Trad climbing nut placement. What nut sets do you own? And your opinion of it.

Trad climbing nut placement. This is important for having the correct size on your rack for the placement that you’re about to use. Learn how to place, remove and rack climbing hexes. We cover how to inspect bolts, when to retire carabiners, best practices when clipping to avoid big falls, and managing risk. We used each while ascending wind-blown alpine How to place stopper nuts when rock climbing and trad climbing is a skill al trad climbers need to know. First off is the rock secure than then you need to look at how well the device sits in the shape of crack. It would eat up the slings and make them less Oct 3, 2016 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Placing nuts are intuitive, they are inexpensive, and will last you a long time. Building your first trad rack made simple and easy. If you enjoyed this Hit that Nov 18, 2016 · The trickiest—and most important—parts of multi-pitch trad climbing are placing solid gear and building safe anchors fast. Sep 24, 2025 · Learn to place trad nuts like a pro with this AMGA-based guide. In this update, we purchased 7 of the best sets and slid them into cracks of all sizes across the United States. Learn the skills to stay safe and have confidence when climbing. ” For multi-pitch trad climbing, the term “Jesus Nut” is used to describe the first, most crucial piece of gear placement, just above the belay anchor. This means that the cam will work This is basically a "totally fine or retarded?" question. We tested each through a wide range of fissures, scar pins, parallel-sided cracks, around blocks, and the like. The whole process of VERY HARD trad blends aid climbing techniques, gear placement techniques/trust in gear into your whole repertoire. Each lobe is shaped according to a mathematical logarithmic spiral, so the angle between the lobes and the rock is always the same, no matter how retracted the cam lobes are. Disadvantages: more potential for a tangly mess. Find out how to start now! An overview of things to look for and ways to develop your gear placements for trad rock climbing. I’ve been using these trusty little guys in my rack for a while now, and let me tell you, they are the jelly to my peanut butter when it comes to trad climbing. You can set them in perpendicular if you find that placement, but it will be less secure. How about racking nuts pre-strung on alpine draws? It would avoid the hassle of setting up a draw for every placement, the fumbling around with and possibly dropping the leftover group of nuts, and would make re-racking a lot simpler. May 29, 2017 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Nuts or wires, rocks or stoppers. it's dangerous. A cam has three or four lobes mounted on an axle. Nov 29, 2017 · The solidity of the placement is vital for the integrity of the nut placement and is a vital check for all trad climbing runners. Active Mode Tricams work beautifully in horizontal cracks or small pockets where cams are too wide to fit properly and nuts would simply slide out when weighted. In the afternoon we will get the chance to practice these skills in a safe environment. Flaring inward will be more bomber than a standard because it'll rattle less, and will more easily set. Learn about nuts, hexes, cams and other equipment you may need. However, if the same attitude is applied to trad climbing, you'll soon get injured. Following an experienced leader is a good introduction to trad climbing, but you should be comfortable knowing how to place your gear and all the factors that contribute to making a solid placement. In the beginning of your trad climbing career you should focus on building a solid nut rack and learning to place them well. But if you’re new to trad climbing, how do you make sure that you’re getting the best climbing nuts? With climbing experience, you build your own personal preference. This is a pretty gear-intensive endeavor, and some of what you carry comes down to personal choice May 29, 2020 · New to trad climbing? Our Beginner's Guide to Trad Climbing breaks down everything you need to know to get started trad climbing today. Feb 6, 2018 · If regular nuts and most hexes are offset when placed in their sideways position, why are offset nuts so popular and even sold? For example: Is the angle significantly different between DMM Wallnuts in their sideways position and DMM HB Alloy Offsets that they work for different placements? I can see for smaller and micro offset nuts it being necessary as you can only get so small by turning a What are the 3 Types of Protection in Trad Climbing? Trad climbing: short for traditional climbing, it’s a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection, such as cams, nuts, and other devices, into natural features of the rock to protect against falls. Also see some examples of gear-racking