Hexes...why all the hate?

My hexes probably get the most use out of any removable pro setting anchors at Devil's Lake, truth be told. Big ones, especially...they're just so bomber when you set them properly, and they aren't as big of a pain in the ass to remove as nuts can be.

I chuckle every time this threads gets resurrected.

A few weekends ago, 8 pitches up and in an adventure climb, in the rain, facing what would turned out to be 9 adventure rapes without any evidence of other humans rapping that way ...

I find myself giving up a handful of cams plus a bunch of nuts for rap anchors on the way down. As to the 5 hexes we have, the resistance is strong to not give them up.

... and they stay with us all the way down (and NOT because I don't trust them).

WOW, coulda went the entire morning without that visual.

No worries ... around noon the next day our girl's met us at the road's end with food and drink.

But the important thing is we still had the hexes we started with. ;-)

Brian Scoggins wrote: Range of #3 c4 (from Black Diamond's webpage): 50.7-87.9 mm Range of #4 Tricam (from CAMP's webpage): 45-64 mm Range of #5 Tricam (from CAMP's webpage): 57-89 mm Weight of #3 C4 (from Black Diamond's webpage): 201g Weight of #4 Tricam (from CAMP's webpage): 138g Weight of #5 Tricam (from CAMP's webpage): 120g Combined weight of the two tricams you need to cover the range of one #3 C4: 258g Hexes in the mid sizes make a lot of sense for saving weight. But since the hollow tricams don't start until you get to the #5, they end up weighing more per inch of range than cams.

Not to be rude, but for 50 grams (or a total of 1.25x the weight) you get twice the gear, which I'm always happy to have. In the real world leading, rarely will I take one "really good and easy" placement at the expense of the only gear I have in that size, over two "not perfect, but good enough, even if it takes some thought" placements with the freedom to use whichever I see as less desirable to save for later (or for the anchor). But I'm a sucker for tricams in general.

Matt Duthie wrote: I'm a sucker for tricams in general.

yeah my tricams are always on the rack. My hexes sit in a bin waiting for that big mixed alpine winter ascent that never seem to happen. haha

OP here, nice to see people still considering owning hexes...unfortunately my arthritis has got so bad I stopped climbing, and playing guitar is so painful it causes my fingers to feel like they are on fire...anybody need a Les Paul Custom - just kidding.

Donated all my gear to worthy newbs, EXCEPT THE HEXES!!!

I could not bring myself to give those up, they were my friends for so long I couldn't let them go.

Double set of BD's up to the #5, set of Metolius Power cams, most useful three tri-cams, double set of stoppers and a set of HB offsets, two Gri-Gri's, three tubes, seven pairs of shoes (kept my Kaukulators and Aces)two brand new in the package ropes and a 7mm tag line, ton of the superfly and Spirit biners, ungodly amount of soft gear (runners/webbing). You get the picture. I had a lot of gear.

Seeing it around was emotionally painful, a lifestyle that is over for me. Since I don't climb, I'll probably get rid of all my back country gear as well.

Thank GOD I can still ski...

why does "adventure rapes" make me laugh so hard?

I'm a grown-a** man!!

Adam Burch wrote:why does "adventure rapes" make me laugh so hard? I'm a grown-a** man!!

I guess a nut tool is a multi purposed piece of gear.

I guess based on my username, no one will have a hard time figuring out how I feel about hexes.... I like them. It's cool to show up at the crag with everyone thinking you're a gumby (all cowbells a clanging) and then climb like you've done it once or twice before. I like to try to do climbs at my local crag (paradise forks) all passive. So far I've done Raindance, Retards Recess, Born Under a Bad Sign, Tangeant, Sine Language, The Prow and East of Eden on nuts and hexes. Sure it's harder, that's the point. I like the challenge and I like the super light rack. I also like to do sport climbs barefoot. I read something once that could put so many of these sort of debates to rest: Style is what you do on the rock. Ethics is what you do to the rock. Style is your business, ethics affects everyone.

AMEN!

I don't believe in God, so I hope that's spelt correct!

Hexes are superior to cams in many ways.

Weight is first. Several hexes weight the same amount as one cam.

They don't require friction to work so they are far more bomber in a good placement.

They don't have any moving parts so they don't walk and get stuck.

Some pitches take only passive gear, where active gear would be sketchy or more likely to walk out of a placement and fail.

They work much better in soft sandstone. They have a large surface area so they spread the force. Cams have a much smaller surface are and therefore can shatter the soft stone, especially if a lobe is close to the cracks edge.

Also, cams put an incredible amount of outward force on the rock over a relatively small surface area.

Hexes can work in wet sandstone where cams would like fail in a fall.

Hexes can be used as a sling to extend a piece.

Hexes can be used in a "thread" as well.

Hexes are much cheaper to leave behind in a "bail anchor".

rockklimber wrote: Hexes can work in wet sandstone where cams would like fail in a fall.

Grab your torch and pitchforks

dude that taught me to climb is older than you. And yes, to a degree, this is a generational thing...

...because he told me way back in the day "cams are for when you are climbing at your limit, sewing needle leg and you are scared shitless"

but seriously, if anyone doesnt recognize how they are different tools to have in your bag of tricks, you're quite foolish.

MORE COWBELL !!!

Climbing at Devil's Lake, WI on Quartzite, where the lichen has a greater coefficient of friction than the stone ... I think hexes are great .. but I'm an old man retro grouch and love my steel bicycle with the heavy leather saddle too !

To each his own.

Have Fun

Use tricams all the time. Hexes I leave at home, but a well placed hex is a bomber as BD#3.

THANK GOD is a term of art for climbers...like a thank god hold etc...