Trad climbing nuts vs hexes. I climb mostly in the adirondacks.
- Trad climbing nuts vs hexes. Jul 24, 2025 · They're an essential part of any climber's trad rack, but what makes the best climbing nuts? There's many different styles and brands to choose from when deciding on which ones you're going to buy. These will give you a good range of sizes. Those early adventures are accompanied by the traditional cow-bell clanging of these unpretentious pieces of equipment. In essence, trad rock climbing embodies the essence of adventure and exploration, marrying the natural world with human ingenuity and determination. For those at the beginning of their trad-climbing journeys: a “rack” refers to May 29, 2017 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. This method of placing protection is what distinguishes trad climbing from other forms, offering a raw and I have read some posts here regarding the expiration dates of climbing material, especially trad gear. All your essential rock climbing nuts, hexes, nut removers and accessories for your rock climbing kit bag. These anchors are essential in traditional climbing where climbers must place protection rather than relying solely on fixed gear. Unlike sport climbing, where bolts are pre-placed in the rock for Jun 27, 2023 · In this article, we cover the main principles of safety when lead climbing—both when clipping bolts and learning to place cams, nuts, hexes and tri cams. An overview of things to look for and ways to develop your gear placements for trad rock climbing. Find out how to start now! Sep 22, 2009 · British climbers appear to have a rather complex relationship with hexes. Mar 9, 2022 · During this time, the technology of climbing protection improved from simple slings and pitons to nuts and hexes to spring-loaded camming devices. Hexes Climbing hexes are large hexagonal shaped wedges of metal that you slot into constrictions in wider cracks, to provide protection when traditional climbing outdoors. Was curious what brands people would recommend for nuts, cams, tricams. Lead climbing involves clipping a rope into protection while ascending a route from the ground up. Oct 6, 2023 · Interestingly hexes were the original nuts, evolving from the ordinary hexagonal industrial nuts that climbers first used (drilling out the thread first before attaching a nylon sling) - hence the term ‘nut’. I have friends who say that they have been climbing for a decade but refuse to learn new things and change their systems. Nuts are an essential for every trad climber. As opposed to sport or aid climbing, trad is also known as “clean climbing,” specifically because the gear is designed to be removable. Trad climbers use cams, nuts, and hexes, which are inserted into cracks in the rock to A large selection of nuts for a long trad route in Morrocco Nuts, wires, stoppers, chocks, wedges, whatever you want to call them, have been around for a long time. Discover everything to get started. My question is, if I’ve used all my cams earlier on a climb. Apr 14, 2021 · So, looking at these estimates above, we are looking at $745 for a basic trad climbing rack with a set of nuts, a handful of the most used cams, a safe number of alpine draws and some equipment to build anchors and a nut tool. Climbing nuts, climbing hexes, and nut tools to complete your trad rack Staples in any trad climber’s kit, climbing nuts and climbing hexes are designed to be wedged into the cracks of a rock wall to offer fall protection without leaving any major scarring behind. How to place and judge trad climbing gear including Nuts, Hexes & Cams. We cover how to inspect bolts, when to retire carabiners, best practices when clipping to avoid big falls, and managing risk. Explore our nut sets and stoppers from Kouba including micros, hexes, brass nuts and offsets for any crack or break. . Apr 27, 2022 · In the 1920s, British climbers carried pebbles in their pockets, slotting them into cracks and tying them off (with hemp cord) for pro. Placing nuts are intuitive, they are inexpensive, and will last you a long time. Climbing Nuts 101 will help you make that decision when you're getting your first gear for trad climbing. Friends and nuts (as all climbing equipment) have a lifespan of 10 years according to all What are the 3 Types of Protection in Trad Climbing? Trad climbing: short for traditional climbing, it’s a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection, such as cams, nuts, and other devices, into natural features of the rock to protect against falls. Affordable active and passive trad gear from Kouba Climbing. Been mostly 2nding, and using friends rack. Probably the most confusing part of trad climbing is how such seemingly simple pro can be put in the rock quickly and easily removed, while also being strong enough to hold a big fall. Explore trad climbing gear and protection for your trad rack including nuts, cams, hexes and abalaks ready for your next mountain adventure or chilled day at the crag. Learning to spot and use good nut placements is a fundamental trad leading skill. Mar 31, 2024 · Trad climbing, also known as traditional climbing, is a style of rock climbing that involves using natural features of the rock such