options. Question on nut placement advice I've sport climbed for a while but am only now getting into trad. 19K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. Placing gear is like a math problem. May 24, 2021 · [To see more of Zach Joing’s great climbing photography, go here. ly/3vhJwabOr buy a Sling Mountain T Shirt?! http://bit. In this video, Dave Rudkin shows us how to correctly place nuts. e. To help prevent this, set them in place with a hard tug just like you would with a nut. Learn how to place climbing cams. [3][4] After the lead climber Bottomline If you’re planning to start Trad Climbing this year, you can not go wrong with set of DMM Wallnuts, Offset Nuts and Torque Nuts. May 31, 2020 · Want to buy me a coffee or the boy a dog treat?! http://bit. Jun 17, 2020 · In sport climbing, the routes have pre-placed bolts, allowing the lead climber to follow the route and quickly clip in to the bolts. The climb isn't over when you reach the top; you still need to make an anchor to attach yourself and belay your partner from. Getting into leading trad routes? Learn how to choose types of passive protection, such as chocks, nuts and hexes. Climbing cams increase your safety, acting as anchor points in cracks and crevices where bolts are lacking. Instead of clipping bolts, you are looking for natural features, cracks, or constrictions to place traditional climbing equipment like nuts and cams. While the latter is here in Finland not that often needed, a basic set of Nuts is THE key ingredient to your Trad Rack™. In most cases, nuts don't hold in the direction of the fall in horizontal cracks, and a sharp yank on a potential placement is all it takes to convince you of that. This is caused by movements in the rope as you climb Climbing gear is not made to last forever. Here are some things to consider: Trad Gear is Less Reliable than Sport Climbing Bolts It's generally safe to fall at any time on a bolted sport route, whether indoors or at the crag. If you don't want to deep dive into the gear rabbit hole, here is a summary of some of our favorite pieces of gear. With a proper rack, the right stone and some placement knowledge, a trad climber can boldy ascend nearly anywhere he can get adequate protection! It’s a pretty cool feeling to walk up to the base of a crag, wall or mountain and have the confidence to climb it – an experienced trad climber knows and lives I am somwhat confused about the places of hexes in a modern trad setting. Sep 6, 2013 · The Tricam is a puzzling piece: It’s delightfully simple, with no active—or moving—parts, yet it has more potential uses than either a spring-loaded camming device (SLCD) or a standard nut. What do you like about hexes? What are your favorite hexes? What features do you look for? I am interested in them and want to learn from people with experience (and no one I know is into them or uses them). This is Moved PermanentlyThe document has moved here. Master the 5 Pillars of bomber placements and get our printable pocket card for the crag. Common challenges include developing the “trad head,” learning efficient protection placement, and understanding multi-pitch rope management before attempting a traditional climb. Jul 28, 2022 · The Gear You Need for Trad Climbing That’s a lot of gear! Traditional or “Trad” climbing involves placing your own protection as you climb. That’s where the 12-Point Anchor Rubric Nuts Buying Guide Double Cap Read Time - 9 minutes May 2020 Standard nuts are the backbone of any traditional climbers rack. Apr 8, 2018 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Apr 10, 2020 · There are 5 golden rules for placing trad gear and deciding if it's bomber without having to take a nervy fall to find out! Tapering cracks where nuts fit very securely sometimes can create more difficult placements. As with any gear placement, a nut placement is only as strong as the rock around it. We have been climbing for a while, guiding professionally Trad Anchors. Apr 10, 2020 · There are 5 golden rules for placing trad gear and deciding if it's bomber without having to take a nervy fall to find out!. Jan 24, 2023 · Trad climbing involves a wide array of gear, including nuts, hexes, cams, Big Bros, and more, to ensure climbers stay safe. Climber leading a traditional climbing route, attempting to insert a nut for climbing protection. Then extend the placement with a quickdraw or sling instead of using just a single carabiner. A large selection of nuts for a long trad route in Morrocco Nuts, wires, stoppers, chocks, wedges, whatever you want to call them, have been around for a long time. adventureonthecheap. They are made of a flexible wire which is threaded through a hard 'nut' of metal. And I really love them nuts. Knowing what gear to rack and how to rack it can create a more efficient experience when starting out. This article explains everything about using climbing