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tricams on granite?

Original Post
Derek Wehrle · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 50

Hello friends, beginning trad leader here. I attend the University of Wyoming, and am learning to lead the super sharp granite cracks of Vedauwoo.
I have a standard rack, minus the tricams. I've heard lots of positive stuff about them, but have also heard that people have a lot of trouble placing them in granite (possibly due to large quartz and feldspar crystals poking out).

Any info on careful granite placement/tips, or anything of the like would be appreciated.
Even thought vedauwoo is offwidth heaven, I mainly stick to hand and fists right now, so I'm wondering if I should rack up a few tricams, or save for another #3 or #4 camalot.

rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265

save up for cams -- large tricams blow balls.

#11 hex complements a #3 C4 pretty well if you're hard up for doubles in fists

Jon H · · PC, UT · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 118

Large tricams aren't worth the hassle on splitters. More often than not, you'll need both hands to properly place them. Hexes are way better. Cams are even better than that.

Derek Wehrle · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 50

thanks guys, I think i'll end up getting one or two just for when I do get out to other areas, (or eventually brut up to vedauwoo finger cracks) but am now definately leaning towards beefing up on large hexes and cams.

WDW4 Weatherford · · Houston · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 176

I use Tricams (pink,red,brown and blue) as often as nuts, less often than C4s. So, for my type of climbing (southeastern sandstone with funky pockets and varied cracks), they are definitely useful. Their usefulness declines as rock gets harder and smoother, because they rely on the small surface area of the nose getting adequate friction. Protruding crystals will actually help you in this regard - they are perfect for seating the nose behind. I've placed a few in granite and they seemed solid.

If you are climbing mainly splitter, wider cracks, cams will probably serve you in better stead, though I have never used the larger sizes.

Derek Wehrle · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 50
WDW4 wrote: Protruding crystals will actually help you in this regard - they are perfect for seating the nose behind. I've placed a few in granite and they seemed solid.


thanks, this was a useful bit of info.
rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265

just a word of caution that placement behind crystals can often look bomber, but actually are time bombs due to the nature that crystals often break when heavily loaded. Evaluate on a case by case basis

Larry S · · Easton, PA · Joined May 2010 · Points: 872

If you're debating between large tricams or a large cam, save for the large cam. The sweet spot sizes for tricams is the 0.5 (pink) thru the 2.0 (blue) - which covers the same range as BD 0.4, 0.5, and 0.75 cams. They're typically more popular for climbers in areas with pockets, horizontal cracks, or very irregular/featured cracks.

The Blueprint Part Dank · · FEMA Region VIII · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 460

Tricams in Vedauwoo aren't the best idea, the big crystals can interfere with a proper placement. Though for other granite climbing, Especially multi-pitch, I've come to appreciate the viability of tri cams for anchor building.

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

I love love my tricams from the black to the blue. Very useful in the flatirons and mountain granite up Lumpy and Northern CO. I might even use them more than nuts.

That being said the .75, #2 and #3 camalots are go to pieces on my rack. I even have 2 of the 3.5's. I'd save for the camalot, and save the tri's for the smaller stuff.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

i use em in squamish granite

that said get doubles of the cams before you get tricams

theyre useful for belays, moderate multis, or the off season in squamish where you often need to clean the muddy cracks out with your nut tool ...

;)

iceman777 · · Colorado Springs · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 60

I've placed the larger tricams one handed on several occasions but would much rather have had a large cam instead . Given the choice between placing a big bro and a tricam
I'll take the tricam any day of the week . A larger hex will be more useful in more situations especially if you get a hex that isn't cabled . But there is a limit because they don't make a size 17 hex and who the f@@@ would want to pack it up a climb anyway.

All this being said you should seriously look into some good used cams if you cannot afford new . Right now for not much more than the price of a large tricam you can find some bargains on large cams . Don't fall victim to the only have to haveBlackGarbageC-4s cult and you'll come our way ahead . IMOH . Metolious #9 4cu will get you to aprox #3 bd ( it's slightly smaller the a bd#3 and quite useful ) , Some of the HBs will get you to a #4-5 size , then there's the Trangos ect ect .and I've seen them all in excellent condition pretty darn cheep. Like 25 -30 bucks a cam cheep!!!!

Last time I used my #7 tricam was when some a holes dog tried to bite me in the ass . That dog got the point ! The owner almost got it as well.

Cheers

Scott O · · Anchorage · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 70

I have tricams white to blue. Larger than that, they're a novelty.

