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Valley Giants

Original Post
Monty · · Golden, CO · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 3,520

After some wide climbing this weekend I started thinking about cams that are larger than a #6 bd and all I could think of are the Valley Giants. Sooooo my question is, would the #9 be like a tipped out #6 camalot?

Kangaru Rat · · Under a Rock · Joined May 2008 · Points: 0

Bigger.

Mia KCarver · · Butte, MT · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 0

Big bros are cheaper, lighter and easier to come by (used).

Valley Giants are bloody rad if you want to walk the gear and are good if you're on delicate sandstone. Also, placing Big Bros 4 and 5 can be a pain.

Pick your poison. Either way, you're going in the right direction.

Monty · · Golden, CO · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 3,520
Kangaru Rat wrote:Bigger.
Dang, Is there any other cams out there that are slightly larger than a #6?
Rich Farnham · · Nederland, CO · Joined Aug 2002 · Points: 297

The Valley Giant #9 is comfortably mid-range when the #6 (C4) is getting tipped out to the point of being scary. I tried to measure the usable range of the two to give it some hard numbers. I'd call the max range on a #6 C4 to be ~6.5". Putting the Valley Giant in a similar position, I measure closer to ~8.5".

More practically speaking I've really enjoyed having the #9 as I learn to climb that size. I have the bigbros for that range, but I often find them difficult to place in the coarse granite and Front Range sandstone around here. That size is hard enough (knees/quads don't really lock anymore, but I can't really get inside the crack yet) that I don't want to screw around with bigbros. Desert sandstone would likely be different.

The VG's are expensive. I split one with my OW partner. Seems most of our other partners don't want to climb anything that size anyway, so it doesn't really matter who keeps the thing, we pretty much only use it when we're climbing together. That helps with the $160 price tag.

Have fun!

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

the 9" VG is pretty similar in size/range as the green (#3) big bro. this cam is pretty nice, as that size can be a real mfkr. too big to stack, too tight to wing. nothing left but strenuous arm barring. anybody who has seen my arms realizes that the word "strenuous" can't be in the same sentence.

mattm · · TX · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,885

If you're getting into that size, NOTHING right now beats the #9 VG. Yeah it's expensive BUT it's TRUCK and nothing makes you feel "better" than sliding that sucker along with you.

Bill Duncan · · Glade Park, CO · Joined Mar 2005 · Points: 3,410

+1 for the VG9.
Tom Kasper does a very nice job on these cams. They are probably worth the price tag.

Luke Stefurak · · Seattle, WA · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 2,573

Send Tom an email.

He makes them in batches. Lead time can vary from a couple weeks to a month...

valleygiant.com/VGcontact.html

- Luke

rob.calm · · Loveland, CO · Joined May 2002 · Points: 630

Valley Giants also make great dumbbells when training for those hard climbs.

Valley Giant Workout

Robert Fielding · · Thousand Oaks, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 195

Did pratts crack a few winters ago, my partner had bought a few vg's...

They're badass!!!

supertopo.com/climbing/thre…

NC Rock Climber · · The Oven, AKA Phoenix · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 60

FWIW, Wired Bliss is coming out with three new sizes of cam : #4, #5 and #9. I don't know exactly how big the #9 is going to be, but I think it will be bigger than the BD #6. They have a few pics on their Facebook site.

brenta · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 75
NC Rock Climber wrote:I think it will be bigger than the BD #6.
It looks like it's a bit more than an inch bigger than the BD #6 and about the same size as the Valley Giant #9.
Rob WardenSpaceLizard · · las Vegans, the cosmic void · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 130

talked with Micheal at Wired bliss a few weeks ago and have one of his fives. its a sweet cam and his 9 is going to fill the gap between tipped out 6 and overcammed VG 9

Salamanizer Ski · · Off the Grid… · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 18,914
Valley Giants

A size comparison of the Valley Giants to the Black Diamond #6 for your visual reference.

The #9 comes in handy from time to time, but I've found the #12 is rarely needed as it's about the size of a squeeze chimney where you can get inside the crack and become the pro.
Andrew Gram · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 3,725

Every now and the you find odd cracks for the 12" that you can't just get in. My route on this thing would be a horror without the big VG.

The route follows the obvious crack systems.

The 12" part is flaring, overhanging, and the rock quality isn't great. Pretty sure the sender put up a roof crack of that size somewhere around escalante. Its definitely a trick piece though.

Dean Cool · · Boulder, CO · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 1,801

Anyone interested in selling a VG 9?

Ian Lauer · · Yakima, WA · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 15

Aaaaaaah, thread zombies. 

There is a forum for this, hint ( FOR SALE / FOR FREE / WANT TO BUY ) forum

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
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