A selection of nuts and a nut removal tool.

In rock climbing, a nut (or chock or chockstone) is a metal wedge threaded on a wire, used for protection by wedging it into a crack in the rock. Nuts come in a variety of sizes and styles, and several different brands are made by competing manufacturers. Most nuts are made out of aluminum. Larger nuts may be threaded on Dyneema cord instead of wire, but this has become unusual. Nuts are related to, but not interchangeable with, Hexcentrics. Download high resolution version (1760x1356, 393 KB)Seven nuts and a nut removal tool on a locking carabiner. ... Download high resolution version (1760x1356, 393 KB)Seven nuts and a nut removal tool on a locking carabiner. ... Climbers on Valkyrie at the Roaches. ... To make climbing as safe as possible, most climbers use protection to prevent injury to themselves and others. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... Dyneema or Spectra is a synthetic fiber based on ultra high molecular weight polyethylene which is 15 times stronger than steel and up to 40% stronger than Kevlar. ... A wide range of equipment is used during Rock climbing. ...

The very smallest nuts are known as micronuts and may be made of brass or other metal. They typically have their wires soldered into them, instead of looped through drilled holes in the nut. They are most commonly used in aid climbing, and their value as protection (ie arresting a climbers' fall) is generally considered marginal due to their relatively low breaking strength, and the tiny amount of surface area (the HB 0 measures about 4 x 7 x 2.5mm) in contact with the rock, though this may be offset somewhat by placing several of these nuts at a time if possible. Other names used include RPs (the brand name of the first commercially available micronuts) and brassies. They are available from several manufacturers in a variety of styles. Brass is the term used for alloys of copper and zinc, the amount of zinc varying from 5-45 % to create a range of brasses each with unique properties[1]. Note that in comparison bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin. ... A solder is a fusible metal alloy, with a melting point or melting range below 450 °C (840 °F), which is melted to join metallic surfaces, especially in the fields of electronics and plumbing, in a process called soldering. ... Aid climbing is a style of climbing in which fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress. ...

British climbers in the 1950s were the first to use nuts as climbing protection. Too poor to afford pitons, they picked up old machine nuts from along the side of railway tracks, climbed with them in their pockets, and used them as artificial chocks. The 1950s was the decade spanning from the 1st of January, 1950 to the 31st December, 1959. ... In climbing, a piton is a steel spike that is driven into a crack or seam in the rock with a hammer, and which acts as an anchor to protect the climber against the consequences of a fall, or to assist progress in aid climbing. ...

In 1972, when clean climbing was becoming an issue in the United States, Yvon Chouinard began manufacturing chocks made specifically for rock climbing, with the familiar wedge shape still in use today. Climbers like Henry Barber and John Stannard helped popularize their use, especially after it was discovered that a nut was lighter and generally easier to place while climbing, as well as being at least, if not more, secure than a well placed piton. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Clean climbing is a style of rock climbing that avoids damage to the rock by eschewing the drilling of bolts and the hammering of pitons. ... Yvon Chouinard (born 1938) (in Maine) is a visionary rock climber, environmentalist and outdoor industry businessman, noted for his contributions to climbing, climbing equipment and the outdoor gear business. ... Henry Barber (Born 1953 in Boston Massachusetts) was a leading American rock climber and ice climber in the 1970s. ...

Nuts may be generically referred to as wires or stoppers. Stopper is a brand name of nut made by Black Diamond Equipment Ltd.