Howdy y'all, I'm curious is anyone has ever seen heard of, or used Big Bros to protect water grooves like the type we have here in the NC South East on granite, e.g. Looking Glass, Whiteside, Laurel Knob, John Rock, Cedar Rock, etc. It seems to me, if the grove was deep enough, Big Bros might be an option for protection. Granted the groves are often running with water.
These groves are hard to describe for the unacquainted, but often they have a lip that seems like it would be perfect for keeping a big bro in there, or a modified big bro with non flat "lobes/feet" idk what to call the ends of the shaft that touch the rock. Just brainstorming ways to overcome some of this classic NC run out slab. Opinions? Including but not limited to: suck it up and climb scary run out bs. (Jk please be nice)
Video example of these groves on Laurel Knob from Summit Seekers Experience: youtu.be/1qQH7n_KiSo?si=hlL…;t=9m16s
Primate in the Flatirons was done with a tube chock before it was retrobolted. There's some brief footage of Matt Segal on it where you can see the Big Bro in the groove, looks semi similar to what you're looking for: https://youtu.be/niJf4CWw9Wk?si=Qv8P9EOccPLZKL6E&t=7
Matt Samet says: "To test the key Big Bro placement during the first ascent, I threw a haulbag full of rocks onto it—and it held."
Big bros in watergrooves = when you have the time, stance, and hand availability to hand drill a bolt, but you like physical danger, just from rocks not old crusty bastards
Reminds me of the old hexes hammered into a small groove on The Odyssey on the sun wall of Looking Glass. Granted I think those were aid moves when done on the first ascent.