Offset cams for Yosemite aid routes

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Tradman Chris

Trad climber
Reading, United Kingdom
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 25, 2016 - 12:28am PT
I have a trip to Yosemite in about 2 weeks' time, and hoping to do a big wall like the Nose or Salathe. I am getting a shopping list together for the last few bits of kit for the trip. I don't yet have any offset cams, so was thinking of investing in a few. My local gear shop has the following Aliens in stock:

Black & blue (1/3" & 3/8")
Green & blue (1/2" & 3/8")
Yellow & green (3/4" & 1/2")
Red & yellow (1" & 3/4")
Red & grey (1" & 7/8")
Grey & yellow (7/8" & 3/4")

Any suggestions as to which of these would be the most useful for a route like the Nose or Salathe? The gear list in the Supertopo guidebook suggest .4" to 1.25" offset cams (The Nose) and .33" to 1.25" offset cams for Salathe.

Should I be buying all 6 they have available, or would 6 offset cams be too many? I understand that Aliens are a bit hard to get hold of in the US, so am thinking it would be sensible to buy some here. I do have other gear to buy, and hadn't planned to invest in 6 offset cams, but maybe I should just buy all 6 and think about the cost later?



Lorenzo

Trad climber
Portland Oregon
Aug 25, 2016 - 12:45am PT
Both those routes go with doubles in cams and nuts to 4", depending on what you free.
Maybe a couple more in the mid ranges. You'll die on the hollow flake anyway, but take a really big piece for your head.


They were done clean a LOT before offset cams were invented. Don't sweat too much about whether they are offset or not unless you think the added stuff will give you courage.

See here:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/945977/Most-useful-Offset-Cam-sizes

Here's one of your compadre's gear lists which state he felt no real need for offset cams.

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=24442.0
Tradman Chris

Trad climber
Reading, United Kingdom
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2016 - 12:53am PT
Thanks - that is a useful link.
Prod

Trad climber
Aug 25, 2016 - 05:40am PT
Not sure about those routes but on Zodiac we loved Blue Green, Green Yellow, and Yellow Red.

But.... I'd invest in some basic Totem cams if I were buying new stuff for a wall.

Prod.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Aug 25, 2016 - 11:48am PT
Isn't there a need for a yellow/green on the first pitch to make the last move or so more secure?

Otherwise, if you could only buy a couple, these over the greys...

Black & blue (1/3" & 3/8")
Green & blue (1/2" & 3/8")
Yellow & green (3/4" & 1/2")
Red & yellow (1" & 3/4")
Batrock

Trad climber
Burbank
Aug 25, 2016 - 12:02pm PT
Instead of the basic Totems I'd get doubles on the blue and yellow Totem Cams, same with the black if you can get your hands on them.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
Aug 25, 2016 - 12:11pm PT
I would add that, particularly for the Nose, you could get by with no offsets whatsoever. In fact, you could get by with no cams (but some big hexes and a few tube chocks, although I think the latter aren't really needed much, either) and still do it mostly with aid.

I bring this up to recommend that whatever new cams you buy, use them to fill out what you already have for general use, rather than being route-specific.

Best of luck to you in any case.

John
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Aug 25, 2016 - 12:18pm PT
All of those cams are indispensible.

Do they still make Aliens? Who makes them?

Totem cams are better as they have fixed what used to break on Aliens. Straight Totems are really superb, too, and fit great in flaring placements.

You need to talk to Plaidman aka Scott Peterson as he will set you up with Totems - he's a distributor.
gathan

climber
Ontario, Canada
Oct 5, 2016 - 04:23am PT
I wish I could find someone that sells totem cams here in Canada.
skitch

Gym climber
Bend Or
Oct 5, 2016 - 02:38pm PT
I used two sets of offset aliens when I did the nose, we French freed up to sickle, and I was very glad to have the yellow red OS, there are a lot of flared finger sized pinscars on that section. Not sure how much we used them above sickle, but you'll be happy to have the bottom 3 sizes. There are a lot of other trade routes in the valley that make OS aliens useful.

FYI: I'm a pussy, so I make up for my shitty head with extra gear.
Highlife

Trad climber
California
Oct 5, 2016 - 05:34pm PT
Those are great for direct aid routes, indispensable, good on the salt he head wall, unnecessary on the nose. That being said Your gonna have a much better time if you approach the nose or salathe as mostly free climbs. If you have never walled or walled in Yosemite I really, really, really recommend not starting on either of those. They are extremely over crowded a very bad place to learn the trade. Much more involved than on paper.
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