In the Field: Free Climbing
There was a bit of a learning curve to using the Offsets, but it just took two or three pitches to train my eye to see opportunities for protection that I might have previously glanced at and immediately ruled out (flaring pockets, for example). This was a quick adjustment, and probably aided by the fact that I was already familiar with Metolius sizing.
Once I had gotten used to spotting placements for them, I was able to place them on more pitches than not. Because of the specialized nature of the design, placements for the Offsets aren’t as numerous as for regular cams. They certainly allow you to protect sections of rock that would otherwise be unprotectable, but they’re not really threatening to take the place of regular cams on your rack. They’re better thought of as a helpful addition for those of us who climb in places where flares can be common.
For example, Eldorado Canyon is rife with pitches that are protected by small gear, despite the varied nature of the climbing. The classic moderate Ruper, on the Redgarden wall, is a perfect example of this. With the exception of one hand-sized cam, and a number 4 to protect the start of the second pitch, most everything is protected reasonably well with smaller gear (0.75 or 1 Camalot and below). In these instances where I’ll be carrying multiples of smaller sizes, I’ve come to prefer having those doubles or triples include an Offset. It won’t come at the cost of carrying a regular cam, and it makes the rack significantly more versatile.
Most climbers who climb without offsets make the best of these placements using cams that have narrow head widths, typically Aliens or C3s. While these cams definitely work better in uneven placements than do broader cams like a Metolius Quadcam, they’re rarely all the way there. For this reason, cams such as Aliens are a great supplement to the Offset TCU, rather than in direct competition on your rack.
Potential Pitfalls
One foreseeable problem with the offset concept in the TCU design is the fact that the U-stem design, with twin cables that bracket the head of the cam, might obstruct a placement by contacting the rock at the base of a flare. Because the cables that form the stem are relatively rigid, a fall on such a placement could easily deform the stem. In the worst case, this could result in the stem acting like lever and exerting outward forces (rather than downward) on the head of the cam.
Despite my concerns, I didn’t run into this problem in the field as it is generally pretty easy to avoid these placements altogether. Certain aid routes, with fewer places to plug gear, might raise this issue. In that case, offsets with a single stem (Mastercams, Totem Basic, Fixe Aliens, etc.) might be more appealing.
Aid Climbing
The Offset TCUs do, however, offer some compensation to the aid climber: the ability to clip aiders high without a lot of tie-sling trickery. As a consequence of the cam’s design, aiders can be clipped into the sling, into the base of the U-stem, or slightly higher above the fixed bar that separates the thump loop and the trigger. This allows a lot of flexibility compared to its single-stem counterparts when it comes to positioning aiders. Whether or not the ability to clip in high (and in multiple places) outweighs the occasionally unwieldy nature of the U-stem is probably a question that can only be answered in the context of the location and type of climbing you most commonly encounter.
As an aside, the Offset TCU, like the other cams made by Metolius, is not rated for passive placement. These cams do have cam stops to prevent the lobes from inverting, and one might be able to place them passively under body-weight placements when aid climbing. But they’re not rated, and therefore not recommended, for this mode of use.
Bottom Line
Because the Offset TCU is a bit of a niche cam by nature, it shouldn’t be thought of as a stand-in for your regular cams. Rather, they’re a great way to expand your rack once you’re at the point where you’re looking for doubles or triples in your go-to sizes.
If you climb in places where flares are ubiquitous (Eldorado, Lumpy Ridge, Looking Glass Rock, Yosemite, etc.), having at least a couple of Offset TCUs on your rack is a solid idea. They’ve benefited from the design evolution of the Ultralight TCU, and TCU fans will find familiar and easy to use, despite the brief learning curve that comes with all offset cams.
Also, if you’re looking to flesh out your aid climbing rack, then you’re looking at a specialty cam for a narrow application, it’s worth looking at your tick-list and deciding if a single stem alternative is more appropriate than the U-stem TCU.
Does the offset (or non offset regular) Metolius TCU have any advantages over the mastercam other than being able to clip higher for aid? If one were choosing between the TCU and the Mastercam, what factors would u consider? In the review you mention that u can clip the TCU higher for but that the u shaped stem eliminates some placements where a single stem mastercam might fit. Are there any other factors to consider?
Harpo,
Main advantage I see to Mastercams over TCUs (having used both fairly extensively) is the single flexible stem, which makes certain placements easier. There will be shallow placements (mainly pin scars, particularly in places like Yosemite) where the U stem of the TCU will interfere with the placement. Also, Master Cams walk a lot less IME due to the flexible stem. I’ve never had cams walk more than the TCUs due to the more rigid stem. I also think in the gray-yellow sizes the Mastercam has a narrower head width (I can’t confirm this though) than TCUs, which is advantageous.
The ability to clip the TCU a bit higher on an aid placement isn’t a big deal for me. I believe TCUs are lighter, which is an advantage, especially for a specialty piece like offsets.
There may be very specific aid placements where an offset TCU may fit better than a single stem offset cam, but I think these are rare. One thing to consider is which direction the outside (larger) lobes face (left or right). Certain placements may fit better with the larger lobes oriented in a certain direction. This would mainly concern a wall climber and again, only applies to very specific placements. If you’re getting a 2nd set of offset cams, the TCUs could complement your other offset cams in this way.
I’d choose Mastercams personally over the TCUs for my first set of offset cams, but that’s just like, my opinion man.
But I’d absolutely choose offset Aliens (or Totem Basic Cams, essentially Aliens) over either in a heartbeat. The softer metal seems to ‘bite’ the rock better. The internal cam springs make for a very narrow unit, and the super flexible stem makes walking much likely. Most wall climbers seem to swear by Aliens for granite.
Oh yeah, I’d double up on small regular cams before getting offsets, unless you’re aiding or climbing a lot of pin scars in a place like the Valley. Offsets are useful, and you’ll find placements for them if you look, but I think a 2nd set of regular small cams is much more useful for the majority of climbing applications.
BTW, That last comment about Aliens should read that the very flexible stem makes walking much LESS likely
Harpo,
I have limited experience with the Mastercams, and even more limited experience with the off-set Mastercams, but my experience is very much in line with what Michael described above. Mastercams appeal over TCUs for many of those reasons. To build on his comparison, the longer stem of the Mastercams cam also makes it easier to get into deeper placements. True, the flexibility of the stem can reduce walking, but I have found the softer stem to be almost “floppy” under the weight of the head of the cam in the larger sizes in the range. You might find you prefer the Mastercam/TCU/Alien each in different sizes than one type of cam unilaterally.
Michael’s assessment of the Aliens (and Totem basics) is also correct: they’re more the standard among aid climbers. A point of clarification, I believe the Fixe Alien is a carbon copy of the classic CCH version (they bought the rights to the design), whereas the Totem basic arrived once the patent had expired. While the basic is the same soft lobe metal (6061-T6 aluminum), overall structure, etc. as both the CCH and Fixe aliens, Totem introduced subtle changes to the cam sizes and the trigger wires that make them ever so slightly different. Both Aliens and Totem basic have, as far as I am aware, a 16 degree cam angle, noticeably higher than Metolius devices, that might take some getting used to if you’re used to Metolius or Wild Country cams. Check back with us for a more detailed review of the Alien and Basic cams soon.
Finally, I completely agree with Michael that a second set of regular cams should be a higher priority for most climbers than a few off-set cams. Even for aid climbing, you’ll use the second set of regular cams more. Enjoy!