How to Choose Passive Rock Climbing Protection
 hen you're on the "sharp end" of the rope (that is, leading), there's nothing like placing a snug-fitting anchor to build your confidence. These anchors, known as protection, are the link between your rope and the rock. They are divided into passive and active varieties. This clinic will address passive protection. For information on choosing active protection,
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- Passive protection pieces have no moving parts. They consist of aluminum pieces in various shapes attached to braided wires, cords or webbing slings.
- Tapers are wedge-shaped pieces that are typically placed in the narrowest part of tapering cracks
- Camming chocks, rounded pieces that become locked in place when twisted or "cammed," are good choices for large or straight-sided cracks.
- Passive protection pieces are lighter, less bulky and less expensive than their spring-loaded cousins.
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Passive Protection Choices
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Tapers and camming chocks make up the quiver of climbing gear known as passive protection. They are commonly referred to as nuts, stoppers, tricams and hexes. These variously shaped chunks of aluminum all share one characteristic—they have no moving parts. They are either attached to a wire cable, a loop of accessory cord or a sewn webbing sling.
Tapers
As their name implies, these aluminum pieces are larger at one end and become smaller at the other. They are designed to slide into tapering cracks and wedge into the narrowest part. Tapers typically work the best in narrow-to medium-width cracks. The best placement occurs when the most surface area of the chock is in contact with the rock. Because of their wedge shape, they are not as well suited to parallel-sided cracks.
Tapers typically have slightly curved faces. One side is convex and the opposite is concave. The convex side locks against the two contact points of the concave side, creating a stable triangulation of forces. Some tapers, such as DMM Wallnuts, have cutout areas for better fit in uneven rock surfaces.
Micro Nuts
Micro nuts are a smaller type of taper. They are reserved for thin cracks or old piton scars when no other protection will fit. They are as much as 75 percent smaller than most standard tapers.
Examples:
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Hugh Banner Brass Offset Nuts—These micros are tapered in two directions. They are good for thin, flaring cracks. Made of soft brass, they deform into the rock when force is applied. This is appropriate on softer rock formations because harder metals tend to shear off such rock.
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Black Diamond Swedge Nuts—Made of a combination of iron and copper, these micro nuts do not deform under pressure, making them a better choice for hard rock. The harder metals will tend to break off rock fragments in softer rock, however.
Camming Chocks
Camming chocks have no moving parts. Unlike tapers, though, camming chocks have the ability to rock or twist into a "locked" position in a crack or pocket. They are useful in cracks too large or straight-sided for tapers to fit well. Camming chocks are commonly placed in parallel-sided cracks, round pockets and horizontal cracks.
Tri Cams—These unique pieces are rounded on one side and come to a point on the other. They can be placed directly into cracks (like tapers) or with the sling running alongside the curved edge, cammed into place. Force applied to the sling rocks the curved edge and forces the point into the rock. Placing tricams takes practice, but once the technique is mastered, the tools are very useful. Example: Camp Tri Cams.
Hexentricsare asymmetrical, six-sided tubes. Like tapers, they can be placed directly into narrowing cracks. In straight-sided cracks they can also be rotated into place. Downward force on the wire or sling rotates the hex and wedges it tightly in the crack.
Examples:
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Black Diamond Wired Hexentrics—The wired version of this classic pro is a relatively new development. Previously, hexes were sold without the wires. Instead, climbers threaded 5.5-millimeter accessory cord through the holes machined into the hex. The newer style hexes are easier to rack, plus the thin, stiff cable works well in extremely bottlenecked rock formations. The cables are also very durable.
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Metolius Curve Hexes—The curved sides of these hexes allow placements over crystals or irregularities where a straight-sided hex would not fit. Each piece has four different fit options with a range that is comparable to a camming device of similar size.
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Why Passive Pro?
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Why buy passive protection, though, when spring loaded camming devices (SLCDs) are so secure and easy to place? There are actually several reasons:
- When placed in flaring cracks (cracks that get increasingly wider), SLCDs have been known to "walk" themselves out. Hexentrics are often a more secure option.
- A rack with a full set of tapers or hexes is not only lighter than one with the same number of spring-loaded cams, but it's less bulky. Plus, the pieces are less likely to get tangled.
- Occasionally a climber is forced to leave behind a piece or two of pro in order to back off a climb or to do an unexpected rappel. Most would rather leave a couple of $8 stoppers than a $60 spring-loaded camming device.
That's not to say that one should only carry passive protection. Spring-loaded camming devices have broader working ranges than tapers or hexes, and they fit in pockets and parallel cracks more readily than most passive pro.
The most versatile racks have some of each—passive and spring-loaded protection—to handle a variety of routes and types of rock. Practice and experimentation will help you decide on the best type of protection for the formations in your favorite climbing areas.
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