Haha, saw a yellow #2 c3 blow out of cruising lane on a fall, it shear it's cam stops when it hit a constriction after popping from it's normal placement.
I LOVE c3's for granite and shawangunks conglomerate, they take the R and PG13 out of many gunks routes, so much so that this will probably be reflected in the next edition of the guidebook. They will fit in placements no other cam (or nut) will fit/work in. In soft rock (e.g. RRG corbin sandstone), they are marginal at best. I would place them if it's the only thing that would fit, but you'd be rest assured that my first choice would be a blue alien. I've fallen on the red c3, #1, here at the red, and have placed the 0 (green), but would not rely on that as a real piece. Those are the only two I carry in my car down to the red, most days they stay in my pack. I've taken about 4 falls on the blue alien, and while it holds, I would consider that a dire placement as well. The majority of the rock is just too soft down here to take that kind of pressure from the cam lobes. That said, I've had some good black and blue alien placements. But I would trust a #4 BD nut before a blue alien anyday (and again the green #0 c3 is worthless).
Nevermore/Raven Rock
- cliftongifford
- Posts: 649
- Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:57 am
um, it's smaller..... (that's what she said (fun route, btw))cliftongifford wrote:How do you feel about the 00? I've taken a few whippers on it here, and it held just fine.jrathfon wrote: ....and again the green #0 c3 is worthless....
don't get me wrong there is SOME bulletproof sandstone in parts of the red, but the consistency varies, and much of it is that kinda soft, wierd crumbly stuff. unless you are looking at a hard petina'd bulletproof crack, i wouldn't trust the 00 or the 0 c3 blindly in the red. there's a story of i think JR, doing a 5.11 FA recently and ripping like 2 c3's and a micronut out on a fall, they were all "head pieces" and backed up by a solid 0.4 or 0.5 c4 and the pieces in question were in a slight flare, but still they consecutively ripped.
obviously a piece of gear is better than no gear, but if i had the choice of fitting in a 4 lobe cam versus a c3, i will definitely reach for the 4 lober (alien, WC zero, microcamalot, 0.3 c4, etc, etc.).
- Clevis Hitch
- Posts: 1461
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:10 pm
- Clevis Hitch
- Posts: 1461
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:10 pm
- cliftongifford
- Posts: 649
- Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:57 am
- Clevis Hitch
- Posts: 1461
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:10 pm