Difficulty of Slab Climbs

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Dragon with Matches

climber

Bamboo Grove

Jul 12, 2006 - 12:49pm PT

Although I suck at slabs and avoid them too much, I do love the satisfaction that seems to come with every move... and is amplified by exposure. Those runouts where every move gets scarier... yet feels better than the last.

Onsighting the first pitch of "Stampede" at Cochise was 11a slab breakthrough for me, yet far less satisfying than leading Needle Spoon because the former has fatties every bodylength.

I also backed off a pitch on Great Pumpkin at a time when I was casually soloing 5.10+ fingercracks. Positively lame.

I look forward to getting old and decrepit and forced to climb slabs more.

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:03pm PT

"I gotta agree that thin face and slab are two different things, though it's always so hard to judge actual angle from pics. I know it's a blurry line between steep 5.hard slab and 5.12 thin face, but to me the distinguising factor is whether the cruxes are accomplished through megacrimping or footwork. Does that make sense to anybody else?"

if this is our criteria then we've defined slab climbing in a very, very narrow way, and eliminated from the "slab" category pretty much every single route at suicide, including the 5.8's on the weeping wall, as well as most everything at roubidoux and woodson. all those venues require precision footwoork in tandem with serious dime-edge crimping abilities.

standard woodson slab. note fierce crimping going on:

G_Gnome

Social climber

Tendonitis City

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:06pm PT

I don't really find it useful to make the distinction between slab and thin edging either. On a slab route I will crimp to death any hold I find so what's the difference? Besides, most of the really hard slab routes mentioned are pretty damn crimpy. If you aren't crimping on every available speck then it probably isn't harder than about 11a. Go to Suicide and do Seasons End (11c) and tell me you aren't crimping like mad. And that is about the slabbiest harder route I can think of.

Richard Large

climber

where you least expect

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:13pm PT

The falling definition....

If, when you fall, you...

A: Smell burning rubber -- you are climbing slab.
B: Hear the wind whistling past your ears like a jumbo jet -- you are climbing steep face.

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:17pm PT

exactly. the 11c direct finish to season's end is hella low angle, about as low-angle as suicide gets, but it's so damn bald you're crimping like a fiend on fingernail-width edges. kevin powell's woodson masterwork "lemon chiffon" is another good example. damn thing is so low-angle you can practically stay in place by laying spread-eagled out flat on the slab, but if you want to make upward progress you'd better suck it up and get ready to crimp n' smear. like a demon, i say!

Landgolier

climber

the flatness

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:26pm PT

Right, I'm not saying crimping in slab = crying in baseball. I'm just saying that I think the dividing line has to do with whether the crux is standing on nothin' with your palms on the wall 3 moves in a row, or locking off on two fingernails. To me, anything where the crux depends on your footwork and balance and not your crimp strength is slab. I guess that does maybe put a theoretical limit on the route difficulty that could be called slab, but I'm not happy with any other criteria for distinguishing slab from face.

I mean, none of this is that big of a deal, I'm just as happy to be climbing it no matter what you call it, and I'm damn sure never going to be climbing anything at .13b.

bob d'antonio

Trad climber

boulder, co

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:27pm PT

The new 13a/b that Richard and I did has fierce crimping, palming and smearing going on. What a good slab climb should have.

Slab climbing isn't cool...they don't teach it in the gyms.

Jaybro

Social climber

The West

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:34pm PT

Once upon a time, early Fire days, I attempted to lead the second pitch of Ephemeral Clogdance (?) I think. I led out from the belay, clipped a bolt and went, The Wrong Way! Details escape me now, but there was some sort of major clue like I was Way runout, and there was a friendly looking bolt or anchor fifty feet off to the side, and my belayer saying, "I think you should have gone over there!"

I set my sights on some likely looking feature and grimly climbed on.
And popped!
I turned and ran for the bleay having heard you could do that. I came down faster than the rope, while Will made a heroic effort of yarding slack, sucking in multiple arm spans of limp rope. But then, I trippped over some kind of tiny six inch roof and my glasses fell off, I caught 'em, and completely lost my footing, hit the slab with my side, and slid to the belay, caught by an old quarter incher.

All of this did not go unobserved, by Some Guy at the base (that Bruce Morris guy).
"Nice!(or words to that effect)," he yelled up. "Go for it!"
"I dunno, that was a big fall for me I thinks it's time to go have a.. beer."

"It's just a slider!"

We bailed.

looking sketchy there...

Social climber

Latitute 33

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:43pm PT

Wow -- now people are sub-dividing slab climbing? Small holds, precision footwork and less than vertical terrain define slab climbing. Very few slab routes fall into the pure friction variety where there are no positive holds for hands or feet.

poop*ghost

Trad climber

Denver, CO

Jul 12, 2006 - 04:04pm PT

Courtright Resevoir ... Power Dome

Mid-Wife Crisis, Helm's Deep - felt like paddling up-stream without paddles.

Welcome to Courtright, A Little Nukey - much nicer (aka easier).

handsome B

Gym climber

Saskatoon, Saskatchawan

Jul 12, 2006 - 04:16pm PT

Slim Pickin's Hueco

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Jul 12, 2006 - 04:18pm PT

slim pickins. yes.

G_Gnome

Social climber

Tendonitis City

Jul 12, 2006 - 06:36pm PT

Me slabbin, old style.

Sioux Juan

Big Wall climber

Costa Mexico

Jul 12, 2006 - 07:01pm PT

S T is that nirvana ? or valhalla ?

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Jul 12, 2006 - 07:19pm PT

Two of best "slab" climbs I've done are over near Arches Terrace in an area Reid & Falk omitted from the latest Valley guide:

"Movin' Like a Stud" (5.10d) and "Benzoin and Edges" (5.10c)

Put up by Timpson, Don Harter, Bob Crawford, Rick LeDuc and the Washingtonian crowd. Only 5.10, but oh my Gawd! Glad I got Greg Murphy to lead them for me, so that I could mark them off in the book and never go back up there. Pie crusts on pie crusts. Same kind of thing as "Greasy But Groovy" (which I was told by someone who did it to avoid at all costs).

I bet you'll never have to wait in line for any of those climbs.

guyman

Trad climber

Moorpark, CA.

Jul 12, 2006 - 07:30pm PT

Nice hat!

Falling on a slab climb is like crashing a motorcycle only it is all in reverse. On a bike you are going fast, you slide to a stop. When climbing you are standing still then you get sliding faster and faster.

There are only two types of climbs. The ones you can do and the ones you can't do. Real MEN crank slabs.

I just love the steep climbs in the ORG that end with a short slab at the top. Fun to watch "crankboy5.13" fire the 5.11D steep section then start wimpering at the 10b slabby part.