Black Diamond Bugaboo Review

Likes
These are versatile. They work under roofs and in horizontal cracks where Tomahawks and Peckers are not as effective. They are great for expanding flakes because they have great surface area and are almost twice the length of a knifeblade. Once they get beat up a little they can actually work even better in expanding cracks. They are great for piton stacks, especially when placed behind a Black Diamond Angle in the 1-1.5" size. Piton stacking is a bit of a lost art but still gets you through a tricky section here and there.

Dislikes
Most traditional Bugabook placements are now better served by the Moses Tomahawk or Black Diamond Pecker. The Tomahawk has a hooking action that the Bugabook does not. This means that in most placement the Tomahawk or Pecker is more secure and can even be hand placed. Peckers are especially better in the larger sizes in sandstone. In general, you have to pound on Bugaboos harder than Peckers to get them to feel secure. This means they are often more destructive to clean. Bugaboos and Knifeblades are not that durable. They bend easily, especially at the tip.

Best Application
Bugabooks excel on horizontal cracks and under roofs. While there are many sizes, the #4-#36 are used 90% of the time. The #1 is very uncommon. I probably have placed less than 20 in my life.

Value
These pitons are not cheap but you usually only need a few of them.