UKC

In reply to UKC Articles: These are good videos dont get me wrong, but the glenmore lodge ones on youtube are much better.

In reply to UKC Articles: The acronym RDCS is good to learn
I wasn't impressed with the section of removing a nut, though.
Upward (sharp) tugs are the recipe for making the wires bent and subsequently damaged. You shouldn't do it, unless other alternatives, such as using a nut key, are unavailable.
How to use a nut key is not that simple or easy, again if you want to avoid the potential damage to the wire!
Masa

In reply to UKC Articles: and personally I would always set the nut by a sharp tug when it was still on the crab with all the others, in case it turned out not to be such an optimal size after all and need changing.

Found it quite amusing that she was demoing the best way to place a nut using both hands as well - might be ok on a dif, but anything much harder and you'd only have 1 hand free anyway.

In reply to Aigen:
I'd have to agree the glenmore lodge one is quite a bit better and more concise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_ihWjMIVBw&list=TLcSiudb4FMXo

In reply to hms:

Yes, almost the whole point of practising putting in gear at the foot of a crag like that is to practise it single-handed - from different sides, different angles, and with different hands. Also, practising from a long way to one side, when you can't see into the crack properly.

In reply to Aigen: Is Glenmore Lodge's vid you are referring to this?
youtube.com/watch?v=w_ihWjMIVBw&
Personally I didn't find it to be any better than this Wild Country's one, but it does mention the points that aren't mentioned in the latter, so is complimentary.
Either way, both the vids lack of some (I think) important points even as the primer for novices, let alone for the experienced. Still, I am glad to see those vids are widely available and for free - I appreciate that!
Masa

In reply to masa-alpin:



Not to mention damaging the placement

In reply to GrahamD:
so do you never rip nuts out from the top then?

In reply to UKC Articles: Wire also clipped with quick draw gate facing the rock.

In reply to CurlyStevo:


As a last resort, after gentle wiggling the way it was placed oand after tapping with a nut key. The problem with ripping, quite apart from the damage to wire, rock and front teeth, is it usually orientats the nut differently from the way it went in and can leave it even more stuck than it was before.

Ripping seems to be the first resort for some and I don't think its a good habit to get into.

In reply to UKC Articles: Video at 02:16. Look carefully at the nature of the 'constriction' (remember that this is a demonstration for a bomber piece of gear - rated: it should be 5 out of 5 - where 5 is bomber...)

All the forces are acting on a small area of rock which, unfortunately, is unsupported as the crack flares out below the placement. Rated as a 5? No way. Blow the 'lip' of the crack and the placement is gone. "Really good placement" - no.

Next concern - too easy to lift the wire out. Video at 03:09 - I've seen placements similar to this pull out under a fall/loading situation or with rope drag, especially with single rope technique where runners often need to be extended further.

My argument is that if the nut is properly seated - a 5 out of 5 - it shouldn't move if the carabiner moves above the placement because it's the wire which should flex with the rope movement...rather than the nut moving out of its placement. The demonstration relies on the nut rotating out of its position with an upwards tug...

In reply to gaz parry:

And then magically changes..

A quick way of removing all the wires would be to take a leader fall with the belayer stood as far from the base of the climb as she was in the belaying video.

In reply to GrahamD:
I regularly find for nuts that don't just wobble out from the off a quick pull and then if needed a further pull back down but more gently gets a wire moving without the need for a nut key. I would agree this can wear the placements more especially ones that are marginal anyway.