Trad Climbing Basics - VDiff Climbing Trad Climbing Basics - VDiff Climbing | Page 10

You can reduce the chance of this by extending the cam with a sling or quickdraw. An alternative would be to use a nut or a hex instead. Downward Flares The downwards flare of this crack is too great for the cam to hold. In the event of a fall, the lobes will continue opening until they reach their maximum, at which point the cam will fall out of the crack. Cams can hold in very slightly downward- flared cracks, but it is best to look for parallel-sided or slightly upward-flared cracks. VDiff – Trad Climbing Basics > Using Trad Gear 22