as cracks, crevices, and pillars for protection instead of relying on pre-placed bolts. May 1, 2022 · On the other hand, trad racks for lead climbing consist of quickdraws, runners and slings for clipping pro and building anchors, and an assortment of protection devices (cams, nuts, hexes, and so on), a cleaning tool, and more. Unless you’re Alex Honnold or Cedar Wright carrying the bare minimum, a ‘standard rack’ changes from area to area. Climb safely with nuts Nuts are an essential piece of climbing equipment for sport climbers and mountaineers who don’t want to move from bolt to bolt. Feb 20, 2021 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. The one How to placing and judge Trad climbing gear? Protection big Hexes in parallel Super Crack #nut Hexes were an extension of the machine nuts that climbing started using for protection. This protection can include nuts, camming devices, and other gear that is placed into cracks and other features of the rock to catch a fall. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. Quickdraws are utilized to connect these protective devices to the rock, ensuring a safe climb. Sport climbs ascend Roofs and Vertical walls. Nuts Buying Guide Double Cap Read Time - 9 minutes May 2020 Standard nuts are the backbone of any traditional climbers rack. Apr 23, 2022 · Nuts, Hexes and Tricams for Rock Climbing https://rockclimb. Oct 18, 2021 · Trad Climbing is the classic way of climbing outdoors - using some cool gear, a cool head, and a lot of knowledge. There are three main types of protection you can use: Active Protection: refers to devices that rely on mechanical How to place and judge trad climbing gear including Nuts, Hexes & Cams. Nuts are usually sold in sets of around ten. - YouTube Trad (traditional) climbing involves placing removable gear, such as cams, nuts, and hexes, into cracks and fissures in the rock to protect against falls. Up until about a month ago I had to borrow other people's gear if I wanted to use cams. For most of us starting out on easy trad climbs, hexes are usually amongst the first bits of gear we purchase and use. Aug 8, 2022 · A typical set of nuts, also called wires or chocks, consists of 10 to 12 pieces that start small—less than . A typical trad rack will contain 10-12 nuts and maybe one or two mid-size hexes. Oct 17, 2024 · Just curious as to whether people prefer wired or slung hexes for winter? I gifted my old set of slung torque nuts to a friend who was getting back into trad climbing at the start of this year so now looking to replace them as we're getting into winter. Choose the right climbing protection gear to get your started with trad climbing. In the climbing world, your choice of passive climbing protection devices matters a lot. Trad Climbing: Unique & challenging routes around the world Famous Trad Climbing Routes: The Ultimate Test of Skill & Adventure Traditional (trad) climbing is one of the purest and most demanding forms of climbing, requiring removable protection gear—like cams, nuts, and hexes—that climbers place and remove as they ascend. Was just wandering if anyone knows anywhere that have good deals on nuts and hexes atm? Was just wandering if anyone knows anywhere that have good deals on nuts and hexes atm? Trad climbing standards and practices change over time. How do climbers protect a fall with our little wired pieces of metal? In this episode I cover the complete basics of nut placement and the thought process be FOR SALE / FOR FREE / WANT TO BUY Post a Reply to "Trad climbing gear (cams, nuts and hexes) and f…" Mar 20, 2025 · This category includes devices like cams, nuts, and hexes. I'm still pretty new at trad climbing and I was a hex sceptic until the other day - I went climbing somewhere different to my usual haunt - a rather exposed cliff where the erosion had scooped out the most marvellous hex placements - absolutely bomber! Jun 23, 2024 · Traditional climbing, also known as trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection such as cams, nuts, and hexes into cracks and crevices in the rock to secure themselves. Once I started climbing on gear routes that physically challenged my climbing ability the rapid placement of a cam became welcome [1]. Looking for advice on where to start. I find the hexes and offsets tend to have the strongest placements and get placed more often but I definely still use the nuts a lot. Most alpine climbing you'd be doing shouldn't take more than a set of cams and a set of nuts unless you're doing big alpine rock routes like those in the Sierras. This set is a light and affordable way to add larger protection to your trad rack. This includes spring-loaded camming devices, commonly called cams, passive gear, either nuts or hexes and all the material that will be used to connect How to place active protection during a traditional rock climb. Don’t climb with a lesser setup if you don’t need to. Learning to properly place protection is an essential skill as you progress as a trad climber. Jun 21, 2024 · A growing mountain of gear: what’s in my pack for the trek to Everest Base Camp What kit do you need to get into rock climbing? Whether you’re starting with sport climbing or trad climbing, indoor or