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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Slightly easier, but more to the point it's of a different nature. I've thought that there are basically two kinds of long continuous odubs; The ones where it is mostly work to progress upward but are still pretty secure, as opposed to the insecure ones where you feel like you could pop out and perish, at least at points. I thought TZ was an insecure, and Powerpoint was a keep plugging.
at roughly that same difficulty;
Pluggers
-Powerpoint, Tooth Fairy -indian Creek, ist pitch of Tricks of the trade-Zion,
Insecure,
-TZ, PlumbLine, Chopper, Edge of night (though those last two have definite cruxes and aren't as continous)
Jump Back Jack @ Granite Mtn is a meld, three(?) distinct, popable cruxes but you definity feel a cumulative burn by the end
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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The offwidth on Abracadaver was originally lead by Dave Baker (a skilled wide crack man) and rated 5.9! He ran the thing out from the bolt to a sideways #11 hex once it hit fist size. Combining the second and third pitch is definitely the ticket to a stellar lead on this classic line.
Jump Back Jack Crack is probably the best wide crack in AZ and talk about striking. I did the right side start for some extra pumpage but wilted above the crux bulge when faced with the long upper squeeze. I can still hear the clink of the tube chocks. Love to give it another try decades later!
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Tarbuster, sorry getting slow at getting back. Your comment on the photo with one Cortina and one Kronhoeffer. Yes that's a photo of me looking down at my feet, and below Roger Briggs coming up the first pitch of Crack of Fear, in about 1965 or 66. I used the two different shoes because the right side is in the crack, better for jamming with a stiffer shoe, and the left is stemming on holds on the left wall in places. Seemed a good strategy, but not so good higher up.
The Umph Slot. If you fit in, you solo it anyway -- as it's not hard to do it at all with just an inch difference in chest thickness. And some think they do it on the outside but probably are half in and not all the way out, the latter of which is about 5.11+. But I took a 14 year old kid up it one day who wiggled up through and found it easy. I actually did it that way, crushing myself into it when I was young and thinner, and I tied the rope around my ankle so it wouldn't get in the way, but then I got kind of husky (fat) and had to do the outside thing, a really tough though artful challenge.
Every climb is different really, for every person. I once climbed Super Squeeze (up left of Umph Slot), actually did its first free ascent, and though I did the route several times over the years, this one time I slipped a little at the hole you have to squeeze through and my head stuck. I was hanging there by my head and nothing else for a second. It slammed my jaw shut. That's a wild pitch, 5.11, and if I had died there it would have been cool to leave my body hanging right there by the head, a ghostly dark thing climbers would note while doing other routes nearby...
Pat
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guycan
Trad climber
flagstaff
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Steve-
I realize Abracadaver was originally rated 5.9, what is the current accepted rating? When I did it I tied pitch 1 & 2 (the OW) together. I followed the 3rd pitch (11c) which I found felt somewhat easier....
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Pat said:
"I once climbed Super Squeeze (up left of Umph Slot), actually did its first free ascent, and though I did the route several times over the years, this one time I slipped a little at the hole you have to squeeze through and my head stuck. I was hanging there by my head and nothing else for a second. It slammed my jaw shut. That's a wild pitch, 5.11, and if I had died there it would have been cool to leave my body hanging right there by the head, a ghostly dark thing climbers would note while doing other routes nearby..."
Wonderful - if a bit grizzly - image, Pat! I agree, Super Squeeze is almost as hard as Umph Slot. Kind of unique to have two such unusual little climbs in close proximity.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Wonderful - if a bit grizzly - image, Pat! I agree, Super Squeeze is almost as hard as Umph Slot. Kind of unique to have two such unusual little climbs in close proximity.
I used to like both of them. And in the same vein -- aren't By Gully and Coffin Crack pretty wonderful little side-by-side 5.9s? Prolly not 5.9 anymore, but they were in Pat's blue book (I think Umph Slot was too).
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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You're right, Chiloe. I'd kind of forgotten about By Gully and Coffin Crack. 5.9 used to be hard, didn't it?
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Hell, 5.6 used to be hard. Cussin' Crack? Cozyhang? Empor?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 12:36am PT
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I didn't climb Chopper's crux, I laybacked it, haha.
Same with the OW crux on Free Stone, oops.
Got a mild groin pull on TZ from working that right leg.
