UKC

I'm in Scotland for a few weeks this June and planning on getting some climbing in - will be staying in Fort William so will mostly be around that area.

Protection wise I've got standard nuts, offsets and torquenuts - hoping to avoid the financial hit of cams for now - is that feasible in the areas I'll be climbing? Won't be getting on anything above HVS.

Unless you're going offwidth/splitter crack climbing, it should be feasible to climb pretty much anywhere with that rack.

This is a tricky question. I'm old enough to have started climbing before cams were invented, so it would be silly for me to say you shouldn't climb without them. But it's certainly true that cams give you protection possibilities in situations where other gear gives you either no protection, or less reliable protection, or protection that takes longer to place, potentially in strenuous positions. It may also be the case, perhaps less so in Scotland, that a climb will be graded assuming that cams are carried, and a harder grade would be appropriate without. So, while I would still climb without cams, I think I'd prefer to do so only where I had a couple of grades in hand.

Having said that, if I find myself in a situation where I could place both a good nut and a good cam, I'll favour the nut. It will still be where I placed it should I fall off above (whereas a cam will often have "walked" a little) and I still have the cam on my rack to use later in a placement where a nut will not work.

I appreciate that that's not a very helpful answer if you are not in a position to afford to purchase a set of cams. 

Martin

Depends what you're used to, how hard you want to push and how selective you're willing to be about rocktype and routes. Basically, yes, it's perfectly doable but you will want to bear in mind the grades in modern books will pretty much assume a full modern rack including cams, for some crags and routes that won't matter much but for something sparsely protected missing a key cam placement could make a big difference to the experience! You'll have to exercise good judgement.

jk

I'd feel more comfortable with at least set of tricams/abalaks so you've got more placements covered. Cheap option.

I climbed up to e2/3 before I had any cams. They are definitely useful, but it's totally possible to get started without.

Drop your grade, you’re on holiday after all and you’re unlikely to run out of decent low grade routes to do. 

Well, obviously it's possible, depending on how many grades in hand etc. So don't be put off going to most cliffs on that basis, but if you can team up with someone else who does have cams it will definitely make life easier and probably make you happier taking on the trickier routes.

You've forgotten a crucial part of any good Scottish summer rack: a midge net!

And praying to the sun god 🙏

I've only climbed there a couple of times but I seem to remember the schist at Polldubh crags taking mainly nuts rather than cams. 

In my small experience it takes a bit of both, especially the small blue dragon and dragonfly (only seconded up to E2). However it does seem to love offsets too.

I've got nearly a second rack of old but serviceable cams, if you can be arsed dropping in to Glasgow on the way past you're more than welcome to borrow them, and, if you like any you could also have them for cheap. 

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! 

Cheers for the offer that's very kind - I may well take you up on that. Will email closer to the time

No worries.

Suspect a few hexs and Moacs would be more than enough. Indeed they were probably first done nut free.