overhanging hand crack

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Messages 1 - 67 of total 67 in this topic
LithiumMetalman

Trad climber
cesspool central
Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 14, 2010 - 05:05pm PT
Cracks are fun!

So....looking specifically:

California's best overhanging hand cracks (green camalot to yellow camalot size). Steep, roofs anything!

Let me know!
Mike Friedrichs

Sport climber
City of Salt
Jun 14, 2010 - 05:08pm PT
Separate Reality.
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Jun 14, 2010 - 05:11pm PT
At least some hand sized portions:

O'Kelley's Crack
Wangerbanger

Haven't done them but they look sweet:

Tales of Power
Davey Jones Locker
Speed of Life
Scott Cole

Trad climber
Sunny California
Jun 14, 2010 - 05:31pm PT
More Monkey than Funky
gonzo chemist

climber
Crane Jackson's Fountain St. Theater
Jun 14, 2010 - 05:34pm PT

Morongo Man and More Monkey Than Funky in Joshua Tree are not to miss.



Bertrand

Trad climber
SF
Jun 14, 2010 - 05:51pm PT
Sinbad-Herbert, Lovers Leap Lower Buttress.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Jun 14, 2010 - 05:55pm PT
You need to be thinking Utah. Overhanging green camalot cracks, be careful what you wish for.
bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Jun 14, 2010 - 05:58pm PT
The first 25' of the 5th pitch of the West Face of Rixon's is pretty darn cool!

Bruce
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Jun 14, 2010 - 06:09pm PT
Forgot about More Monkey. Definitely awesome.

Even that short roof on Rollerball (.10b) at Josh is really good value.
msiddens

Trad climber
Mountain View
Jun 14, 2010 - 06:12pm PT
Awww Bruce.....funny you posted that as I was thinking the same thing! Rixon's, that .10 section is sweeeeeeet!
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Jun 14, 2010 - 06:15pm PT
Clearly, as Donini sez, you need to look in the desert, but 'tales' is a sort of a preview.
Alexey

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Jun 14, 2010 - 06:17pm PT
Yos, Mery's tears area: Windfall p4. - exceptionally good and long pitch of overhanging wide hands.
Josh Higgins

Trad climber
San Diego
Jun 14, 2010 - 06:27pm PT
Enduro Corner on Astroman and the last 11b pitch of The Rostrum come to mind, and the climbing before and after those pitches is rather good as well...
Salamanizer

Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
Jun 14, 2010 - 07:54pm PT
Overdrive in Yosemite. A 2in 10ft roof at .11a or so the book says. Haven't climbed it yet.
Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Jun 14, 2010 - 07:56pm PT
King Cobra

High Life

Short Circuit

Planet Granite SF ;-)
jewedlaw

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Jun 14, 2010 - 08:09pm PT
Sounds like I'd better dust off my ascenders....
426

climber
Buzzard Point, TN
Jun 14, 2010 - 08:35pm PT
The Enema, Cookie

Karl's Overhang (and Gym), Donner

Star Wall Crack, surprisingly good hands with bad feet and vice versa (good feet bad crack), with lb crux.

LithiumMetalman

Trad climber
cesspool central
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 14, 2010 - 09:47pm PT
Alright!!!

Totally excited now!

flakyfoont

Trad climber
carsoncity nv
Jun 14, 2010 - 10:00pm PT
memo from lloyd 5.10d tuolumne
do or fly 5.11 tuolumne
Both are kinda short but fun
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Jun 14, 2010 - 10:04pm PT
Post up a pic Chim Chim- sounds good.
GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Jun 14, 2010 - 11:45pm PT
Original Pitch 1 on the Vampire.
bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Jun 15, 2010 - 12:26am PT
While it is thin hands for many and only a bit overhanging, Five and Dime fits the bill as well.

Bruce
Bschmitz

Ice climber
mountain view
Jun 15, 2010 - 12:37am PT
desert gold
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Jun 15, 2010 - 02:36am PT
Anything 5.11 in the hand crack size should be overhanging:

111. Cosmic Messenger 5.11a *
115. Short but Thick 5.11a *
154. A la Moana 5.11a
1082. Slab Happy Pinnacle - Left 5.11a *
1194. Childhood's End 5.11a **
2291. South By Southwest 5.11a ***
2561. Windfall 5.11a **
141. Outta Hand 5.11b
236. The Enema 5.11b ***
379. My-Toe-Sis 5.11b *
511. Floating Lama 5.11c A1 *
772. Ribbon Candy 5.11c **

The 2 pitches above Camp 6 on the Nose have some good stuff,
also the main pitch on the Salathe' headwall.

