multi-pitch climbing with 100% passive gear

Photo courtesy of Henry Barber / henrybarber.com

Why is it that you don’t use camming devices?

I love the freedom I get from the small amount of gear I use. I carry 24 to 25 nuts, including hexes. I have cams, I’ve just never used them. They’re still in the box with the hangtags. Someone gave them to me back in the 1980s. They’re awesome, brilliant devices, fantastic technology. I’ve got nothing against them — I just never needed them. That’s what I want people to take away from my climbing — that I tried to do more with less, all the time.
" Henry Barber"

passive vs active pro....the fixed gear debate of the climbing world...sure its what they used to have and fun to take out for a spin but for long rides i like my derailleur

Yeah, and didn't Henry Barber climb barefoot? No more rock shoes for you, either.

In Robbins' 1973 Advance Rockcraft, he has an article about four "gadgets" that are "not strictly necessary". These are:
-Helmets
-Harnesses
-Descenders
-Belay Devices

I think it would work, but I'd probably be more comfortable with a wall hammer then. Just make sure you are taking that into an account: two wall hammers - one for you, one for the second.

FrankPS wrote:Yeah, and didn't Henry Barber climb barefoot? No more rock shoes for you, either.

There are a dozen or more multipitch routes under 5.8 at Table Rock and the amphitheater of Linville Gorge that would be absolutely fine on nothing but passive gear. Linville Gorge in general eats up nuts and hexes. The quartzite forms weird folds perfect for passive protection, and crystals create lumps and edges to catch stuff on.

Regardless, I would suggest a nice starter rack for NC being a set of DMM Offsets #7-11 ($70), DMM Brass offsets #5 & 6 ($40), and BD C4s .3, .4, .5, .75, 1 ($300). You are unlikely to find many deals on the DMM nuts, but cams go for about $35 each on MP. Christmas is coming, and sales are likely to start at the end of November if you wanna buy new.

Find an old traddie from the 70's to pair up with,,,passive worked well for many years before I got any cams to make life easier. More thinking, talent needed to start off with just hexes and stoppers,,it's worth the learning process to start with that gear still today.

This thread brings to mind The Nut Cracker Route in Yosemite!
Yes even Chouinard was the first to climb The Nose of El Cap in 69 with all passive!!!
Nothing will inspire more confidents than a bomber stopper. However SLCD will become your best "friends". It's all about multidirectional pull, in endless parallel sided splitters.
:)

I climbed on passive gear for years before I could afford cams. I still always reach for a stopper or a tricam first.

Also...IMO, the routes at stone depot are much easier than comparably rated routes at some of the surrounding crags (Main face of Cedar Rock, Looking Glass, etc.)

Like other people have previously stated, in theory its a great idea. When I first started I had the same thought. Mainly because cams are expensive and it takes a lot to get a rack big enough to lead a lot of climbs.

I would say buy a set of nuts as your first investment and then start buying cams. Maybe every pay check you can pick up a new cam, or look on craigs list or MP for some good deals on slightly used gear. Trust me, it will be worth it to have cams and not fiddling with trying to place passive pro when your runout, loosing energy and the fear starts to creep. It can get real very quick.

Locker wrote:There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to go with passive gear. I say go for it! Hell yeah! IMHO wayyyy too many immediately buy cams and thus never properly learn the art of placing passive pro.

JacksonLandFill wrote: ditto. I have always ended up using my cams as 'rest pieces'.

Ryan Nevius wrote: What's a "rest piece"?

Ryan Nevius wrote: What's a "rest piece"?

William Turner wrote:Thanks for the reply's. I am thinking passive gear will work out great. Considering I'm a 5.11c climber and will be doing 5.8-5.9 multi-pitch routes. All I will ever do is climb the easiest and highest routes. I was thinking this would be the same as having 2 sets of cams on a multi-pitch route. Is that somewhat accurate?

I'm not climbing 10s but i find passive gear much more reliable. althogh i understand active pro, static once i saw it, think i know where its going feels better than hopefully it works.

The NC lines you want to climb don't protect well with stoppers. If "The Nose" and "Sundial Crack" are what you're after then err toward more tricams and fewer stoppers.

I work summers in North Carolina as a rock guide and only bring the tricams out for the summer guiding season. If you were buying specifically for Looking Glass then go ahead, otherwise do yourself a favor and purchase some used cams now instead of wishing you had them later.

You'll enjoy the active pro on the single pitch stuff in the New, the Red, Seneca, Chattanooga, and everywhere in between

rock_fencer wrote:passive vs active pro....the fixed gear debate of the climbing world...sure its what they used to have and fun to take out for a spin but for long rides i like my derailleur