Petsfed 00 · · Snohomish, WA · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 989

Ten years of climbing at Vedauwoo, and I can count the number of tricam-only placements I encountered on one hand. The nature of Sherman granite is such that if you can get a tricam, you can get either a nut or a cam with a lot less drama. I got a lot of use out of regular nuts (both WC rocks and BD stoppers), and hexes. I'd say save up, scour craigslist and ebay for old style #4 camalots (the purple ones) and only get the pink and red tricams, if any. I'd also go for a set of small cams. Vedauwoo seemed made for aliens, but I was pretty happy with zeroes and TCUs too.

Also, keep your eyes open for deals on old-style #4.5 and #5 camalots. They're slightly differently sized from the new-style #5 and #6, and that difference can turn out to be vital.

Noah J · · Desert, NM · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 446
Scott O wrote:I have tricams white to blue. Larger than that, they're a novelty.
You apologize to the Yellow Battle Axe. She's sensitive about her size.
Ball · · Oakridge, OR · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 70

Tricams are clutch in flares. Never climb without a pink one

J. Serpico · · Saratoga County, NY · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 140

even on hard climbs tricams are great for anchors, as are hexes.

grab a scale, toss a # camalot on it. now toss the equivalent tricam...ah ha! plus, the small ones double as nuts (well the big ones too)

plus, tricams have been tested by camp in ice, icey rock, wet rock, mossy rock, and they hold better than cams.

really the bigger the tricam the better it's weight ratio is. that said, i never carry anyrthing bigger than a 4.0.

not sure about granite specifically, but nubs can be a tricams friend.

KevinCO · · Loveland, CO · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 60

One very important thing to be aware of with Tricams: The single point can concentrate a lot of force in a fall and break any weak section of rock. If a crystal is the only thing holding the single point in place, it may not be a secure placement.

That being said, there are very few rack situations where I don't pick the smaller Tricam sizes.

J. Serpico · · Saratoga County, NY · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 140

Just to clarify my comment on crystals. I meant they can be a tricams friend because you want the rails between the crystals. This helps keep them from rotating.

Bigger ones have either saved my ass or made life easier at belays where the cracks flared. I do think they are better in horizontals,but often in flaring vertical they are the only thing I feel might work. I placed a few on an off-width the other day, one cammed and one in passive mode. They and a 70 year old piton were the only thing between me and the ground.

David Gibbs · · Ottawa, ON · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 2

I like tri-cams, and the often work well on granite. That said,

Tri-cam advantages:
-- flexibility. They can be placed passively as a nut, and the shape can let them be stable in some placements where a nut might not be. And they can be place actively like a cam.
-- licheny/dirty/wet/icy placements. A tri-cam doesn't need the same amount/level of friction to engage its camming action as a regular cam does. This means they can be a lot safer in such placements.
-- weight. A tri-cam is noticeably lighter than the equivalent sized SLC.
-- awkward placements: flares, pockets, etc. Sometimes only a tri-cam will work.
-- horizontals: again, the way a tri-cam engages often works better in horizontals than an SLC.

Disadvantages:
-- one really big one: they're finicky. Generally speaking a tri-cam is finicky to place, and often even more finicky to clean. This tends to mean that they only place well where the climber has a good stance to place (and clean) the gear. So, as the climbing gets harder and harder, tri-cams are less and less useful and less and less used.
-- smooth rock: for properly setting a tri-cam (in camming mode), the nose really should be placed against something that will engage it: a crystal, in a divot, a rugosity, whatever. On smooth/even rock that doesn't provide such features, a tri-cam often won't work/engage well.

I'm not a good enough climber to hit the big disadvantage of tricams, so I really do like them a lot. I have close to a double-set from white to green and use them often. If I'm stripping down to a minimal rack, I'll go just tri-cams. I'll carry them when climbing new "sport" routes in my local area, since the bolting is... uneven. (There's people that, for example, will bolt a route with 3-5 bolts, and one gear placement cause there's a good horizontal crack that takes gear, so don't bolt at that point. Looking at the climb from the ground, you can't always tell if you're going to want some gear.)

Mike McL · · South Lake Tahoe · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 2,030

I climb almost exclusively on granite nowadays and I haven't had tricams on my rack for years. I certainly don't miss them. Cams might be heavier but they're so much more versatile, easier to place, and easier to clean.

I'd save the money for more cams. Same with hexes if you ask me. Especially at Vedauwoo. An extra #3 or #4 will be a lot more versatile than some big tri cam or cow bell.

But that's just like, my opinion, man.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
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