Share Your Improbable Aid Placement Photos

Y’all are badass lunatics in the nicest way possible. 

Natural hook move. Was a little scary since the edge crumbled a bit but once it set, seemed pretty good

During a first ascent near Bigwater, Grand Staircase Escalante NM. Softish sandstone, flared, bottoming crack. The idea here was a combo of filling the slot and optimal leverage. It worked!

Last pitch of Zodiac. Had gotten pretty comfy with the upside down camhooks by that point, having never placed one before the route.

Probably the tipped out camhook you can see in the bottom of the second pic was actually holding most of my weight, but I was desperate for anything else after the camhook had already slipped out on testing the first time.

Doctor Choss wrote:

Last pitch of Zodiac. Had gotten pretty comfy with the upside down camhooks by that point, having never placed one before the route.

That is fuked.

Doctor Choss wrote:

Last pitch of Zodiac. Had gotten pretty comfy with the upside down camhooks by that point, having never placed one before the route.

…how is it levitating?  Its not even in anything.  I actually do not understand

Steve Bartlett wrote:

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During a first ascent near Bigwater, Grand Staircase Escalante NM. Softish sandstone, flared, bottoming crack. The idea here was a combo of filling the slot and optimal leverage. It worked!

Cool! Good old fashioned stacked pins. I remember those days. Except not with beaks.

Doctor Choss wrote:

Last pitch of Zodiac. Had gotten pretty comfy with the upside down camhooks by that point, having never placed one before the route.

Yo!!! Doctor choss whose hammer did did you have for that ascent?

M1 H1 wrote:

…how is it levitating?  Its not even in anything.  I actually do not understand

It stays in the cammed position because your weight is on it.

Marc801 C wrote:

It stays in the cammed position because your weight is on it.

No I am aware of how a camhook works, I just dont see that this particular one is inserted inside a crack whatsoever as your photo shows.  Maybe my eyes are just playing a trick on me

M1 H1 wrote:

No I am aware of how a camhook works, I just dont see that this particular one is inserted inside a crack whatsoever as your photo shows.  Maybe my eyes are just playing a trick on me

Oh. Here's an enlargement of the placement:

Kevin DeWeese wrote:

Those old fashioned days are still the current days for parties that wander off the same 10 routes in the valley. 

Oh yeah I understand that Kevin! But it's very different now. 1974-1977 was my flurry of walling in The Valley, and we nailed the shit out of everything. Typically the dozen or so nuts went in the haul bag by the end of the first day.                                                                    In the 1980's and '90's I did probably 4 or 5 of the routes I would guess to be on your list of 10. Only took pins and hammer on one of them. 

Marc801 C wrote:

Oh. Here's an enlargement of the placement:

Hey thank you savior

Actually quasi-bomber. I always liked this pic though cuz the "rock" looks cool.

This is from a couple months back on a first solo aid experiment on Prodigal Sun and didn't bring a hook, because: IDIOCY. After exhausting all gear options including an attempt at stacked/cammed nuts and also a tied off bouldering toothbrush inserted as deep as it would go into the empty hole (fucking terrible idea), I tried to climb past this bolt hole in approach shoes and took the mini whip. I tried to pendulum into a climbable feature next door and took slightly more exciting swinging whip. There's not really a "hookable" lip on this particular bolt hole, so I 100% expected to whip again and probably have to bail in ignominy. But this stupid, flexing, sliding nut tool placement somehow held. Who knew aid climbing was so rad? 

Climbing Weasel wrote:

as in OUT OUT?!? More than once?!?! 

Yes, more like taken huge chunk out of both front teeth I still had base and roots in my gums. had them rebonded by my dentist (who was a fellow climber), happened again he rebonded then I broke them on a winter rescue training, when I used my teeth to pull the cords on my mittens. he then said” we’re done and I got a partial. 

Hybrid placement on the FA of Toxic Masculinity, Looking Glass Rock, NC

Horizontal pecker, a couple days ago. Bounce tested it; later, it was cleaned with 2 light taps.

Pitch 12 of Lurking Fear. Was so astounded it held I had to take a picture.