nuts: placing, racking and removing them. Apr 14, 2021 · So, looking at these estimates above, we are looking at $745 for a basic trad climbing rack with a set of nuts, a handful of the most used cams, a safe number of alpine draws and some equipment to build anchors and a nut tool. This video highlights how to place cams in cracks for trad climbing. Realize when the placement is susceptible to this due to the placement and the anticipated rope geometry. However, if you want to know the math equation that everyone talks about regarding the distance for optimal gear placement, then here is a brief explanation. Here’s what you need to know about trad gear and tips to build your first trad climbing rack. In essence, trad rock climbing embodies the essence of adventure and exploration, marrying the natural world with human ingenuity and determination. So look at the surrounding rock are there cracks that isolate either side of the crack. If standard nuts are secure in the rear, but rattly up front, try an offset. Inspect your wires for kinks or abrasions and inspect the heads of your nuts for abrasions or cracks. ly/3clZ1pcAt last! I’ve been waiting to do Jul 24, 2025 · Climbing Nuts 101 will help you make that decision when you’re getting your first gear for trad climbing. Trad climbing requires a lot of gear, and it can be quite confusing knowing exactly what you need and what you should buy. Jun 30, 2022 · How to place cams and nuts / wires so they stick! The video also covers the basics of organising gear on your harness and considerations when placing kit into the rocks. Oct 28, 2016 · From cams to nuts to hexes, learn the basics of trad gear with tips for buying your first rack. What nut sets do you own? And your opinion of it. Nuts work by wedging into a constriction in the rock, so look for a crack that's wider on top and tapers as it goes down. This article explains the physics of how climbing cams work, and also how to place, remove and rack them. This video covers all the types of trad protection gear I know of, and rates them all based on personal experience. If it's fixed, it's bomber! This 'ball nuts' article is part of the book - Trad Climbing Basics. Guides and books often talk about SERENE (Secure/Solid, Efficient, Redundant, Equalized with No Extension) and ERNEST (Equalized, Redundant, No Extension, Secure/Solid, Timely). Climbing nuts—and hexes, tricams, and other offshoots—only work if they’re placed correctly. Learn the exact pieces of gear you need, along with specific recommendations for each. However, while useful as guidelines, these acronyms could stand to go deeper into the strength side of the discussion. com is in high demand, secure it today! From cams to carabiners, nuts to nut tools, there are so many options for traditional climbing gear that it’s hard to know where to begin. ] Question: I’m new to trad climbing, and I want to know whether I should place gear at even distances, say every six feet, or run it out more and place two pieces of pro close together every 12 feet. It also shows how to objectively score placements to know if the placement is secure or Sep 12, 2019 · So you want to trad climb. For a more in-depth discussion of what makes a good passive placement, we recommend John Long's book Climbing Anchors. While the original unit had two placements (one passive, one active), the In addition to the gear you use in an indoor wall or at a sport crag, you'll need some more specialist kit to climb a trad route. Rad. I'm running old Tango "made by Hudy Sports" nuts, and I recently realized that they are actually offset in one plane and parallel in another plane. Jan 31, 2023 · What is Trad Climbing? Trad climbing, short for traditional climbing, is a style of free climbing that does not rely on fixed gear, like bolts on a sport climbing route, to protect a rock climb. Nuts are usually sold in sets of around ten. It Mar 22, 2021 · The 8 steps you need to follow to build your first trad rack. com is available for sale! Check it out on ExpiredDomains. A lot of gear is needed for trad climbing: cams, nuts Get tips and tricks for your first trad climbing equipment! Sep 27, 2025 · Struggling with trad anchors? Learn Building Bombproof Trad Anchors: Principles of SERENE/ERNEST. May 17, 2024 · What you really need to know, and buy, to start trad climbing. With some of these simple tips, you can save money and buy the rack of your dreams! Choose the right climbing protection gear to get your started with trad climbing. That being said, if you’re getting your first rack together May 26, 2025 · Learn Mastering Gear Placements: Cams, Nuts, and Slings in Trad Climbing. Oct 18, 2021 · Trad Climbing is the classic way of climbing outdoors - using some cool gear, a cool head, and a lot of knowledge. Learn to trad climb in Squamish, BC. This is because in such placements, ball nuts can be highly sensitive to