SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/climb-cams

What type of protection are cams?

Spring-loaded devices whose cams spread apart inside a crack.

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  1. Metal wedges on a wire
  2. Spring-loaded cams that spread apart ✔
  3. Bolts glued into the rock

Why: A cam has three or four cams on an axle. Pulling on the axle forces them to spread apart and press against the crack walls.

Huh, didn't know that: You pull the trigger to narrow the cams, slide it into the crack, then let go so they expand.

The dad joke
Why did the cam join the band? It had good lobes.
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References

Answer: Spring-loaded cams that spread apart. A cam has three or four cams on an axle. Pulling on the axle forces them to spread apart and press against the crack walls.

  1. NPS Arches: Rock Climbing (glossary) www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/rockclimbing.htm
    pulling on the axle forces the cams to spread farther apart
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. NPS Arches: Rock Climbing (glossary) www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/rockclimbing.htm
    It consists of three or four cams mounted on a common axle
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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