Cam hooks in non-vertical cracks

I'm still new to aid, and looking for tips on the finer points. Almost all the demos/instructional videos etc of cam hooks feature them in more-or-less vertical cracks. Are they cool in angling cracks? If so, I assume the clipping arm is (usually) placed on the uphill side? Is there a limit to the range of angles, or are they good all the way down to horizontal cracks? (seems scary, and I assume that a piton becomes the better answer, but at least for now I'm clean aid only).

kevin neville wrote:I'm still new to aid, and looking for tips on the finer points. Almost all the demos/instructional videos etc of cam hooks feature them in more-or-less vertical cracks. Are they cool in angling cracks? If so, I assume the clipping arm is (usually) placed on the uphill side? Is there a limit to the range of angles, or are they good all the way down to horizontal cracks? (seems scary, and I assume that a piton becomes the better answer, but at least for now I'm clean aid only).

These days with all the gear available there is really no need to use pitons for aid . I personally think the worse destroyers of rock are bird beaks .When aiding more so on sandstone if we came across a very thin crack rather than use a bird beak or a piton thus causing a scar (if not left in place) which would only get worse with more repeat ascents.. we placed a bolt.This we felt overall it would cause a lot less damage to the rock. If a cam hook fitted we used them..On rare occasions in very soft sandstone when a bolt would not hold... a small angle piton was hammered into the bolt hole ..of course this was on a first ascent and we always left the piton in place for future repeats.

Inverted cam hooks are bomber, don't let the flexing of the hook freak you out. Keep your weight solidly on the hook, unweighting the piece even slightly could cause it to pop. I have never blown an inverted cam hook and have used them quite a bit where the other options did not seem as good. Obviously pounding a pin is an easy solution, but if you can do the move using clean aid, then that is the better style to strive for.
Also I prefer the leeper cam hooks.

"inverted cam hooks" meaning in a horizontal with the clipping arm up?

yes

Inverted Cam hook...

http://www.supertopo.com/inc/photo_zoom.php?dpid=Oj0_NzwnIiIrIQ,,

Nice pic, looks damn scary, but I guess if you keep it weighted and avoid any swinging left to right.... Thanks for the replies, all.

Cam hooks work pretty well in some angling cracks but not all and I have always used them with the lever down rather than up. Im having a hard time envisioning how that would work. As long as the crack angles up enough to create a decent lever they are fine. Cam hooks are generally not great in horizontal crack unless they are inverted. I 've found inverted cam hooks to be great if the crack is thin enough that you have to wiggle it a little bit. It looks like the above photo link is on the nipple pitch on the zodiac and I used tons of inverted cam hooks on that pitch. They were the only things that kept me from nailing on the pitch because the cam hooks fit really well in the arrow/knifeblade scars. This probably goes without saying but DO NOT USE CAMHOOKS IN SANDSTONE LIKE ZION OR CANYONLANDS they put enormous force on the rock and will blow out placements in softer rock, use them on the hard stuff like granite only.
have fun

Mydans wrote:Cam hooks work pretty well in some angling cracks but not all and I have always used them with the lever down rather than up. Im having a hard time envisioning how that would work. As long as the crack angles up enough to create a decent lever they are fine. Cam hooks are generally not great in horizontal crack unless they are inverted. I 've found inverted cam hooks to be great if the crack is thin enough that you have to wiggle it a little bit. It looks like the above photo link is on the nipple pitch on the zodiac and I used tons of inverted cam hooks on that pitch. They were the only things that kept me from nailing on the pitch because the cam hooks fit really well in the arrow/knifeblade scars. This probably goes without saying but DO NOT USE CAMHOOKS IN SANDSTONE LIKE ZION OR CANYONLANDS they put enormous force on the rock and will blow out placements in softer rock, use them on the hard stuff like granite only. have fun