UKC

I am currently trying to tidy the gear near the top of Little Chamonix. It would be great if people could either assist in removing these cams or leave them as they are found. Please refrain from pushing the cams deeper into the crack as this will only make them harder to remove.

In addition to updating anchors and cleaning routes in the North Lakes, I am trying to tidy routes too. Any suggestions of fixed gear needing removed, please advise. Or if you want to help out, even better.

Duncan.

In reply to sparkass:

I wonder if it's beyond the wit of humanity to make a cam that doesn't walk?

In reply to pasbury:

Just overcam them. That stops them walking.

In reply to sparkass:

Put a few bolts in, no need for cams then....

In reply to sparkass:




I wonder how much gear was regularly stuck on this route pre cams?

In reply to Goucho:


There were two stuck nus on Troutdale Pinnacle on Saturday and another has been added since. No cams though that I noticed.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:


Borrowdale is obviously becoming a crag swag honeypot then?

In reply to sparkass:
There's a Dragon cam stuck on the top pitch of Holly tree traverse, Raven crag, Langdale. Well walked in and couldn't budge it this afternoon!

In reply to sparkass:

Cam stuck in top pitch of sinister grooves, buckstone how ...

Still a stuck nun on the final pitch of Troutdale P, and a jammed wire on the traverse into the scoop (old P2) of Raindrop.

In reply to S Andrew:


Oh dear, what can the matter be ...

In reply to Goucho:

the last nut was added by me - My second who couldn't get it out told me on the way down that he is beginning to have problems with his hands so I'll have to learn to use less gear I suppose.

In reply to sparkass:

Great idea, out of interest how do you go about getting a really stuck cam out? I've had a few attempts mostly in search of swag and lost patience almost immediately when it seemed irretrievable.

Other routes where stuck gear is a problem- not in the Lakes, but the traverse on Plexus/Nexus (can't remember which, but it's a shared pitch with 10 degrees north) had several stuck cams right where the good holds are! If they're still there when I'm next there I'll try to get them but worth mentioning!

In reply to spidermonkey09:

One possible way of getting stuck cams out is to use two wires, one on each trigger, and clip the wires back to your belay loop on your harness. Lean back and your body weight pulls the triggers and pulls the cam out at the same time. Doesn't always work, but does quite often!

In reply to S Andrew:

Didn't you offer her a top rope?

In reply to S Andrew:


She's obviously a bit of a wimple!

In reply to spidermonkey09:


This has been covered a lot on UKC already but the first thing to understand is that any nut or cam must be retrieved through a section of crack that is bigger than the stuck item.
Obvious when you see it written down but I wish I had a quid for every time I have seen a more experienced climber easily retrieve swag that has been struggled with by muppets who have not grasped this simple fact.

Work the cams individually if necessary, pushing the rest of the unit slightly in at the same time.
Cams have no worthwhile holding power at right angles to the stem or their camming axis.

Seized cams often have failed springs through corrosion. After being stuck for months they can suddenly become easy to get out.
A hacksaw blade through the cams can make them removable ( back to the crack/cam/nut size rule )
HTH
Rick ( Crate full of spare cams in the cellar, 17 spare size 1's when we stopped counting )