Discussion Topic |
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 13, 2007 - 03:50pm PT
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I was wondering what some other climbers might say are the best hand sized cracks around?
My votes:
3rd pitch of Hotline- a superb 5.10b thin hands gem in a plumb vertical wall The 4th pitch is also superb 5.9 hands too!
3rd pitch of the Gripper - a nice but slightly grainy 5.9, not quite vertical but has a good tilt to it.
Five & Dime - 5.10d - not a pure hand crack but a nice outing nonetheless.
I''l try to think of others but what so others think?
Levy
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Aug 13, 2007 - 03:53pm PT
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Best anywhere...or just Yosemite? It's hard to beat the desert for hand cracks.
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Matt
Trad climber
always on the lookout for ed's 5.10 OW van
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Aug 13, 2007 - 03:53pm PT
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sons of yesterday ain't half bad
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 13, 2007 - 04:37pm PT
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Anywhere they are Melissa but Yosemite seems to have more that I can think of. The desert seems to have more thin and thin-hand cracks. I can only think of a couple of pure hand cracks in the desert & I would not classify them as stellar(Ultimate Hand Crack- aka Sedimentary Journey, Chocolate Corner). I do recall the 1st pitch of North Face route on Castleton Tower is good too but had fists & thin hands as well so I hesitate to quality it as a pure hand crack.
Fancy Free in the Needles is good too, mostly hands I seem to recall.
I can't think of any in Joshua Tree that would qualify, but perhaps I'm forgetting something obvious.
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Aug 13, 2007 - 04:46pm PT
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For position, sinker jam factor, and overall classic points, I think it is hard to beat the first half of the Stovelegs, especially if you traverse in low.
I sometimes forget who is who handle wise around here. I think you are Bill yes? If so, dude, how did Jolly Roger go? It was great seeing you, Eric and Mo at the base in june.
Peter
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Aug 13, 2007 - 04:54pm PT
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I've never thought of thin hands as not being hands...and I couldn't even try to pic a favorite of those at Indian Creek. Soooo much so good. Probably we draw the line in different places for what makes a hand thin...or a fist.
The most continuous hand crack that I recall in Yosemite was about 240 feet of #2 camalots IIRC on Silent Line.
Two of my favorites in the yellow/blue size (very similar to each other) are Sacherer Cracker and p1 of Vendetta but like nearly all climbs in Yosemite they make you do more than that one special thing. I climb them with as many fists as hands...Probably true for 5 and dime too.
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handsome B
Gym climber
SL,UT
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Aug 13, 2007 - 04:55pm PT
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I'm kinda partial to this one . . .
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Aug 13, 2007 - 04:55pm PT
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High Plains Drifter in the North GUlly in Squamish
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Aug 13, 2007 - 04:59pm PT
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Just to mix it up, and to offset the ST YNP bent,-- Isaiah at the oak creek overlook. Great hands with a great view.
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snyd
Sport climber
Lexington, KY
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Aug 13, 2007 - 05:05pm PT
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I agree with Levy, third pitch Hotline.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Aug 13, 2007 - 05:11pm PT
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Some fun ones I've done
reed's direct, although the crack is so funky in there it doesn't feel like 'pure' hands. Whatever that means.
3rd pitch of the Gripper. Wowzer! and bring an extra large cam. Double Wowzer if you didn't (like me.)
I did Super Chicken on Medlicott the other day and that one was really fun. Plenty of knobs for feet to work with on the face though.
And the first really fun handcrack i did way back when is that 5.8 hands single pitch in the Falls amplitheater. Not in the guide anymore but I think it's called Superhands?
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Aug 13, 2007 - 05:16pm PT
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I've heard the first (or second?) pitch of the West Butt. of El Cap is all time super extra classic. Can anyone corroborate? It's a long walk for one good pitch!
Jo Jo is excellent splitterdom too.
How can we pick which is best? The thought of each of them is making me 'homesick' for Yosemite!
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Tomcat
Trad climber
Chatham N.H.