outdoor, you’ll need the following items just to get started. Learn how to place trad gear, build trad anchors, climb a multi pitch, belay in guide mode and much more. Mar 8, 2017 · Passive protection devices—nuts / stoppers, hexes, and tricams— form the basis of any trad climber’s gear rack. Good places to stand and place and fiddle with a hex are good places to break an ankle. May 11, 2025 · Traditional (trad) climbing requires a broader range of equipment since the climber needs to create their own protection placements in natural rock features. Oct 7, 2014 · In reply to jkarran: >You can get by on a lot of routes with nuts/hexes rather than cams and a lot of people will suggest you should but really cams are more useful. Getting into leading trad routes? Learn how to choose types of passive protection, such as chocks, nuts and hexes. Moved PermanentlyThe document has moved here. Jun 13, 2025 · Trad climbing is a style of climbing where climbers lead routes by placing their own protection. In this style of climbing, climbers use a combination of gear placed in the rock, such as cams, nuts, and hexes, to protect themselves as they ascend up the mountain. I have 37 wires, 7 Hexs and at least 9 cams. Read more about what gear you need to climb Dec 25, 2016 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Learn the skills to stay safe and have confidence when climbing. When trad climbing, the leader must place their own gear in the rock. Get the best deals on Nuts/Rocks Climbing & Caving Carabiners & Hardware when you shop the largest online selection at eBay. They are cheap, light and durable. “Passive pro” is a subcategory that includes climbing nuts or stoppers, hexes, and Tricams—basically anything designed to catch you by wedging itself in place in the event of a fall. Or any advice with starting a rack. Nut and Hexes Ranging in size from the thickness of a matchstick to the size of your clenched fist, nuts (also called chocks, wires or stoppers) and hexes are inexpensive pieces of trad protection. Trying to master my gear placement though. Climbing nuts exert very little outwards force on the rock, unlike cams. Here’s what you need to know about trad gear and tips to build your first trad climbing rack. 5 and 5. Imagine these pieces as the puzzle pieces that secure your safety; each one must fit just right. Building a trad climbing rack is a labor of love. These pieces are relatively inexpensive because they feature no moving parts. Jul 10, 2024 · Trad climbing is a form of rock climbing that involves placing your own protection gear as you climb. if the rock type is suited to offsets have a set of theirs also. Feb 25, 2021 · What Is Sport Climbing Sport climbing is a type of rock climbing, often referred to as “lead” climbing. This will teach you far more about trad climbing strategy, placing gear and the intricacies of placements on different rock types and routes, than Trad Climbing Gear > Nuts This 'Climbing Nuts' article is part of the book - Trad Climbing Basics. But if you’re new to trad climbing, how do you make sure that you’re getting the best climbing nuts? With climbing experience, you build your own personal preference. JB Mountain Skills 32. We have all kinds of really cool cams, and other styles of chocks/nuts/whatever. Friends and nuts (as all climbing equipment) have a lifespan of 10 years according to all manufacturers, but I believe the expiration dates of some pieces are longer than our own lives. They are made of a flexible wire which is threaded through a hard 'nut' of metal. There are many different types of trad pro, including cams, nuts, hexes, Tricams, Ballnuts and more. The common denominator is that they are removable, as opposed to fixed gear that is permanently secured to the rock (such as bolts). Building your first trad rack made simple and easy. Here’s how it is done. Learn about nuts, hexes, cams and other equipment you may need. Active protection refers to gear that can be manipulated and placed by the climber, such as camming devices and spring-loaded camming devices (SLCDs), while passive protection includes nuts, hexes, and tricams that are wedged or slotted into cracks Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. 8K subscribers Subscribe Buy some nuts and hexes but borrow your friends cams while leading. video ---------- Although "Rock Climb" will have more than 100 videos (7 hours+ of content), the program is designed to include maximum Nuts=Stoppers Have a full set. May 17, 2024 · What you really need to know, and buy, to start trad climbing. May 9, 2025 · The Essence of Trad Climbing: Placing Your Own Path Trad vs. This 'hexes' article is part of the book - Trad Climbing Basics. There are various types of climbing hexes available in many different brands, colours, shapes and sizes. A trad rack is the term given to your collection of trad climbing gear. The offset taper on these nuts open up a whole new world of placement opportunities, turning a marginal placement with a regular wallnut into a placement you could hang a bus from. 5” for six-sided hexes. A guide to racking up for trad climbing to help with the efficiency for placing gear when lead climbing. It’s a world that has two categories: active and passive climbing protection devices. I've recently started trad climbing as well and am using DMM nut set 3 (includes a set of nuts, offsets and hexes). Just use the sideways long end of the nut tool and smack the hex as hard as you can from the wire or sling side like your hitting something with a hammer. Equip yourself with top gear from Black Diamond and DMM. I think hexes could be quite bomber. So I’ve recently started trad climbing and have only led 2 very easy ones (5. Jul 16, 2025 · Climbing nuts are one of the first pieces of trad protection climbers will purchase. Hexes are an old type of climbing protection that are seldom seen on climber's racks since the introduction of cams. Using nuts is a good way to secure a route that has many cracks. Jan 4, 2024 · A trad climbing rack is a much more complex set of tools than you will use when going out sport climbing. Free UK delivery for orders over £60 | Buy climbing equipment online from Sgùrr Shop. They are intended to be wedged into a crack or other opening in the rock, and do not require a hammer to place. Trad climbing techniques involve using cams, nuts , and hexes to secure protection while ascending natural rock formations. We have been climbing for a while, guiding professionally Jun 23, 2024 · Traditional climbing, also known as trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing where climbers place removable protection such as cams, nuts, and hexes into cracks in the rock to secure themselves as they ascend. Trad uses removable protection like cams, nuts, and Just like with any extreme sport, educating yourself about the sport of trad climbing is a great way to start. What is stopping be from using a nut on a horizontal for at least some pro. You “lead” both sport and trad climbs – but not in the same way. 3” for wedgeshaped nuts and 3. Whether you want to create an additional anchor point on a sport climbing route between widely spaced bolts or you want to completely secure your own route, you should always No trad climber’s rack is complete without a set of DMM Offset nuts. This is the case with friends, nuts and hexes: there are no parts that should change a lot in time, and Apr 24, 2023 · Enough Hexes that the local rancher thinks his herd escaped. May 29, 2020 · New to trad climbing? Our Beginner's Guide to Trad Climbing breaks down everything you need to know to get started trad climbing today. Sep 27, 2021 · The ‘standard rack’ in trad climbing refers to a standard set of cams and nuts that most people carry. B… 1,2,3,6 Wild Country Cams DMM Nuts 2 sets BD Nuts Wild Country Hexes Couple of Carabiners and Dog bones Selling on behalf of my brother so apologies for not speaking the climbing lingo. We also cover placing gear on traditionally protected climbs, backing up suspect placements, and selecting your climb. In trad climbing, the emphasis is on self-reliance and ingenuity. The trad rack you need will vary from one climb to another and most definitely from person to person as each has their own way and preference when it comes to climbing. Friends share racks. Nov 14, 2019 · Trad and Sport are forms of both Free Climbing and Lead Climbing Trad Climbing is an older style of climbing, focusing on adventure. This modern trad gear accelerated the pace of big wall conquests and unlocked possibilities for increasingly difficult routes. He probably has enough kit to equip the whole of Jun 23, 2024 · What is Traditional Climbing? Traditional climbing, often referred to as trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection as they ascend a route. Oct 28, 2016 · From cams to nuts to hexes, learn the basics of trad gear with tips for buying your first rack. Learn about each type and their unique purpose in this informative post. These are a must-have for sea cliff climbing where most cracks are flared enough to make you question your regular nut placement. What do you like about hexes? What are your favorite hexes? What features do you look for? I am interested in them and want to learn from people with experience (and no one I know is into them or uses them). Nov 1, 2023 · Furthermore, trad climbing fosters resilience, teaching climbers to confront fear and uncertainty head-on, transforming obstacles into stepping stones towards personal growth and accomplishment. Jan 31, 2024 · Essential Gears for Your Trad Climbing Rack What is a trad rack? Understanding what a trad rack is and how to build a trad climbing rack are the first things to understand. 25” wide—and go up to about 1. May 7, 2024 · Stéphane Pennequin has meticulously curated a museum of almost every type of nut, hex, wedge, plug and camming device in the world in his own home. Discover everything about it in our blog post. Initially made from actual machine nuts with the internal thread drilled out, they have undergone several stages of development in the last few decades, resulting in the wonderful colour-coded super-strong designs we have today. Jun 23, 2024 · Traditional climbing, also known as trad climbing, involves placing removable protection devices such as cams, nuts, and hexes into cracks and crevices in the rock to protect against falls. 