Bumping up a Cam versus Back Cleaning

I was recently on a climb where there was a long crack that used 2s and 3s. I had only two of each and wanted to make sure I didn't get to a point where I needed one and didn't have one. My partner suggested "walking" the cam, which I have come to learn from this forum is actually "bumping up the cam". After doing some reading on the forum I realize that I was actually back cleaning, not bumping up the cam. I was always protected by the piece above me before I pulled the piece below me. I believe bumping a cam is different; it means you place the cam, walk up a few steps, pull it out and place it higher. I had one person tell me he did this when he ended up in a 100' crack that only fit a #4 and he only have one #4. In that scenario, there is going to be a moment when you are unprotected as you remove the cam to replace it, as the distance between you and the last piece grows.

Am I correct in my understanding of bumping up a cam as opposed to back cleaning? Sounds like bumping up the cam is less safe, but maybe the only option in some instances. When would you use bumping up versus back cleaning, or is it completely dependent on the situation?

Also, if you are bumping the cam up, do you keep the rope clipped into the biner, or do you unclip the rope, move the piece up and then clip it in again? Seems like you'd keep it clipped in, but maybe it's safer to do it the other way.

Thanks for your help!

If you only have 1 cam in the correct size range then bumping is your only option.  More common in the bigger sizes.  Usually in that size range you aren't going to pop off unexpectedly, you can usually wedge yourself in pretty good and bump the cam, it's while actually making upward progress that you are more likely to fall.

I would think "walking" the cam is the same as "bumping it up." Meaning, you keep moving the cam up as you climb. It is your top piece for as long as you're bumping it up.

Interested to hear others' interpretation.

Backcleaning is removing gear below you and putting it back on your harness for later.  
Walking is when the cam shifts from the movement of the rope, which should be avoided.
Bumping is removing the cam and immediately placing it again higher up (think OW climbing).

Mike Womack wrote: Backcleaning is removing gear below you and putting it back on your harness for later.  
Walking is when the cam shifts from the movement of the rope, which should be avoided.
Bumping is removing the cam and immediately placing it again higher up (think OW climbing).

Got it. I need to change the name from "walking" to bumping it up. Thanks.

I believe you are correct in your understanding of walking a cam as opposed to back cleaning.  Back cleaning can take an obnoxious amount of time.  To be safer, if one can place two pieces nearly side by side, it may be possible to walk the first cam up, then bump up the second, as you climb.   However, there would be several instances when one only has one piece in the wall above a long run-out, if one was to fall and that piece failed...  another use of the term walking describes a cam "walking out" of a crack.  I have heard the term used both ways.

I would think when "bumping", if possible, you don't actually remove it but retract the cam only enough to slide it up so if you are about to fall you can just let go of it. I personally have rarely had to do that though as I am not a huge traddie and there aren't a lot of longer sections of even, wider cracks where I climb.

M Sprague wrote: I would think when "bumping", if possible, you don't actually remove it but retract the cam only enough to slide it up so if you are about to fall you can just let go of it. I personally have rarely had to do that though as I am not a huge traddie and there aren't a lot of longer sections of even, wider cracks where I climb.

This. Just slide the cam, don’t remove and replace unless you can’t slide it. 

Sheri W wrote:Am I correct in my understanding of bumping up a cam as opposed to back cleaning? Sounds like bumping up the cam is less safe, but maybe the only option in some instances. When would you use bumping up versus back cleaning, or is it completely dependent on the situation?

Back cleaning generally refers to removing a piece and re-racking it to use later on the pitch. What you're describing sounds more like bumping two pieces at once. More faff but it's definitely safer than bumping a single piece.

Also, if you are bumping the cam up, do you keep the rope clipped into the biner, or do you unclip the rope, move the piece up and then clip it in again? Seems like you'd keep it clipped in, but maybe it's safer to do it the other way.

You keep the piece clipped and just bring it with you as you go. Unclipping would kind of defeat the purpose as you'd be exposing yourself to a massive fall every time you unclip. Most of the time with bumping the cam stays in the crack so it should hold even if you let go and fall.

What exactly is leapfrogging? Is that what OP described when you alternate between placing two cams and continually backclean?

Katarina Owens wrote: What exactly is leapfrogging? Is that what OP described when you alternate between placing two cams and continually backclean?

Yep. Clean the penultimate piece, place above the top piece to become the new top piece.

You can also use two of the same size cam to avoid being way above your last piece while you're bumping. Put them right on top of each other, bump the top one up, bump the bottom one up, climb, and repeat.

Ryan Mac wrote: You can also use two of the same size cam to avoid being way above your last piece while you're bumping. Put them right on top of each other, bump the top one up, bump the bottom one up, climb, and repeat.

Thank you, yeah that is essentially what I was doing for the exact reason you explained. 

Back cleaning is more of an aid climbing thing, bumping is more of a free climbing thing.
If you're bumping a cam more than twice from placements you brought too small of a rack.

Eli Buzzell wroteIf you're bumping a cam more than twice from placements you brought too small of a rack.

Eh, sometimes the guidebook fails to mention the #4 offwidth around the corner on pitch five. You do what you gotta do.