Share Your Improbable Aid Placement Photos

Christine Spang wrote:

The only thing I could figure out to get by this blown out head on Liberty Crack in WA this summer was clipping around it with a cross loaded nano 22. Would not slot in the other way. Had little more than a free rack with me as most of the route goes free at a moderate grade!

I brought a single hook (for the supposed aid crux later in that pitch) and hooked that sucker, after another marginal placement. I'm not much of an aid climber, but for a brief moment in time I could have used "aid" and "fun" in the same sentence ;) Next time I'll probably try threading a wire. That nano-hook is badass!

I've had to hammer peckers into dead heads, about as scary as I've done! I think that was p2 NA wall?

Dylan Valvo wrote:

 Possibly the worst pin stack I’ve ever done on Death of American Democracy. Shallow....

That makes my skin crawl.

Aid practice on The Pirate at Suicide Rock. First talon placement. Pucker factor 8/10. This route eats micro brass offsets. 

Michael Hall wrote:

Aid practice on The Pirate at Suicide Rock. First talon placement. Pucker factor 8/10. This route eats micro brass offsets. 

I’m glad to see you are getting some practice in as this is a great aid line too! But you should NEVER put a hook on this route. This is a historic free climbing test piece and that foot you were hooking on needs to stay there. Those little metal edges exert way to much pressure and they will destroy holds! It’s also completely unnecessary to hook anything on this route.  In general when clean aiding a free route leave the hooks on the ground. It’s acceptable practice to bring cam hooks on a route like this though with it being granite. Truly though! I’m stoked y’all are in your ladders and having fun! Or better yet having a shake fest!

Dylan Valvo wrote:

I’m glad to see you are getting some practice in as this is a great aid line too! But you should NEVER put a hook on this route. This is a historic free climbing test piece and that foot you were hooking on needs to stay there. Those little metal edges exert way to much pressure and they will destroy holds! It’s also completely unnecessary to hook anything on this route.  In general when clean aiding a free route leave the hooks on the ground. 

Encouraging.....explanatory.......not condescending......dafuq are you doing, mentoring? Get outta here! This is Mountain Project! We don't do that here! Git!

You're right, definitely not necessary. Had an opportunity to try out a hook placement while top rope soloing the route for practice so I did. Thanks for the opinion. Point taken. 

The Fisher Towers grow protection for you
No idea what it is, but it held a bounce

Skot Richards wrote:

That actually looks like a very well placed Aluma Head in a horizontal seam!

I remember doing a short aid route with a student, and I placed a #3 head to make a move around a bulge to swing out and finish the exit wall. As my student was ascending and cleaning, he got to the head and asked "What the hell is that". I proceeded to explain copperheading and he states "thats pretty cool". "Oh by the way how do I clean this?". I told him " Grab the clip in loop and pull up like velcro". He proceeds to clean and yells out "OH HELL NO!!!!, Theres no way " I laughed and said "Welcome to A5 placements.

I have done tons of stacked placements the 2 out of 4 cam lobes, lots of RP's, Stuffed knots. By the way Tri Cam and horizontal hex stack is great (stick the point of Tri-Cam inside hollow end of Hex)

I have also had the misfortune of knocking out my front teeth more than once to a popped knifeblade

I always loved the technical problem solving of Aid Climbing.

Beaks rule! They have done well at replacing RURPS.

Buck Rio wrote:

Couldn't you just hook that head?

Or beak the head. 

Given his comment of not having hooks on a free rack. I would have probably tried using the nut tool as a hook (Wobbly?, Maybe tape it to avoid sketching off?)

A friend tried that nut tool hooking trick. Put him out of the game for a bit with a nasty cut.  I told him it was a dumb idea... obviously he should have equalized 2 nut tools. 

Skot, I love that gear you sent me. You make awesome stuff. Thanks again. 

Dylan Valvo wrote:

60’ of nothing but natural circle head placements on the horizon installed for instant equalization. Established 1985

Carolina Hog Farm! Looking Glass is the best

Left the beaks at the belay thinking “oh it’s c1”. For reference, when encountered with a bomber hand placed number #2 beak slot and no beak in sight, save yourself a trip back down to the belay and hand place your nut tool for some ball-shriveling excitement.

Now we’re talking ^^

Here’s a hammered nut i found on The Shield Headwall. 

Very shallow handplaced sawed angle.

The infamous gardening hook on the old Stoney Point bolt ladder:

jc5462 wrote:

I have also had the misfortune of knocking out my front teeth more than once to a popped knifeblade

as in OUT OUT?!? More than once?!?! 

Scary stuff across the southeast, including the upside-down cam hook on Zodiac.

Hate when you are on rurps like this and can see the rock crumbling and the rurp flexing.

Also placing heads while standing on a pencil tip talon will have you questioning if what you are doing is worth it.

Or when you are hanging on the smallest ballnut and it slides right out to the edge. Likely no holding power in the ball and only from the leverage of the plate at the tip.