messages in this topic.