layton

"mother & father got down & sat on a bench!"

The CCH/Fixe rating being higher is due to a different testing regime. Totem posted on this at some point on ST. Basically, the Totem rating is with less cam closure vs the Fixe. I'm with RyanB. Below a Green Alien the Master Cams and other designs are better. Green-Red Alien are their sweet spot. The Totem Basics are a near spot on version of the CCH Alien with some tweaks and improvements that make it better overall. I did an initial review here - read down a few posts, I saw I posted on the Strength ratings as well. Totem Basic Review @ MtnProj Comparing Totem Basics vs Fixe Aliens on the published specs: the Fixe look like they have a bigger expansion range. Is this also selective measuring. I read that Totem tweaked the range to make the grey obsolete, but when I add up the numbers, it still looks like Fixe wins. Is one company publishing actual range while the other is publishing usable range? And ditto on the comment about waiting on the regular totem (the non-alien). I'm glad I waited on the link cam and the supercam.

i am psyched for some new aliens. wonder if there is any difference between the Totem and the Fixe? Looked like the Fixe has a much higher breaking strength. I agree, aliens had better range and got stuck less. The big downside was the trigger wires were a bitch to replace, the cam head got deformed very quickly, they were useless in mixed climbing, and the whole part about them breaking. I also prefer aliens (that work) except in snowy/icy conditions. But I also have been extremely happy with my mastercams as a substitute. Anyone else hear the rumors that BD was going to make a similar cam to the alien?

i should have mentioned this is just an inquiry for the orange size on down. there is no reason to get anything bigger

I'm re-posting my question in a new thread since the folks in the know are probably (and rightfully) not reading the thread I posted it in originally. "Mikey, Sol, or Blake - So since the three of you all are not on the mastercam bandwagon, can you please specificy detail why? Also, if you like TCUs, aren't they pretty much identical to mastercams in their sizing? If that's the case, what do like more about tcus. To me, mastercams are way more flexible - thus way more secure. Next, up are the C3's. Waaay less flexible, and I've had them blow placements. I do not feel as secure with a C3 because they are so damn stiff and the heads are way smaller and sliperier than mastercams. I'll concede that I know there are placements that C3s excell because they are narrower, but the vast majority of my placements on smaller sizes don't require a super narrow head. I alway concidered a C3 a "specialty piece". Granted I don't lead 5.12 and I haven't broken one (which would shake my faith in them, as blowing a couple placements on a C3), but I feel like I've climbed enough, and had to make some pretty creative placements from "marginal stances". another point? what does the grade matter? if a sketchy run-out 5.6 with funky thin pro is wicked hard for someone, wouldn't it be the same situation? do cracks fundamentally change at a certain grade? Anyway, hope I can get a better less emotionally charged answer. The reason I ask is because I always want to have full faith in my gear, and the mastercam hate kinda shocked me. At first I really missed my aliens, but after the withdrawl, I haven't looked back. I just want to be using the safest gear. For those of you that for some reason get emotional about this (check your priorities yo!) please don't respond, I don't care what you have to say." one more thing I didn't post - if you're complaining about the trigger wires, make sure you didn't get the older ones - they've long been updated and seem to hold up just fine.

i'm gonna re-post in a new topic since this one is mired in sh#t

Mikey, Sol, or Blake - So since the three of you all are not on the mastercam bandwagon, can you please specificy detail why? Also, if you like TCUs, aren't they pretty much identical to mastercams in their sizing? If that's the case, what do like more about tcus. To me, mastercams are way more flexible - thus way more secure. Next, up are the C3's. Waaay less flexible, and I've had them blow placements. I do not feel as secure with a C3 because they are so damn stiff and the heads are way smaller and sliperier than mastercams. I'll concede that I know there are placements that C3s excell because they are narrower, but the vast majority of my placements on smaller sizes don't require a super narrow head. I alway concidered a C3 a "specialty piece". Granted I don't lead 5.12 and I haven't broken one (which would shake my faith in them, as blowing a couple placements on a C3), but I feel like I've climbed enough, and had to make some pretty creative placements from "marginal stances". another point? what does the grade matter? if a sketchy run-out 5.6 with funky thin pro is wicked hard for someone, wouldn't it be the same situation? do cracks fundamentally change at a certain grade? Anyway, hope I can get a better less emotionally charged answer. The reason I ask is because I always want to have full faith in my gear, and the mastercam hate kinda shocked me. At first I really missed my aliens, but after the withdrawl, I haven't looked back. I just want to be using the safest gear. For those of you that for some reason get emotional about this (check your priorities yo!) please don't respond, I don't care what you have to say.

It's great for overall fitness, but don't expect your grades or climbing ability to increase at all. you won't bulk up unless you're genetically predisposed to getting "big", but you will lose fat weight and gain some back via muscle. measure your progress by fat %. also one hour session a few times a week isn't enough, you need to change your diet/lifestyle too.

dude, truly amazing guess on the route. bingo! hey, you gonna be in the s.l.c. this winter. missed you last one

i'm talking off fists, too big to cam a fist turned even at 45 degrees, too small to stack fist/hand agreed about high tops and taped ankles. foul language so far hasn't helped such a hard size!

or just get wayne wallace to lead it

wish a knee would fit in that size, but then you've have to have crazy fat ass fists

this size is just baffling to me. butterfly hands (crossed hands palms out) seems to work, but what to do for feet to reset the hands? I just can't find a stable foot position to hold my weight long enough to reset the hands: too small to heel-toe but too big to cam the foot. i wind up doing the shitty diagonal half cam half heel/toe that edges off the side of the crack. doesn't work too well. I can reset the arms by doing a super tight arm-bar since it only uses on arm at a time, but it's hard to move off of that. I can 'scoot up' the Butterfly hands, but it's pretty rough on the palms. am i going about it the total wrong way, or is there some tweak to the technique that could help

wanna unload...come on! you never use 'em

nice! amazing finding lines the this on peaks or areas long considered to be easy or chossy. Makes you want to pay a visit to an area "just to have a look" way to go!

and for clarification, this is a TR soloing thread, not lead.

joseph, i don't think you could generate a force to pinch the rope into oblivion with the shunt. does the gri gri have this as an issue? i've head it mentioned from time to time, and looking inside, can see it.

no it's not loose, the 2nd to last pitch is a bit "grungy" but nothing bad considering it's the easiest pict on the climb. what is loose is traversing in from the notch. be VERY careful and DONT TOUCH ANYTHING. the actual climbing pitches are solid and a killer summit. way short route, goes quick. The "1st" pitch is way contrived, way out of character with the route, and makes it more difficult to get to, although rapping off makes it easier if your stuff is at the base there. nice job on standing rock. that 2nd pitch started to fry my brain towards the top. anyone want to do moses with me?

yes, hangs are going to more useful than pull-ups, but might as well fire off a few and then hang

why no love for the shunt?

the reasoning is that it doesn't allow your shoulder to rotate inward and flares your elbows out putting more stress on the outside. you can drill a hole through some dowel rods and sling them with some cord. very much like rock rings and the theory behind them. if you don't have elbow or shoulder issues, go ahead and use your icetools. thicken the grip and don't use the trigger rests to make it harder.

now hug it out

petzl shunt

funny that since he's a talented climber we back him up, but if he were an unknown we'd descend on him like wolves for being in a video like this.

should be called the glory hole