Spring Loaded Camming Device for Rock Climbing

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Mathematical Exploration

Calculus in Climbing

I have decided this mathematical exploration will center around rock climbing. As I read the list of sample topics handed to me by my teacher, I instantly gravitated to rock climbing. It is a topic I have substantial interest in and a sport I routinely participate in. However the crag is a long away from the classroom, does math really have its place in rock climbing? I needed to decide where math applies in the vertical world. The solution to this question is the Spring Loaded Camming Device (SLCD). Used in rock climbing, this removable piece of protection is placed into a crack and has a unique self-locking property that prevents the “Cam” from being pulled out, especially when holding a fall. SLCD’s are so successful because of the logarithmic spiral or golden ratio they were designed from. The SLCD’s logarithmic shape, allows the device to have the same ratio of pulling force to frictional force. This ratio is completely independent of the size of the crack the cam is placed in or the amount the lobes are extended or retracted. The optimal camming angle is found between 13.5º and 14º.

Before learning why an SLCD works I must first know how it works by asking questions why were they invented? How do they stop a climber from falling? The sport of rock climbing was revolutionized by the invention of the SLCD by Ray Jardine. In the three decades since their invention, they have radically transformed the idea of what climbs can be led safely. As seen above in Figure 1 part A, nothing protects the climber from falling to the ground. In Figure 1 part B, cams placed in the wall as protection will prevent the climber from hitting the ground in the event of a fall.

Ther...

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...ell and hurricanes allows the cam to keep the same “camming angle” no matter how contracted or expanded it becomes. The outward force distributed by the cam lobes become twice the downward force applied to the cam allowing it to stay locked in place even when climbers falls apply forces ten times their own weight. The SLCD allows me to conclude that there is an extraordinary amount of math in rock climbing.
It would be interesting to compare the SLCD’s created by different companies with varying camming angles. There are many different cam companies that produce a variety of different products. A further exploration could be done to see how the camming angle of a certain device affects its holding power. Are cams with a 13-degree camming angle safer than a 14-degree angle cam as proven in this exploration, or is the difference so slight that it would not matter?

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