8K subscribers Subscribe Nut and Hexes Ranging in size from the thickness of a matchstick to the size of your clenched fist, nuts (also called chocks, wires or stoppers) and hexes are inexpensive pieces of trad protection. For summer Trad climbing I love tricams and use them frequently, hexes I carry but rarely use. According to climbing data, approximately 70% of trad climbers use removable anchors extensively during their climbs. Each piece of hardware—camming devices, nuts, and hexes—is carefully placed to protect your descent. Learn to trad climb. com. When it comes to trad climbing, understanding the difference between active and passive protection is crucial for a safe and successful ascent. , which are inserted into cracks and crevices as they go. It offers a more adventurous and self-reliant style of climbing. Hex (climbing) Hexentrics (Black Diamond 's brand of hexes) Different kinds of hexes A hex is an item of rock-climbing equipment used to protect climbers from falls. This Aug 29, 2016 · I have read some posts here regarding the expiration dates of climbing material, especially trad gear. Sending a hard sport climb is satisfying, but trad climbing offers a feeling of accomplishment unmatched by clipping bolts. A beginners guide to the placement of Nuts, Rocks and Wires for protecting trad rock climbing. To be safe when trad climbing, the leader must focus on finding gear placements and then select the right piece of gear to fit. Hexes clean as quickly as a nut that you need a nut tool to get out, often times quicker. Also have a few micros of offsets & stopper/rock/nuts. Essential gear includes a harness, ropes, and climbing shoes, similar to sport climbing. Learn how to use nuts and hexes. With a good understanding of trad climbing skills, you can branch out from the indoor walls and sport crags to reach unique places that would What's trad climbing? We break down how trad is different than sport climbing and introduce you to types of active and passive pro. There are three main types of protection you can use: Active Protection: refers to devices that rely on mechanical A beginner guide to placing hexes and tri cams for protecting trad climbing. Trad climbing can be a huge amount of fun, but the nature of the protection makes the leader entirely responsible for his or her safety. if you can place a hex = elephant bomb proof! but the weight, take only what you expect to place size 3 & 6 if you have a full set of nuts. Jul 21, 2015 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Ballnuts are new to me in the last year of owning, but I'm finding I love them. This can include nuts, hexes, cams, etc. From cams to carabiners, nuts to nut tools, there are so many options for traditional climbing gear that it’s hard to know where to begin. Climbers navigate routes that are longer than a single pitch, relying on their skills to place removable protection such as cams and nuts in the natural irregularities of the rock, like cracks and fissures, as they ascend. However, the key difference is in the protection system. Get a handful of alpine draws for trad climbing to supplement your quickdraws, get more when you start climbing mountains. I am somwhat confused about the places of hexes in a modern trad setting. Jan 8, 2024 · I started trad climbing during the pandemic, the advice is now split between 'official' articles recommending hexes and people commenting 'don't waste money on hexes, you'll end up buying cams anyway'. In this video, Dave Rudkin shows us how to correctly place nuts. Jul 9, 2023 · "Trad" is an exciting style of climbing that relies on pieces of protection placed by climbers for safety. Oct 25, 2022 · What Is Climbing Protection? Protection for Mountaineering & Ice Climbing Protection for Rock Climbing Bouldering Top-Roping Protection Sport Climbing Protection Trad Climbing Protection Devices Passive vs Active Protection Passive Protection Devices Nuts and Stoppers Hexes Tricams Micronuts Tube Chocks Active Protection Devices Camming Devices BallNutz How to Place Protection Important Tips Sep 23, 2024 · What is Trad Climbing? Traditional climbing, or trad climbing for short, is a type of rock climbing that requires a unique blend of physical and mental skill. Nov 30, 2017 · One of the key pieces of a beginner's rock climbing rack, Hexes are a cheaper alternative to camming devices for protection for wider cracks. Thoughts?? Aug 31, 2022 · Metolius recently added to their line of passive climbing protection with the simple and accurately named “ Metolius Big Nuts “. For unknown long climbs . From what I’ve been hearing, don’t place nuts in horizontal cracks and place cams instead. Unlike sport climbing, where fixed bolts or anchors are pre-placed in the rock, trad climbing relies on the climber to carry and place their own protective gear as they ascend the route. Oct 6, 2023 · In the world of rock climbing few disciplines captured the essence of adventure and self-reliance like traditional climbing, often referred to as "trad climbing". Double up 2-7. Ultimately, your rack will reflect your favorite routes, treasured climbing areas, and unique personal style of climbing. When I started trad climbing I used to carry a few hexes to round out my rack before I could afford doubling and