UKC

I know its probably a stupid question but not totally sure.
Guessing its a nut or something of the sort?
cheers

In reply to b3n99: A range of very small nuts made from a softish metal (brass maybe). I think they're made in Australia - difficult to get hold of here.

In reply to b3n99: Its the kind of plummy accent that can only be obtained from years of birch bashing and sodomy, combined with expensive institutions and short pants.

In reply to b3n99: Now generally used to mean very small nuts, such as BlackDiamond Swedges etc etc, not only the Australian nuts.

In reply to b3n99:
Don't - you're making me feel old! See somewhere towards the bottom of this very long page - there's a picture and a bit of history:
http://www.needlesports.com/nutsmuseum/nutsstory.htm

I believe they aren't sold here any more because of the costs of meeting the CE tests.

In reply to b3n99:

http://tinyurl.com/lemcfy

In reply to Removed User: Very good!

In reply to b3n99:

RPs designed by someone with the initial RP (escapes me at the moment) in Australia, for use on aRaPiles!

In reply to b3n99:
Like this but more Northern.

http://tinyurl.com/244gdl

In reply to NorthernRock: Roland Paugaik was his name.

In reply to b3n99:

Heard that DMM are now producing RP's, calling them 'IMP's' - 'Immaculate Marginal Protection'(!). Anyone know if they're like for like? I've got two sets of RP's but am missing a 3. Could I just buy a single IMP?

In reply to Pekkie: is this not more of a psychological crutch than any kind of real protection? Has anyone ever fallen on this gear? I know one guy who did; it ripped - actually I think the head broke. He was lucky not to injure himself more severely, as the landing was a sloping grass bank.

In reply to Pekkie: probably easier to get a gimp than a size 3 imp

In reply to Reach>Talent: WTF, how the hell did you discovery that thing, i want one!

In reply to craigloon:

Yup, held on a lob - though it wasn't a little one (the RP that is). A 4 or 5 to me is a good runner. I would only rely on two well-placed smaller ones, though. And we are only talking of 5 feet here. OK, OK, I take your point, I'd rather have a Rock 5!

In reply to Reach>Talent:

My mate's married to one of them. Oops, slipped into misogyny there. It's so easy, isn't it?

In reply to b3n99:
RPs are a very specific product, tiny wired brass nuts manufactured in small numbers by a meticulous craftsman, Roland Pauligk of Melbourne. They are so useful, so perfectly matched to the best climbers doing the best routes, that the term has become generic and is used for other brands of micro nuts.

In 1966, I was part of an incredulous group watching Roland climb his first new route in Australia after migrating from Germany. That was, I think 'Narcotic', 17 on Bundaleer, and he was partnered by Mike Stone and my friend the 'Beast' — Ian Guild.

In reply to Fran: Kim Carrigan was the first Aussie to bring some over, used to sell them from the back of his van.

In reply to craigloon:


Three times that I can remember, there were probably others. The standard fall off the crux of Grand Alliance onto a RP2; 25' but mostly on rope stretch and it held. A slip off Isolate on Two-Tier (E2 6a at the time) onto an RP2 again; stopped me close to the deck so a decent fall factor. Lastly a 60' zipper aid climbing onto an RP4 which extruded through it's placement and is now RP3-ish in size. So I'm fairly confident about RP2s and up given decent rock and real-world falls (stretchy ropes, dynamic belay, a fair distance up the pitch). I'm guessing most failures are due to pulling through placements rather than snapping wires but I'd be interested to hear others' experiences.

In reply to craigloon:

See http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=362284

In reply to craigloon:

My friend was stopped by an RP2. I have a set from 2 up and love them! I believe the 1 is nothing much more than matchstick head in size and probably only good for aid. The 4 and 5 pretty much cross over with 1 and 2 rocks, but fit in different places.

In reply to craigloon:

Quality of RP's as protection is usually down to the quality of the rock they are placed in. As they don't tend to have much surface contact (being quite small and all) they exert quite a high pressure and tend to rip through the rock rather than breaking.

The larger RP sizes overlap with rock sizes 1 - 3 and are pretty good gear.

I've taken a couple of small falls onto a mid size one (original RP, made in Australia) - a 3 I think but would have to check. I'd have no worries trusting them unless I was taking pretty massive lobs.

In reply to catt:

beat me to it...

In reply to b3n99: RP's may be small but they are a great comfort when its all you can get in. The smaller ones are better stacked together. HB's were also good and the larger ones had a small tear drop shaped hollow on two faces for better placement.

In reply to b3n99: If we're talking RP's as a hold all term for tiny wires, the massive repeated falls on rhapsody by Dave Mac and others were all onto a size 3 BD swedge.

In reply to Pekkie:
I was looking at these DMM imps in Joe Browns last weekend. They only sold them as either a full set or a half set. I have a full set of RP's, but the RP2 is 20 years old now and i'd really like to replace it.
For me, RP's always seem to fit in more places than peanuts etc.

In reply to duncan:
i fell from the top of some gibson route on 2 tier in cheedale ripped 2 pegs and grazed the nettles.held by an rp 3 couldn't get it out afterwards welded in to the slot.

In reply to ring ouzel: I've always preferred the HBs. I once took a long fall off Soho Sally (Millstone) when a hold broke. I was very thankful for the HB1

In reply to b3n99:

Good grief, and there was I mistakenly believing that it was an abbreviation for rawl plugs all these years! I could have blinking well killed myself.

... I suppose that I'll learn that I've had it wrong where nuts are concerned too, next? Have you any idea how difficult it was to prepare a full collection on wire ranging from coconuts down to peanuts with Brazils, hazelnuts and pistachios filling in the gaps?