Best Moderate Crack Pitch?

[Greg_W]

Hey, Necro - Someone was just asking me where your ultra-liberal, socialist, big-government, anti-freedom, elitist prick ass was lately. How's it going?

[klar404]

uh, as much as i hate "best of" threads" I woiuld have to say I'm suprised no one has mentioned the second pitch of local knowledge. Or ed's jam, both at tieton and both stellar!

 

[j_b]

I am not sure if it qualifies as a moderate but Air Roof in Leav. is great jamming, and wild climbing to boot. My angle on this topic is a 'best crack pitch' has to be jammed (vs laybacking), sustained, steep, and hopefully provide variety (or if not varied, have incredible continuity), and great location (exposure, etc ..).

[texplorer]

jb, can't all cracks be jammed? Ehmic, if Damnation crack isn't a crack climb what is it. I jammed all the way up that thing. I would say for the grade it is quite a good route. Oh, and one more thing on here. Some of you are just posting like the hardest crack you have climbed and stuff. Some of the cracks mentioned kinda suck as cracks.

[fredrogers]

 

My 2 shents:

 

Index:

5.6 handcrack on GNS

Godzilla 5.9+ even though it owns my ass

 

LW:

Celestial Goove, 5.9 at Pearly Gates

2nd Pitch of Bale/Kramar- or is it the RegularRoute? on Careno Crag (the 5.7 dihedral)

Poison Ivy Crack 5.9

2nd pitch Givler's Crack 5.7

Bo Derek .10b

Gibson's Crack 5.6- but too short

 

Squamish

Dierdre P3,4,5 5.8

Klahanie Crack 5.7- simply the best handcrack I've climbed

Mosiquito P1 and P2 5.8

 

Tieton

Inca Roads 5.9

 

Vantage

Party in Your Pants 5.8

 

Jtree

Sail Away 5.8

White Lightning 5.7

The Bong 5.4 (just for the name)

 

[mattp]

Tex is right when he says "some of you are just posting like the hardest crack you have climbed and stuff". In my case, Slow Children IS one of the harder cracks I've climbed, but I think it is also a great pitch so I seconded the nomination. However, the title of this thread was "best moderate crack pitch." Ropegun says a "moderate" crack pitch is one that is 5.11a and under, but I think Fred is more on the money when he nominated the Great Northern Slab -- although short, it is a very clean and classic crack and it is moderate by any pride-inflated standard. Surprisingly, at 5.6 it is one that almost demands crack technique. Yes, a sportie could lieback and edge climb it to avoid using a jam, but that would probably make it at least 5.9.

 

I notice nobody nominated Damnation.

[dave]

I guess they have to have good climbing (moves but also some length to the pitch), incredible position/scenery, and ? intimidation?

 

#1 How about pitch 2 of Reed's (5.9) in Yosemite? Are those not the most skeleton grabbing jams anywhere? And it looks kind of mean for 5.9 from below

 

the last pitch of zebra zion at Smith is a kick in the pants,

Split pillar, position and climbing, damn

Mosquito is mighty fine,

Illusion Dweller 10b, Sail Away 8, Double Cross 7, in Joshua tree

Godzilla is the Business for moderate at Index, Breakfast of Champions?

Givlers in Leavenworth,

Don't know Leavenworth too well but midway (direct?) has sweet easy hand crack up high, traversing up and right, for the grade the position and scenery, fun fun

MF overhang- not pure crack but technical, and yeehaw

 

 

 

 

 

[fern]

Yosemite and J Tree are not in the PNW.

[iain]

How about Moonshine Dihedral at Smith (5.9)? Is that considered a decent crack? Not a lot of jamming or anything but beautiful to climb.

[ScottP]

I find the term "best" to be somewhat limiting since there are so many good crack pitches that are all so unique. Whether it be finger stacks, perfect hands, rattley fists or arm bars, or some grand combination of them all in the same pitch, what, to me, makes a great crack pitch boils down to the feeling I get when I'm in the midst of a good series of jams.

 

Something else that no one has mentioned is the visual impact of a crack; some cracks just seem so much more of an artistic impression than others.

 

 

[Uncle_Tricky]

I'd second many of the nominees. To me, bests relate to the experience of climbing them, and some of that definitely relates to the rock itself. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the last couple pitches of the W face of North Early. Dramatic position, nice exposure, two long crack pitches splitting an otherwise blank shield. The last pitch, is pretty moderate at 10a and has a nice fingercrack that widens to great hands as the angle backs off and becomes sort of Givler's-like. And, it's a fullpitch--with a 60 meter, you can run it all the way to the top and enjoy the situation.

[Jens]

It depends on what you like best? We all have our own opinions. For example. In my h umble opinion, I think Levenworth has at least a dozen crack routes that are better than index's best crack routes (not that I claim to have done all of index's crack routes.)

-------------------------------------------

As for moderates,

It's pretty hard to beat the upper pitches of outer space!

Others outstanding moderates that come to mind:

*Split pillar pitch grand wall (10b)

*Upper crack systems on West face of NEWS (10d/11a)( position, alpine ambience, lack of moss, views etc.)