Shoot, I forgot about Powerpoint (Higher Rock); the OW was as Jay described. I couldn't free the face move which pops up right after leaving the corner, right at a junk bolt. That bit of crack higher up, I think it went from 2", to 1.5", then down to fingers and finally spits you out on a beautiful arete right where it finaly joins the Crucifix, man that's a cool spot.
The 'lil bit of OW on Crucifix is a pleasure.
Hey Jay, speaking of Powerpoint, did you check out the jumbled overhanging wide roofy bit there on the rest of the Pratt-Kelsey? As Powerpoint heads right, I recall Pratt Kelsey keeps slugging upward through that stuff; it looked challenging to do free.
Here's a couple other longer routes with niceley positioned OW pitches:
Blind Faith, Rostrum.
W Face Castleton.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 01:09am PT
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That was the photo Oli,
When I was Pulling that layback/undercling bit on Crack of Fear, that was the footwear I imagined doing it in and thought, wow.
Bye Gulley and Coffin Crack!
Haven't even done them...
But soon I may be healthy enough; Yipeee!
And they are 7 minutes from my porch.
'Just lead a couple pitches of WI 3/4 today and I haven't done that for 23 years...
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Feb 10, 2007 - 01:44am PT
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My remaining brain cell has too little ram to recall all of the Powerpoint details, Roy. I remember there was a lot of cool stuff around, up there, maybe what you mentioned. I followed that 11c mank bolt protected traverse, and though I was too terrified to fall, I could not swear there was no tight rope.
I lead the crux ow on Blind Faith (my Rope gun, Lynn Wheeler led the 11+ thin hands pitch, much to my delight) and remember it as a keep on plugging kinda deal and hard not to get Boysin-ized in. Also got clunked on the head on follow by a home made big cam higher up.
West face of Castelton was the last route I climbed with the late great Bill Bradshaw, spring -03 (?), I think. I led the wide pitch, humpy and dumpy, but just for a few moves; Left side in elbow locks with right hand gaston. Bill found no problem with liebacking the sharp edge and I actually could find only style-istic, fru frou, pro ow, flaws, with his approach. I wish it wasn't too late for me to climb as well as he used to.
I ~onsight freesoloed Bye Gully and Coffin crack (I think I had previouslly bouldered the bottom of at least one of them before) when I was young and foolish and had just spent a stir-crazy, on and off again spring climbing season, in Vedauwoo.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 02:15am PT
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Here's Blind Faith:
Crux
The upper flare:
Looking down the easier 10- OW on Castleton's W Face, my buddy following a direct finish:
A short & sweet bit of 5.10 on Higher Rock's Crucifix:
The Lower Portion of Chopper Flake:
And Crack Wars, (near Castleton, The Rectory, left of Fine Jade) which has some nice long moderate OW:
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Feb 10, 2007 - 02:56am PT
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'Buster, those pics you posted show me why off-width in all its' variety is so compelling.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Feb 10, 2007 - 08:33am PT
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Nice pics, Tarbuster! We've been too long without your photo threads.
Have a good time when you try By Gully (a funner route than slippery Coffin Crack, IMHO).
I've posted this before, but it's one of my favorites.
Steve Wunsch runs out a pitch with no pro, blue sky and clouds below his feet.
North Sixshooter Peak.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2007 - 10:19am PT
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Thanks fellas!
Oh that's right, another one I never got "into", that Pratt OW on the "Backside" of N Six Shooter; what an all time classic looking thing.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 11, 2007 - 05:38pm PT
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guycan, I think 5.10- is fair for the second pitch of Abra which is a squeeze problem for the most part and fairly secure. Did you find the stem rest part way up the layback section? 5.11c seems harder than my recollection for the linkup.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Feb 11, 2007 - 07:29pm PT
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Hey Roy, nice pictures. And everyone looks like they are having fun.
Roger
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 11, 2007 - 07:35pm PT
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Very early ascent of Cream, Yosemite Valley. John Bachar is the climber.
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guycan
Trad climber
flagstaff
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Feb 11, 2007 - 08:19pm PT
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steve-
yeah that stem rest on Abra makes the pitch a lot easier, as I recall I actuall found several stems on which to get off my hands.
here's a link to "the other site" w/ some good OW pics.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/tags/all/offwidth/
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Feb 11, 2007 - 10:28pm PT
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Having fun on one of my last wide-crack climbs. Bats in the Bellfry, Arch Tower, 1999. Just like a ballerina!
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