Blues Riff in the Meadows, too. (Crux move is thin, but long steep hands after).
Iron Mtn.

Trad climber
Corona, Ca.
Jun 15, 2010 - 02:52am PT
Paisano Jamcrack.....
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Jun 15, 2010 - 10:43am PT
Iv'e seen Enema Crack listed here twice- i did the first ascent and I wouldn't call it a hand crack. Everyone is scrambling to come up with some, said it once, I'll say it again, go to Utah.
426

climber
Buzzard Point, TN
Jun 15, 2010 - 10:54am PT
What choo thinking, Jim, fists? Although the technical fingery finish was probably the crucks for me due to pump and fumbling poor gear selection onsite, I remember reaching deep for meaty hand gams thug section before the sit. Quite lovely and steep but too brief...

One woman's fist, etc and so on...jmop

More stuff on Black Walls probably qualifies...first pitch of One Hand, Firecracker (kinda), Black September (kinda) and nasty 11a (white guide) Lightning Bolt roof, but that was fisty for me fer sure. There's also a foul looking overhanging suzuki route up there that looks hands, but I never tried it.


Further off the beaten path about "Natural High (blood in my chalkbag)" for the meatier hands but prolly fist...or even more obscure, "Baboon Safari", "just" across the stateline.





G Murphy

Trad climber
Oakland CA
Jun 15, 2010 - 01:19pm PT
Kind of obscure, but the 6th (?) pitch of Ribbon Candy in the Ribbon Falls Area might be one of the best in the Valley. 5.11c. Perfect hands traversing a roof/overhang, finishing with straight up overhanging hands. A gem.

Greg
Alexey

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Jun 15, 2010 - 01:54pm PT
Greg [G Murphy], could you tell more about overall route Ribbon Candy11c. Is other pitches can be well protected? your gear recommendation and decent options?
This is second time I've read that this is a hidden gem, thanks
KP Ariza

climber
SCC
Jun 15, 2010 - 03:01pm PT
Uprising
Orangutan Arch
Childhoods End
Valley Syndrome
Big Bobs Big Wedge
EdBannister

Mountain climber
CA
Jun 15, 2010 - 03:16pm PT
drive south on geology tour rd.
park like you are headed to equinox, and walk in that direction,
there is a 80'high overhanging handcrack facing your westward walk, but i don't remember the name of it.
Josh Higgins

Trad climber
San Diego
Jun 15, 2010 - 03:24pm PT
Is Insomina (11c) gently overhung, or dead vertical? I know that last little bit feels overhung due to the traversing nature. Same with the hand crack on Davy Jones' Locker (12b). That thing is as good as they come, but watch out for the face climbing above!

Josh
Salamanizer

Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
Jun 15, 2010 - 10:03pm PT
Orangutan Arch isn't overhanging. It's steep and hard, but not overhanging.

How about Freak Show at Lovers leap? Best single pitch at the Leap, Jay Smith said so and I agree. Definately overhanging.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Jun 15, 2010 - 10:46pm PT
I thought the crux of the Enema was a flared hand (flared my hand, anyway).

Though there are tons of 'steep' hands in Ca, (and in the southeast, for that matter) I'm with Jim, utah takes this category\, hands down (pun intneded). There are more of these kinds of cracks in seemingly, every square mile of the deseret, than anywhere on the planet, you have to see it to believe it.
LithiumMetalman

Trad climber
cesspool central
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 15, 2010 - 11:33pm PT
I agree with Orangutaun Arch, that was steep.

Karls Overhang I remembered started with fists (for me) and narrowed down to off fingers (super fun! + I have small hands ;-))

Do or Fly was super fun!!! Roof hands section was super short!!!

Time to make a trip to the desert!

jfs

Trad climber
Upper Leftish
Jun 16, 2010 - 02:29am PT
jeez - overhanging green camalot?!?!?! WTF is WRONG with you man???