tripling up on some of the larger sized cams (Black Diamond C4 #1 Trad climbing nuts and passive protection to build up your trad rack. However, they do have advantages over cams in certain situations. Trad climbing requires a An alpine climbing rack should be pretty small and light, you shouldn't have maybe more than around 5 cams and a set of nuts, so carrying a #4, #5, #6 even a #3 seems like a lot of weight and pretty big gear to carry for that type of climbing. Each one is hand-assembled by the climber, a custom collection of pieces designed to accompany them on vertical adventures for years to come. Despite the higher price tag and relatively heavier construction, they are a worthwhile investment, especially if your favourite climbing locations have an abundance of parallel cracks and you struggle to find decent gear placements for nuts and hexes. It Jan 8, 2024 · I started trad climbing during the pandemic, the advice is now split between 'official' articles recommending hexes and people commenting 'don't waste money on hexes, you'll end up buying cams anyway'. Traditional Routes follow Cracks and Slabs. Remember to check out our selection Dec 14, 2024 · Traditional climbing, often referred to as "trad" climbing, is a style of rock climbing that involves the use of removable protection devices to create anchor points for protection. I climb mostly in the adirondacks. For a new outdoor What are the 3 Types of Protection in Trad Climbing? Trad climbing: short for traditional climbing, it’s a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection, such as cams, nuts, and other devices, into natural features of the rock to protect against falls. In the beginning of your trad climbing career you should focus on building a solid nut rack and learning to place them well. In addition to your harness, shoes, helmet and chalk bag you will also need: a belay device, slings, quickdraws, camming devices or karabiners, nuts, hexes, a nut key, screw gate karabiners and a climbing rope. Protection refers to nuts, cams, hexes, stoppers, and so on. Also, two 25-foot cordelettes, 12 alpine draws, five slings, six double-length slings, two prusiks, two rap devices in case you drop one, and 20 lockers because who knows? To place, assess, and test both passive (nuts and hexes) and active (cams) protection To build bomber multi-point anchors in unique situations using natural protection and gear Hands-on practice placing gear on mock lead with instructor feedback Principles and concepts of safe, successful trad lead climbing Oct 17, 2024 · Just curious as to whether people prefer wired or slung hexes for winter? I gifted my old set of slung torque nuts to a friend who was getting back into trad climbing at the start of this year so now looking to replace them as we're getting into winter. If you place gear properly and choose routes that are easy to protect, trad climbing can be just as safe as sport climbing. In order to place trad gear efficiently and securely, you must Jan 22, 2010 · When I first started trad climbing all I could afford were nuts, hexes, and tricams. Jun 13, 2014 · Before taking your first trad climbing steps you will need to get kitted out correctly. 7). Jun 24, 2025 · An instructor's complete guide to trad climbing gear — from buying your first trad climbing harness to choosing the best climbing helmet. Get inspired gear, informed advice, 100s of brands – all backed by our Rocksolid Guarantee. Sport Climbing: Key Distinctions Historical Roots of Trad Climbing The Trad Climber’s Rack: Understanding Essential Gear Passive Protection: Nuts, Hexes, and Slings Active Protection: Cams and Their Mechanics Personal Gear: Harness, Helmet, Shoes, and Rope Jun 23, 2024 · Traditional climbing, also known as trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection devices, such as nuts, cams, and hexes, into cracks and crevices in the rock as they ascend. They eventually became ‘hex centric’ in that each side was of a different length. Neil Gresham gives us a masterclass in the basics of placing nuts as Trad climbing protection. What Is Passive Climbing Protection? Climbing protection, or “pro” for short, is any kind of removable gear that you slot into the rock to catch a fall. Shop for Cams, nuts and hexes at MEC. > Cams aren't "more useful", sometimes they are needed on a route, sometimes (especially on beginner routes) they are not needed. Trad climbing 101 Learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about trad climbing including the skills, gear, and popular destinations. Sport climbing is designed to push the athletic envelope of the sport. Sep 11, 2023 · Discover the essential gear used in trad climbing, from camming devices and nuts to slings and carabiners. He doesn't use hexes though. Jun 15, 2025 · Traditional (Trad) Climbing Hardware When you’re on a trad climb, it’s like being a detective at an archaeological site. They are also somehow reassuring in their chunky nature and straightforward design Nuts & Hexes All your essential rock climbing nuts, hexes, nut removers, and accessories for your rock climbing kit bag. This adds a technical and mental aspect to the route. bxpdlow cszqhl kut bjqiw fiy aazmc lcqpza ldl qjjhsz gswj