managed to dislodge a smallish BD nut on the long pitch of clifton crest. drop me a pm if you want it back.

btw, who managed to remove the 2 seized up cams on the same pitch? the blue metolius is shorti's and if it is still in working condition i'm sure he'll be grateful to get it back. i thought one would have to use dynamite and a crowbar to get those two pieces out but somebody did it without damaging the rock. good work

Slander! Ok fine it was my cam, but technically I can't claim it since I've been refunded by the repentant bad cam placer (who have become a passive protection devotee in the mean time). Good job whoever got it out, I threw everything I had at it - and I honestly thought I was good at retrieving gear. I wonder if it might have something to do with temperature differences. I've retrieved gear that was obviously stuck for a while with ease. Anyway, I suppose if whoever retrieved my cam wants to give it back it is better to give it to Christine, but personally I think keep it, you deserve it.

Thats a really good question, I have left gear behind that was unquestionaly "stuck forever". A friend of mine took a massive fall on a no 5 BD nut on the crux of the Moke (Tonquani), the nut became part of the rock, however, true as bob, few weeks later it was gone. In fact every piece of irretreavable gear i have ever left behind has been salvaged, and I don't leave gear easily. I assume the weather or temperature has something to do with it, but that begs the question: if you climb on a cold day will your piece be more stuck when it gets warmer or visa versa?

hmmm, Jacques, I think I retrieved that nut you are talking about. Little blue nut just below the bottom of the slab? I took it out on lead, no problem. Anyway, I don't know how it works, but if I have to put a price on it, it seems like I've struggled more with stuck gear in the cold and it seems like most of my successful gear salvage missions were on warm days. I once simply pulled a "stuck" nut out of a rail on a boiling hot day at Makapansgat. I'm pretty sure that nut was left because whoever left it couldn't get it out. It was in plain sight, no way someone would be stupid enough to bail on it, and beginners that tend to leave gear simply won't go there. Another nut was left by a friend, she told she simply couldn't get it out, but when I got there, I had no trouble getting it out. Maybe it has more to do with numb fingers not functioning well in the cold. That metolius cam got stuck on a cold day and my fingers were not operating all that well. I would have thought gear would come out easier when it is cold - cold causes shrinkage after all.

That sounds like it, but it was long time ago (8 years?), I imagine alot of no 5 nuts have been placed in that crack, and seeing as its just before the crux, (I'm sure those nuts have been tested plenty by lead climbers before moving on) I'm sure a few have been "stuck" there. Anyone else remember finding a nut just before the crux of the moke? (which by the way, at its grade (F2/3) is a must do climb in my opinion)

I found a small blue Bd nut (no 4 I think but will check) on the lower pitch of Clifton Crest. Let me know if it belongs to any of you? Picked it up last week.

it still amazes me that somebody got both cams out. the blue friend was completely seized up and the mastercam was fully cammed and sitting so deep you could hardly reach the trigger (which was no use in any case). I bashed my nut pick with a rock the size of half-a-brick and it did not move one of the lobes at all. a remarkable bit of salvaging work if you ask me!

Yep, and I'm glad that somebody got it out, they were an eyesore and perfect examples of where not to place small cams

Jacques, that nut's not yours then. I retrieved it less than 2 years ago and it wasn't before the crux, it was just after.

Seems like Clifton Crest eats gear