That's overhanging ring locks for some of us...palms sweaty just at the thought.

sh**.
KP Ariza

climber
SCC
Jun 16, 2010 - 03:58am PT
Never been up there but seen pics here on ST and it looks incredible!!! Pitch 1(or maybe 2?) of Southern Belle 12c
Kaukulator 11c
Cramming 10d
Conan Crack 12b at Donner summit looks daunting
Crimson Cringe 12a has a boat load of hand jamming if only gently overhanging (gotta keep it real for Sal)
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades 12a
The Late (RIP) Loose Lips 11b in Josh
and again Big Bobs Big Wedge 12a...... no cams but hey, thats the beauty of it

wildone

climber
GHOST TOWN
Jun 16, 2010 - 12:25pm PT
TIDELINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11a, Olmstead point area, Merry Braun, Dave Yerian.

Super. F*#king. Awesome.

Plus, at either side of the start of the route are two MASSIVE 2000 year old Junipers. Kinda like guardians. You'll see, it's freaky.
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Jun 16, 2010 - 12:59pm PT
I'd hestitate to call Cramming hand size for anything but the very top section.

That middle, .10d portion of Leanie Meanie is nice.

BTW, I always heard Orangutan Arch was kind of dirty. No?

Also, what happened to Loose Lips?
wildone

climber
GHOST TOWN
Jun 16, 2010 - 01:39pm PT
I think it got beat up in a fight with tideline.
KP Ariza

climber
SCC
Jun 16, 2010 - 02:18pm PT
Fatty, Loose lips fell to earth one day....the entire roof
Orangutan in '85 was good to go, it is a hand crack so how dirty can it get that a bit of maintenance wouldn't fix
LithiumMetalman

Trad climber
cesspool central
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2010 - 06:16pm PT
Horseshoe Hand grenades hands section was fun (quite short!)but the off fingers section to tips was totally wicked!

Tideline, that was fun too! Big reaches to other hand jams I liked that one!

Orangutaun Arch was little dirty but not too bad...

Awesome list growing it's going be a busy climbing season, so stoked!

Thanx guys & gals!
jedster

climber
Jun 16, 2010 - 09:20pm PT
Here's one off the "beaten path" a little bit. Up Pine Creek near Bishop, is what I think is the wildest trad pitch on the Eastside. Semper Farcisimus is on the Silverback Wall, goes 30m up, and overhangs about 8m in that distance. Entirely gear protected, mostly hand sized, rated 10c. The catch is that the rock quality isn't ideal.
squatch

Boulder climber
santa cruz, CA
Jun 16, 2010 - 11:19pm PT
the Viper?
illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 12:44am PT
LMM,

Well, heck! Hand cracks? Uh, MT. WOODSON, ARE YOU KIDDING! Bouldering but some of the best in the nation! Look me up if you're interested! Getting hot so act quick!
illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 12:55am PT
Mother Superior...


illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:01am PT
Robbins Crack...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhyou4tJHWM



illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:04am PT
The Longs Cracks...

Left Longs...


Right Longs...


illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:09am PT
Sickle or Banana Crack...




The amazing Undertow Roof...

illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:11am PT
The short yet powerful Monkey Crack...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9mhD7d1AR4&feature=related
illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:24am PT
Baby Robbins...


...and it's backside, Jaw's...

illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:28am PT
Out of Sight Crack...


illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:32am PT
The Crucible...


illusiondweller

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:43am PT
A bad scan of The Vice Principal's Office...


"the 12- wide you're referring to is probably the vice-principal's office. rick piggot testpiece. and my god, it is burly. significantly harder than mother superior. the grade may be a sandbag." - Bob VanBelle

Just to give you an idea of how overhanging the bottom of this is, if you let go here, you take about a 30 foot pendulum out in space!
G Murphy

Trad climber
Oakland CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 12:17pm PT
Someone asked about more detail on Ribbon Candy. The Yosemite guidebook calls it IV 5.11c**. FA Woodward and Coz 1988. I did it with Chan Harrell in 1994 on a beautiful October day. First 5 pitches are 5.9-5.10 range with some bushes and stuff; nothing notable. Pitch 6 is all time. I actually wrote, "Best 5.11c pitch in the Valley" in my book. Perfect hands traversing left for a ways on a overhanging wall. Lots of golds and blues. The 7th pitch is stout and sporty. 5.11a open handed laybacking in a shallow flaring crack. Gear from the small stuff to a couplpe 4" and 5" pieces (I don't think we had 5" pieces at the time). I'd give the pitch the "r" rating.
Next pitches were strenuous or we were just getting tired. The last move is an OW out a short roofy flare.
Real old school trad Yosemite climbing.