 

What is the most awesome obscure crack climb that has been around for a long time that is a complete unheralded classic that n o one really talks about? Anybody? My vote would be for something up at midnight rock.

 

 

 

 

 

[plexus]

Short checklist since I can never remember climb names:

Gilver's crack (along with two others that I can't remember the names too) at l-worth; Mosquito and Penny Lane (along with countless others I can't remember the name to) at Squeamish and since it's my home crag, I'll go with Allen Henshaw Pre-Memorial Route at Mount Erie

 

None from Index because every single friggin' time I've been to Index, I've wound up climbing something other than what I thought I was climbing and it always ends up being something way over my friggin' head !!

 

Somebody give me the guided tour so I can finally climb The Lizard and Godzilla!!!

[SEF]

I would also second many of the cracks already mentioned (Split Pillar at Squamish, Godzilla and Breakfast of Champions at Index, and some of the fine cracks at Tieton—my favorites are Inca Road, Jam Exam, Salmon Song). Some not mentioned that I would add are Cocaine crack at Leavenworth, pitch 1 of Clean Break, NW Corner of NEWS dihedral pitch, and crack pitches of SEWS Direct E Buttress.

 

My bias is for cracks that have great jams, have position and be neither for beginners nor too hard. Being part of an otherwise great route is also a plus.

 

[Crack]

some great pitches mentioned...more fun:

 

steel grill .9 -vantage

istanbul .9 -index

karate crack .10a -smith

sunshine chimney centre to backsack .8 -squamish

catapult .8 -leavenworth

right gull .10a -beacon rock

[pope]

The Pisces hand crack is one of the best in the NW and probably qualifies as moderate. On my first trip to Index, I tried to lie-back the crack on top rope and failed!

 

I tend to think that 5.10+ and 5.11a is pretty tough for moderate status, based on what I see the average weekend warrior getting up these days. I think of moderate as being 5.7 to 5.9 or 5.10-, and in these grades, it's tough to beat....

 

* Damnation (for variety, entertainment and scratching warts off your back).

 

* Pedestal to Library Ledge pitch, Outerspace (ain't no finer 150 feet of granite on earth).

 

* Easter Overhang (tough moderate but it includes the 2nd best hand crack in "Lebewurst" followed by super cool handle-bar jugs that allow a feet dangling chalk-up prior to squeezing into an enormous, granite anus feature).

 

* Brass Balls (this is a crack climb, isn't it?)

 

* Pitches 5 and 6 of Burgner/Stanley on Prussik Peak.

 

* The Dihedral pitch on Serpentine Arete

 

* Classic Crack with a sit-start (just kidding).

 

* Coach's Crack (UW wall)

 

* Givler's Crack

 

 

Also, Squamish ain't in the NW. It's in SW B.C.

[Bronco]

The Pisces hand crack is one of the best in the NW and probably qualifies as moderate. On my first trip to Index, I tried to lie-back the crack on top rope and failed!

 

How about Libra Crack? I hate that MOFO! I have left so much skin and blood in that crack it needs to be hosed out with disinfectant. I still havent made it more than about 5' up it, but, this winter, it will fall to my new rock NINJA technique that involves using tape on my hands and figuring out some kind of foot work.

 

I liked classic crack at 8 mile, perfect jams for me.

[chelle]

 

Fern, temporary cross in my brain wires...I meant Calculus Crack.

[chelle]

Ehmic, if Damnation crack isn't a crack climb what is it. I jammed all the way up that thing.

*******

Tex - Don't get me wrong, Damnation is a great climb. Perhaps I am wrong in my thinking but I tend to consider cracks to be up to fists (and tight #3 camelots are fists for my little hands). Offwidths and chimneys are a whole other ballgame. Damnation only had two jams on it right off the ground. After that it was pretty much an offwidth/chimney climb with knee jams and armbars up high.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Damnation is a crack. There are techniques to climb it that differ for some of us but I call it a crack.

[sk]

I have to agree with cavey here. although damnation was an off width climb for me as my hands are small too.

 

IMHO a crack is a crack from finger lock all the way to squeez chimney and the more challenging and bloody it is the more likley Tex has me on top rope yellin, "Just climb up a little higher! You have to check out the next section!"

Edited December 5, 2002 by Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer

[chucK]

After much consideration, the winner is....

 

First pitch of Outer Space handcrack (pedestal to Library Ledge).

 

It's perfect hands and steep, a full ropelength, though quite moderate.

 

It's only minus is the fact that you could probably climb the whole thing without a single jam by using the chickenheads, but I think this is a list for crack lovers. What crack lover is going to try to climb that thing without jamming?

 

But the big tiebreaker over other fine submissions here is that this one is snaffle approved !!!!

[chelle]

I concede that Damnation is a crack. Guess I'll just put finger/hand cracks on my "Best" list, they're more fun.

 

Great pic ChucK! Those little guys can crank.

Edited December 5, 2002 by ehmmic

[E-rock]

The 5.8 flaring chimney pitch on GNS. I can't get it clean.

[Cpt.Caveman]

That's the infamous butt lips.