upward/outward pulls. This article explains all. At GearLab, our roots are in rock climbing, as the website started as an offshoot of SuperTopo. There are three main types of protection you can use: Active Protection: refers to devices that rely on mechanical Nov 1, 2023 · Furthermore, trad climbing fosters resilience, teaching climbers to confront fear and uncertainty head-on, transforming obstacles into stepping stones towards personal growth and accomplishment. Initially made from actual machine nuts with the internal thread drilled out, they have undergone several stages of development in the last few decades, resulting in the wonderful colour-coded super-strong designs we have today. We’ve put together a quick guide to help you get to grips with the right gear. Apr 14, 2025 · If you’re a trad climber, you know that sound is the first sign of a bomber placement that will protect your daring adventures. A short tutorial on placing wires and nuts when trad climbing. You will learn how to evaluate a good gear placement as well as the rock surrounding it. I was reading about nut placement on a Mountain Project article (mirrored from climbing. Are you a beginning climber trying to put together a trad climbing rack? Climbers are asking all the time what pieces of trad gear should I purchase first? In sport climbing, bolts are usually 6-8ft apart and that is probably a good place to start for trad climbing as well. However, when you cast off on a trad route, you may encounter some bolts or old pitons. Sep 27, 2025 · While climbing movement skills are transferable, trad climbing introduces new complexities: gear placement, anchor building, risk management. How do climbers protect a fall with our little wired pieces of metal? In this episode I cover the complete basics of nut placement and the thought process behind it. They can be placed passively (like a nut) or actively (like a cam), depending on the orientation and features in the rock. May 1, 2022 · What Is Trad Climbing? Origin of Trad Climbing Notable Climbers (Now and Then) Historical Figures from Climbing's Golden Age Famous Climbers from the 2000s to Present Differences Between Trad and Sport Climbing Trad vs. Oct 8, 2025 · Climbing nuts are one of the first pieces of trad protection climbers will purchase. Aug 8, 2022 · Fit two nuts together, one right side up, the other upside down, to create a placement when you’ve run out of larger nuts. A beginners guide to the placement of Nuts, Rocks and Wires for protecting trad rock climbing. Having your Feb 8, 2020 · Building a Trad Climbing Rack is Expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Adventure, mystery and self-reliance all play roles in the trad climbers experience. Our expert team has a combined 40 years of climbing experience and has field-tested the best climbing gear since the inception of our site Cams are reliable and versatile pieces of trad protection that are designed to be placed in parallel sided cracks, where nuts won't work. I think ballnuts are cool when you can place them, while nuts are my go-to Jan 19, 2018 · If that nut was to fail, “the next person you see will be Jesus. Traditional climbing is a form of free climbing (i. Jun 27, 2023 · In this article, we cover the main principles of safety when lead climbing—both when clipping bolts and learning to place cams, nuts, hexes and tri cams. Nuts are an essential for every trad climber. They are cheap, strong, durable and relatively easy to use. Get tips on what cams, nuts and other gear to take rock climbing and how to organize it all. They’re commonly used in trad (traditional) climbing , aid climbing , and big wall climbing to protect climbers from falls by anchoring the rope to the rock. Whatever you call them, these wedges of metal are a key element in every trad climber’s protection system. no artificial or mechanical device can be used to aid progression, unlike with aid climbing), which is performed in pairs where the lead climber places removable climbing protection into the route while ascending. Gear Guru says: The decision depends as much on your confidence Apr 5, 2023 · Trad climbing is an important skill for rock climbers to have if they’re going to explore routes that aren’t fully protected with fixed gear. So, who cares how often other people have failed gear placements, all that matters is how good you are with gear and how smart you are and the tactics you're willing to implement to crush the route in question. Oct 31, 2024 · Our climbing experts have been testing the best climbing nuts and stoppers for over 10 years and over 15 different sets. Neil Gresham gives us a masterclass in the basics of placing nuts as Trad climbing protection. Build bomber anchors, boost confidence & climb safer. Sep 8, 2022 · Because climbing nuts are an important piece of safety gear, it’s a good idea to learn how to use them with a professional