I'll put in a plug for Direct North FAce of Sentinel while I'm at it.

Greg
Sol Wertkin

climber
Leavenworth, WA
Jun 17, 2010 - 12:27pm PT
Washington State's own seperate reality: the full tilt roof on the tempest wall, colchuck balanced rock.

Pinkpointed at 5.12.


Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Jun 17, 2010 - 12:28pm PT
S x SW
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Jun 17, 2010 - 01:49pm PT
Nice photos illusiondweller. I'd give my eye teeth to have Woodson nearby. Sadly, almost no crack of note in LA to keep those skills honed.
cultureshock

Trad climber
Mountain View
Jun 17, 2010 - 02:26pm PT

Not my photo but an amazing looking route. Overhanging Green to tight Red camalots (supposedly black metolius or #2 Friends fit better)

Six Star Crack, Indian Creek

 Luke
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Jun 17, 2010 - 02:43pm PT
Now THAT is a crack! Lot's more of them there to.
LithiumMetalman

Trad climber
cesspool central
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 2, 2010 - 02:54am PT
So.

In my hunt for overhanging hand cracks, thought I keep a log!

So far climbed:

-Karls Overhang (Fun roof!)
-Karls Gym (maybe a stretch?)
-Blues Riff (So much better to climb pitch 1+2 as 1 pitch!)
-Memo for Loyd
-Do or Fly
-Tideline
-Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
-Short Circuit
-Positivity (Need to finish this climb but the overhanging hands part rocked!)
-Orangutan Arch (Still steep!)
-A Dogs Roof (Ok, not technically hands, but still fun!)
-Californian Nightmare
-Robbins Crack
-Jaws
-The Crucibile (ok this more of an all size range, but still ugh at the top)
-Sinbad-Herbert (Another stretch?)
-Sureallistic Pillar Direct
-Leanie Meanie
-Red Zinger (Red Rocks 2nd pitch crux)
-40 Days of Rain (Pinnacles)

Yay so far, going to continue on my tour for awesome overhanging cracks!

Thanks for the suggestions guys & gals my ticklist has def expanded!

Absolutely trying to make it out to the Creek sometime soon!
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Sep 2, 2010 - 02:57am PT
you got 40 days of rain?! looks sick. Did it feel 12c? looks totally doable from the ground. I've gotta get on that this winter.
TrundleBum

Trad climber
Las Vegas
Sep 2, 2010 - 03:50am PT

Donini reiterates for good reason!

~~~~~~

Jus' curious if you did:
-Red Zinger (Red Rocks 2nd pitch crux)

What about the previously mentioned 'Desert Gold'?

TrundleBum

Trad climber
Las Vegas
Sep 3, 2010 - 09:06am PT

jghedge:

What about Tales of Power ?
The Alpine

Big Wall climber
Sep 3, 2010 - 10:12am PT
LithiumMetalman

Trad climber
cesspool central
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 3, 2010 - 10:38am PT
Hey Karo

The rating might be a tad overly generous, I can see the rating being what it is if one didn't know how to jam, and the jams are not bad (Those with bigger mitts will love this climb!)

Other than that, felt that Karl's Overhang, for comparison is harder and more sustained than 40 Days of Rain!

Desert Gold looks awesome saw a wonderful picture of Alan climbing it, just beautiful! Def will need to work up to that first pitch!
Charlie B

Social climber
Santa Rosa, Ca
Sep 5, 2010 - 10:46pm PT
Donner Summit:
Firecracker 10b at black wall, has an awesome roof with nice hands.

lightning bolt roof 11c/d is hands for me!!! #3 camalots black wall as well

bypass 11a on snowshed wall really cool

2nd pitch of jelly roll arch on grouse slab

slowhand 10d on grouse slab too is really cool one of my favorite on the summit
karls overhang 11a on school rock is o.k.

Separate reality 11d and desert gold 13a (or desert reality 11c just the roof) Are pretty much the best I've seen around.

Overdrive is not all that cool really short and weird to get to.

A dog's roof 45 degree purple camalot spliter. so cool

More monkey that funky and big bobs are perfect hands wear tape on both!!!! Zombie woof 12b is green camalots out a 10 foot roof, and It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing 12b is a 15 foot finger crack.


If you find or hear about anymore roof cracks let me know!



Messages 1 - 67 of total 67 in this topic
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