Hexes...why all the hate?
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I had a younger climber scoff at me in the parking lot by Barker's Dam in J-Tree for carrying hexes. I asked him why he thought hexes were so bad and he claimed "there isn't a spot you can put a hex and not be able to put a cam". He may be right, but I have more confidence in a well placed hex than any cam. |
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its a personal preference thing... |
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Hexes are cheaper, and lighter. I am of the younger generation and I carry them when I need to build gear anchors. Being able to find good/ obscure passive placements is not a defunct skill just because cams are more widespread. Cams don't always work. Also I believe they'd still be more stable in a higher angle constriction where a cam would walk back and tip out and a nut wouldn't set properly. |
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The noise... |
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Use anything that keeps you off the ground! |
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i don't carry a whole set of hexes, but i do have a sweet spot hex. There are just some places were it fits better then a cam. also great for scaring away bears. |
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SlowTrad wrote: "there isn't a spot you can put a hex and not be able to put a cam". .ice up or muddy/dirty cracks ;) |
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He was both wrong and out of line, but to be fair it's a rare route that *requires* a hex. |
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JLP wrote:They don't weigh anything and they're cheap - great. If they actually worked on anything beyond butt-easy routes from the 50's, we'd all still be climbing with them.I JLP has been around long enough to recognize the hyperbole in this reply. No cams do not work in every place a hex will. Hexs can be absolutely bomber in places where a cam might be sketchy. This is often true in places like Josh where you get weird flares and constrictions that just eat hexes. That does not mean that hexes are more versatile than cams; they're not. There are simply some instances where they will work better than cams. Having said that, who cares what other form of clean protection people are climbing with? Sure they give an old school vibe, which clearly rubs some folks the wrong way but, like someone mentioned upthread, unless you're in the shirtless beanie crowd, you're always going to be uncool. |
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Hell, I've led 5.13 on hexes! |
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YORE COWBELL NOYZ IZ RECKING MY WILDERNESS XPERIENCE!!! |
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Fat Dad wrote: I JLP has been around long enough to recognize the hyperbole in this reply. No cams do not work in every place a hex will. Hexs can be absolutely bomber in places where a cam might be sketchy. This is often true in places like Josh where you get weird flares and constrictions that just eat hexes. That does not mean that hexes are more versatile than cams; they're not. There are simply some instances where they will work better than cams. Having said that, who cares what other form of clean protection people are climbing with? Sure they give an old school vibe, which clearly rubs some folks the wrong way but, like someone mentioned upthread, unless you're in the shirtless beanie crowd, you're always going to be uncool.On a somewhat off topic note, do you find hexes particularly useful for josh weirdness? I was there for about a month and I found the gear to be somewhat tricky at times with flaring cracks, etc. I was thinking maybe offset wires or cams would be the ticket but never actually got around to getting any. |
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Hexes are fine on moderate ground. Once you start hitting the harder grades, cams are significantly easier to place pumped or one with one hand. |
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SlowTrad wrote:I had a younger climber scoff at me in the parking lot by Barker's Dam in J-Tree for carrying hexes. I asked him why he thought hexes were so bad and he claimed "there isn't a spot you can put a hex and not be able to put a cam". He may be right, but I have more confidence in a well placed hex than any cam. Is it a generational thing? I am 47 and have been climbing longer than he has been alive, I'm sure, but he kind shamed me in front of my wife for thinking that I needed them. Am I an anachronism, or was he out of line? Or a little of both. Thoughts? BTW, I think we climbed Mental Physics, where I actually placed a #7 or 8 Hexcentric. We did Room to Shroom as well, but that was all cams IIRC. I was kind of getting jazzed to buy those Torque Hexes to replace my 1980's vintage BD's.Its a personal preference thing. In many cases cams are faster and easier to place just based on the flexibility of the retractable lobes. BUT when you are off the deck and cranking on an ice tool and that cam is slipping and sliding in a mossy ice fill crack you will think twice about the awesomeness of Hexes. Also a big hex is lighter than a big cam. |
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SlowTrad wrote:Is it a generational thing?In my experience, yes. I inherited a bunch of old 80s vintage passive gear from my dad, including a couple hexes, and I used them on all of 3 or 4 leads before i just starting borrowing cams from my friends. There are exceptions: iced up cracks, alpine adventure routes, etc, but in general younger people don't like them and I'd be surprised if in 15 years they are still being manufactured. |
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youtube.com/watch?v=MW1teH6…
in the UK they use hexes quite a bit so im told ... on their limestone the ontario limestone partners ive climbed with have told me the same as cams pull to a certain degree passively rated cams have superseeded hexes in some circumstances remember than many newer climber climb cracks with good solid placements for cams ... and nice clean cracks ;) |
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I love my hexes, I swear by them, and I'm not going to stop carrying them even though I find myself placing more and more cams. It's funny to me that all of my falls have been on cams, but that I still have more confidence in running out up over a bomber hex than a bomber cam. I like em. They're light, and versatile. Great for anchors. I don't even notice them hanging off my back gear loop, but they're there when I need them. I especially like them for an onsite. Top out, find out everything you need to make a good anchor is jammed in the climb, and oh what's this? my trusty hexes? You can almost always find a way to make a good anchor out of hexes at the top of most climbs. |
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If they keep you from hitting the ground... |
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youtube.com/watch?v=8Ix7jqx…
(Have two complete sets of hexentrics, thinking of selling despite I know how to use them due to the COWBELL) |
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Hexes rock for: |
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I think the biggest rationalization that I still hear for using hexes is for alpine climbing due to their weight vs a cam. However I'll point you towards Colin Haley's article from Cascade Climbers on alpine climbing gear in which he states: |