The Anticam

rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/fo…;page=unread#unread

The link above is to an interesting thread on rockclimbing.com about a clamping device to use as clean protection on flakes. It includes videos of the developer taking falls on the device and of his establishing a new route at Squamish using his Anticam.

Cheers,

Rob.calm

Edited to add the link to videos.

arcteryx.com Go to episodes 15, 21, 22.

that was cool

the feather's edge on the Warbonnet in the Wind River Range.

Interesting idea. Matt always seems to approach things with an open mind.

I hope he doesn't impale himself on that protruding rod.

haha that funny i was actually talking about this about a month ago with a few friends because i saw it on itunes.

Okay, well I have to give it to him good effort. But, is it really pratical? The pitch he did seemed, as if cams would work better. Maybe some of you know this area in Squamish, but is it really practical? Anyway, I bet they had a good time with it. I would have.

How much more of an impractical piece of canoe anchor to take climbing can be had???? I for one don't see myself buying one. The bar that you have to screw a nut to keep from expanding, well fall on that, see what flesh eating that can produce. For holding your wood together while building a woody, practical there perhaps. Climbing, nahh..... What I saw him placing it on, a cam can be placed faster and with better results, or even a hex, or big bro.... Thinking out of the box, I'll give him that, practical and perhaps marketable, not.... Or at least I doubt it. I'm sure the thought has been thought of before he came along, but who knows, the climber/engineer/developer beforehand probably thought of the impracticality of it and abandoned the idea. Doubt you'll see it in climbing shops anytime soon if at all. But hey, what do I know... If you want to carry up your bbq'er for that third belay hamburger, carry it up too: I've heard hibachi's work great for that, compact, small profile, can hang them easily off your harness (I'm sure the weight is similar, lol). I'll stick with the nuts, tricams, cams, hexes, or big bro's thanks....

Juan

Actually, I did in the past, see a half version of his "anticam", was more like a friend with a lobe or perhaps two lobes on it for jamming in a crack. I think it was a pre-curser for what he's calling "anticam". But was actually a pre-curser for a cam. I don't know who came up with the idea, Ray Jardine came up with the "Friend" so don't know if he came up with the the half cam, perhaps the Lowe bro's, I don't know the actual developer. Hopefully someone can shed some light on that, I'm at least interested; as I cannot remember at this point in time, but will try to find out... Actually if you look in the photo of the URL provided there is a photo of what I'm talking about. If you look about to the upper left and high of the guys left eye (about an inch or so above his head), about 1'oclock you will see what appears to be a half of an "anticam", perhaps the lobe is set in a different position (but depends on how you look at it and how you want to place it), but similar on a single stem design. URL:

mtntools.com/NutsMuseum/01.…

I'm sure someone who posts on this one will have a better photo of what I'm talking about. And please do so.

Juan

no1nprtclr wrote: I think it was a pre-curser for what he's calling "anticam". But was actually a pre-curser for a cam. Juan

Looks like a Lowe prototype

Although the device does seem fairly cumbersome in the video, it seems to be an amazing piece of equipment nonetheless. The climb on which he tests the device is Layback Flake (5.9) at the Neat and Cool area of the Smoke Bluffs. This route is most commonly TR'd due to its mostly unprotectable nature.

Very cool ingenuity. Remember, this is how cams started as well, in a prototype phase. They too were large and cumbersome at one point.

Ian F. wrote:Okay, well I have to give it to him good effort. But, is it really pratical? The pitch he did seemed, as if cams would work better. Maybe some of you know this area in Squamish, but is it really practical? Anyway, I bet they had a good time with it. I would have.

Did you see how much the flake was moving when he was climbing it? Watch the video on the Arctery'x website.

A cam would fit perfectly, but would not hold due to the instability of the gap. The gap gets larger and smaller as the flake moves. Hence his problem, and the developing solution.

P.S. The video shows him taking falls on it also :D

Zach.Moore wrote: Did you see how much the flake was moving when he was climbing it? Watch the video on the Arctery'x website. A cam would fit perfectly, but would not hold due to the instability of the gap. The gap gets larger and smaller as the flake moves. Hence his problem, and the developing solution. P.S. The video shows him taking falls on it also :D

Indeed. That flake is apparently well known for being not taking gear - too much flex.

very clever.

i could see using that for aid, to sail a bolt in...

the anticam, v0.1

Jesse Davidson wrote:the anticam, v0.1

classic. lol!!!!!!

not really related but, I went to Arc'teryx's climbing gear section and under "protection" was a set of kneepads (!?)

no1nprtclr wrote:How much more of an impractical piece of canoe anchor to take climbing can be had???? I for one don't see myself buying one. The bar that you have to screw a nut to keep from expanding, well fall on that, see what flesh eating that can produce. For holding your wood together while building a woody, practical there perhaps. Climbing, nahh..... What I saw him placing it on, a cam can be placed faster and with better results, or even a hex, or big bro.... Thinking out of the box, I'll give him that, practical and perhaps marketable, not.... Or at least I doubt it. I'm sure the thought has been thought of before he came along, but who knows, the climber/engineer/developer beforehand probably thought of the impracticality of it and abandoned the idea. Doubt you'll see it in climbing shops anytime soon if at all. But hey, what do I know... If you want to carry up your bbq'er for that third belay hamburger, carry it up too: I've heard hibachi's work great for that, compact, small profile, can hang them easily off your harness (I'm sure the weight is similar, lol). I'll stick with the nuts, tricams, cams, hexes, or big bro's thanks.... Juan

The flake Matt was climbing cannot take cams or any other device that previously existed. If you watch the 5 episodes they tell you. A number 2 Camalot placed behind it will pop out with just body weight only and may actually cause the flake to break off.

Kevin Brooks Henry wrote:not really related but, I went to Arc'teryx's climbing gear section and under "protection" was a set of kneepads (!?)

Aid climbing personal protection, I guess.