UKC

A state-of-the-art cam that makes the most of every placement.

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In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Apart from emailing DMM has anyone asked or know why DMM don't make larger dragons/cams than the line they have at present?

In reply to sean1:

I'd guess cams at that size are a bit too specialist. Personally, I've not even bothered to get their largest current size as it's too heavy to carry unless you know you're going to need it. Those big cams tend only to be for particular hard routes where no other protection options exist, and there just aren't that many people doing them.

In reply to BarrySW19:

I've got a purple camalot which comes out to play quite regularly when I am climbing on grit, there are plenty of really good routes where gear of that size (or bigger) come in useful dotted around the country. If you don't think big cams have a use on easier routes (sub HVS) go and lead Central Crack at Brimham Rocks without any big cams, if you are still of the same opinion you're either far better at jamming than I am or are incredibly brave.

In reply to spenser:

Depends what you class as big, I found the best way to protect the top was a number 3 Camelot. Took my number 4 up, but didn't need it. Not brave, just found the 3 could be placed deeper and higher, so it was out of the way.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

I think I'd placed my equivalent cam further down the route! There have definitely been a few occasions where I was quite glad to have the size 5 cam on my harness, all on routes at E1 or below. Large cams (say dragon 6 and above) are only useful every now and again but tend to make you feel pretty glad of having them, they're very much a useful thing to convince your mate to buy if you have a regular climbing partner, unfortunately I don't and I seem to periodically get coerced into climbing wide cracks.
My experience on central crack may have been coloured by the beta given by the locals!

In reply to spenser:

If you're tall (I'm definitely not), you can avoid jamming completely on Central Crack, I've seen it done.

I think Desperation Crack (HVS) would be pretty scary without a number 6 for the top, and possibly a number 5 for the crack below (I've only seconded it). And I used both a 4 and 5 on Kestrel in Rocky Valley (VS). I suspect that would be hard to protect properly without big gear.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

A single dragon 6 was the only gear I could place on communist crack at the roaches. Bit scary especially since I had to place it on the overhanging lay back. ...

In reply to Landy_Dom:


I should clarify, I was talking about Camelots, I don't know Dragon sizes.

In reply to spenser:

Hi Spenser - I'm sure climbers doing a lot of grit might want some big cams, but for most of the more occasional climbers in this country who are doing a mix of crags I can't see a lot of demand for something like this, and I guess DMM can't either. There's certainly more good grit routes than I'll ever climb in my one or two weekends a year up there that don't need me to drag a half kilo cam along.

In reply to sean1:


I would guess that at very big sizes the weight disadvantage of the double-axle design comes to dominate, and it makes more sense to get a single-axle Friend.