Rock Climbing Basics: Intro to Nuts

Climbing Magazine is producing a series of How To videos to demonstrate a number of basic skills and techniques. In this video Julie Ellison, Climbing Magazine Gear Editor, shows how to place and clean nuts.

Thanks to our partners: Wild Country, Red Chili, Vertical Girl, and New England Ropes.

[TheClumsyFairy]

Just wanted to say thanks for a quick and easy explanation, took me a couple of tries to find this video, and had to sit through a couple of posers who spent 10min just showing off rather than getting to the point. I don’t really write many comments, but you deserved one, and a like, Thank you.

[JJnz]

If you place a nut as your first or even second piece on a route, it needs to be able to stay under a lot of outward pressure as well as downward pressure. The belayer won't always be standing directly under the route or first piece, so the rope will cause an outward pull on the first piece or two if you fall or take.

[SuperStretch]

Great explanation and demonstration of how to properly place nuts! Thanks climbing magazine.

[felinefrycook]

Great guide on how to keep your nuts clean.

[Konquistadoren]

I always have at least two big nuts with me on every climb, even when I'm bouldering.

[Desam]

Could you also describe in a video tutorial, how you know the rock is good?

[MrCornMango]

The comment section did not disappoint! Ty YouTube...

[Petebogan]

They're used in different situations - nuts need to be placed in a crack that narrows or tapers downwards, whereas cams need to be placed in cracks with parallel sides. Nuts are also cheaper, lighter and don't need any maintenance (other than checking for general wear and tear)

[maineoutdoorsman]

She almost busted out laughing .when she said cleaning nuts 😅 she climbed up to her crack ya I know a girl that loves constriction . nut tool fucking funny

[johngo-jluz]

Dear Climbing magazine: overall, this is a very nice video, but please do not have background music in your future instruction videos, it's quite distracting.

[benschebella]

imnew to climbing and ive been thinking about trad....i still can't believe how people trust these fixings with their lives, they just don't seem like enough

[evatatus]

I never know where to place these nuts

[nathaniel_mah]

That's what she said for this entire video

[MREC]

You know she was thinking the same thing we were.. just look at that smile at the end...

[kanebadman]

Wow i just realized how immature i am haha, great video though!!

[likewiselikeyou]

None of this video makes any sense or insures safety.

Rock climbing has never made any sense to me, how it logically works, or how in the world of God it would be safe.
This entire video fully confirms that rock climbing is wildly dangerous, even laughably so.
How can people trust any of these methods?
Nonsense. I will never rock climb. Thank you and goodnight.