guide, and to practice placing them on the ground before you start climbing. You can learn this climbing technique and be safe when lead climbing. Apr 3, 2018 · Many climbers use a rubric to help build solid anchors. Aid Climbing Trad Climbing Terminology Cam (or Camming Device) Gear Placements Hex Nut Offwidth Pitch Pro Rack Runout Sharp End Tricam Trad Climbing Grades and Difficulty Nuts are an essential for every trad climber. Learn how to place hexes; how to use them passively (like a nut) or actively so they cam into cracks. Mar 26, 2020 · ---------- About this video: Gear Placement in Trad Climbing: Sometimes the 1st piece needs to be multi-directional Decide how far to place the gear relative to your tie-in point (the higher above Jul 28, 2022 · The Gear You Need for Trad Climbing That’s a lot of gear! Traditional or “Trad” climbing involves placing your own protection as you climb. We also cover placing gear on traditionally protected climbs, backing up suspect placements, and selecting your climb. Instead, trad climbing involves placing protection into cracks to mitigate the risk of a large fall. He goes into great depth about what makes for good protection. Looking to get into trad climbing? To get started, you’ll need to learn the Tools of the Trad, what kit you need, and how to use it. They are cheap, light and durable. So I'm seeking potential burner nuts or replacement for the Trango Aug 21, 2020 · Beginning Trad Rack: What to buy! Here is the long awaited update to one of my older blogs on buying and building a trad rack. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. In Choosing Climbing Nuts, Paul offers some advice on what type to choose and how to rack them. From the best trad climbing shoes to your first rack to how to train for crack climbing, we have the beta you need to start. Click to advance! What is trad climbing? What is trad gear? How do you learn trad climbing? Find out the basics about becoming a trad climber from an AMGA-certified Rock Guide. Your expert, step-by-step guide to ultimate safety. Ball nuts are a seldom used type of climbing gear which offer protection in thin cracks, filling the void where even the smallest cams are too big to fit. We will discuss trad lead climbing strategy as well as crack climbing movement. Joing took the excellent photo you see that opens this column. Nuts can wiggle out, slings can lift off and cams can walk out of position. com), and was surprised that the first tip in the "advanced techniques" section was to place 2 nuts in opposition in a horizontal crack. If you’re new to trad climbing, then you want to purchase the most common sized cams and nuts to build a “go anywhere” rack. Use a keeper sling in case the placement fails, and connect the sling to the rope. com. It's for this reason that they Take the time to thoroughly learn the intricacies of trad climbing and gear placement before you start jumping on the sharp end of the rope. Traditional Climbing Sport climbing uses permanently fixed protection known as bolts, but traditional ("trad") climbing puts you in charge of placing removable protection and building anchors that will keep you off the ground. The judgement we need to select a placements for Hexes and Tri cams is very similar to selecting a nut placement. Most of the force is transferred in the direction it is being pulled (in most cases, down and slightly outwards from the rock). In trad climbing, the lead climber carries, places and clips into protection (nuts, cams, etc) whilst finding the route, so as well as the physical challenge there is a significant mental challenge too. This course includes learning to place traditional climbing protection like cams and nuts. These will give you a good range of sizes. Apr 4, 2025 · If you plan on trad climbing, cams are essential. Nov 8, 2024 · Whether you want to fine-tune gear placement, anchors, or crush your first multi-pitch, this comprehensive guide to trad climbing has it all. We really hope you find it useful. Climbing nuts exert very little outwards force on the rock, unlike cams. I also run DMM offsets, I feel okay about them. Slot the indents over little nubs (ala Wallnuts). Nuts and cams are essential types of climbing protection devices used to create anchor points on rock walls. This course will expand on how to place nuts and camming devices on lead and how to recognize a solid or dubious placement. We have all kinds of really cool cams, and other styles of chocks/nuts/whatever. This will teach you far more about trad climbing strategy, placing gear and the intricacies of placements on different rock types and routes, than Trad Climbing Gear > Ball Nuts This 'ball nuts' article is part of the book - Trad Climbing Basics. This guide will help you understand how passive protection works and what to look for in a good placement. rxl rpmg 4ssbv nns1o xqarl l30redelj dw4 pent l9w l9k