gyselinck Posted January 29, 2005 Share Posted January 29, 2005 All this offwidth talk has got me thinking. Every offwidth that I have climbed has turned me into one pumped out little kid. I am ok with leading 5.11+ cracks as long as they are no wider then a fist jam. You can just lock in and feel totaly secure. But I flail and ultimatly fail on 5.10 offwidths. Whats the deal? Whats the technique? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMR Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 L E A V I T A T I O N... trick is figuring out what the particular stack is...you can actually feel as "locked" in as a hand jam... ...and then "locking" your lower leg, you can let go both hands and chill completely out... offwidths require patience...just tell yourself "there is no real way to fall outta this thing"...and then keep chuggin away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k.rose Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 (edited) I don't regularly climb 11+ anything, but I do climb alot 5.10 offwidths. I tend to use the old school methods of arm bars and chickenwings, the key elements I think are developing a diverse set of ways of hanging on with your inner leg, concentrating on small moves, and keying in on any features on the face for the outer foot. Once it's big enough to get totally inside spanning the crack with kneebars whilst altenately pushing on the opposite wall with your hands to maintain pressure and sort of vertically crawling rules. Also I wear some thin neoprene athletic knee braces for a little extra comfort and something with long sleeves. Edited January 31, 2005 by k.rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyselinck Posted January 31, 2005 Author Share Posted January 31, 2005 There sure ain't any face features on Blue Autumn, its one fatty crack with one blank face. I think I was staying outside of the crack cause im used to haning by my hands. Arm bars just get me pumped, but I can see how sticking a leg in the crack thing could be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texplorer Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 The leg in the crack is key dude. I climbed an OW last year in the desert on Moses Tower. When I was done I had a huge stawberry on the inside of my left knee -through the carharts! OW's are just plain hard and painful- yet delightfully fufilling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off_White Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 They funny thing is, the process is so all consuming you don't really even notice the abrasion until you'e all done, the need to stay in overrides most other concerns. I've often thought, only half in jest, that there's nothing harder than a 5.10 offwidth, except for a 5.9 offwidth. How can any activity that moves so slowly be so aerobic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimL Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 They funny thing is, the process is so all consuming you don't really even notice the abrasion until you'e all done, the need to stay in overrides most other concerns. I've often thought, only half in jest, that there's nothing harder than a 5.10 offwidth, except for a 5.9 offwidth. How can any activity that moves so slowly be so aerobic? I only wish I couldn't feel the abrasion. There have been several times that I have felt the blood trickle down my leg and especially ankle only to know that I still had 10 meters left. I guess it comes to a point in which you have to just grin and bear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrythellama Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 ankle scratches are reminders of bad technique! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I remember a flaring OW in JT that I was able to get a particulary satisfying head (nose/back of the head) jam in the back of so that my legs could move up and I could take a full body rest. My follower gets up and after surrepticiosly staring at me for a few min. finally coughs up: "Uhh, dude, ya got blood all over your face." or something like that. Indeed I did. Of course it was the first time I became aware of it. Got to love those sharp little JT crystals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancegranite Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 helmet jam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosolo Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 All good sage advice. I once wore out a brand new pair of painters pants in 1 pitch on the Priest in Southern Utah. (An offwidth that goes into a chimney) Wore holes all the way through the pocket and ass and the knees. The only other effective way to climb some offwidths (ie:the hollow flake on Salathe) is to lieback them. You dont wear out your knees but you do need really big kahunas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texplorer Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 I wore through one layer of new Carharts on the OW on Primrose Dihedrals (Moses Tower) last spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosolo Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 The ear on primrose is short but way gnarly. i aided the sucker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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