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Aug 13, 2007 - 05:19pm PT
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Here in the east Reppy's Crack is hard to beat.About 120 feet of pure hands on purrrrrrfect white granite and only 5.8 !!!
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Aug 13, 2007 - 05:22pm PT
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This one is ok...hands to fists
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Mark
climber
bend, oregon
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Aug 13, 2007 - 06:23pm PT
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love jo jo!
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Aug 13, 2007 - 06:33pm PT
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sometime crack at devil's lake-- only 40 feet but an old gill problem so if done authentically, it's more than tall enough. 110 degrees, glassy smooth, parallel, big jugs at the top. wish it went on forever.
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Aug 13, 2007 - 07:01pm PT
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The ones that have a nice face climb on the side so you can skip that whole hand jam silliness.
Remember, I did learn most of my climbing at Stoney which is more friction climbing than anything else.
AF
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Matt
Trad climber
always on the lookout for ed's 5.10 OW van
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Aug 13, 2007 - 07:10pm PT
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no hand cracks in the desert?
uhhhhhhhhhhh, huhh, did he jsut say that?
really?
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 13, 2007 - 07:24pm PT
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No No No
you got it all wrong
The "Crimson Cringe"
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 13, 2007 - 08:10pm PT
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Werner is right, how could I have forgotten the Cringe, one of the best cracks I've done anywhere, super, splitter& proud!
Matt - like what, let's hear some names of the better ones.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Aug 13, 2007 - 08:19pm PT
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I was under the impression Crimson Cringe was thin hands too. (I've never even looked at it.) What does it do that makes it 12a if it's fatties?
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Aug 13, 2007 - 08:35pm PT
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the best thing about this puppy is it is a single, uninterrupted, absolute splitter that goes continuously without a break for about 500', features every size imaginable, and concludes on one of the wildest and most isolated summits ever with an unbelievable view that goes for 100+ miles.
and this is just the first pitch. a whoppinhg 180' rope stretcher....
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Aug 13, 2007 - 08:38pm PT
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Which puppy is that, bvb? It does look nice.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Aug 13, 2007 - 08:39pm PT
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"I was under the impression Crimson Cringe was thin hands too. (I've never even looked at it.) What does it do that makes it 12a if it's fatties?"
the forst 30 or 40 feet of the cringe is a pretty sequential, wierd, hard-to-read tips crack. it's 12a all by itself. the rest of the pitch is a massive 5.10 pumpfest. need a rest? fuggedabouddit.
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Dog
climber
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Aug 13, 2007 - 08:41pm PT
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Ive never seen so much attention given to Hotline.What a sweet crack and trip that was. Way over my ability when we did it way back. Went and did it anyway.Buddy was way run with a shortage of hand pieces. When I went up to second, cams were tipped out and barely hanging on. Big effort on my partners lead.
I believe Croft considers this one the valleys best so I am told. Ill second that.
Way ta Go Angus, wherever you are,
Will
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Aug 13, 2007 - 08:42pm PT
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melissa -- it's at 8500' in the henry mountains at the end of nasty a 25 mile dirt road that eats tires for fun, washes out often, and has stranded more cars than i care to remember. i've done the route a few times and i don't think it even has a name.
mos def no guide to the area.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Aug 13, 2007 - 08:43pm PT
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OK...If crimson cringe counts, then I nominate every green/red camalot crack I so much as looked at in Indian Creek! The 12a tips part takes the fun out of the handcrack for me! (b/c I wouldn't be able to climb.)
Actually, now that I'm thinking of it, the hands forever part of Space Shot was brilliant and not that thin.
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Old&InTheWay
Trad climber
NC
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Aug 13, 2007 - 09:04pm PT
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Excuse Station at the Creek is an amazing splitter but thin for large hands.
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yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
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Aug 13, 2007 - 09:36pm PT
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Desert? Whaaaaaat?
IHC, Super, Generic, Bunny Slope (full rope), 3 AM, Blue Sun, that brilliant thing above the reservoir, that corner on Meat, Rock Lobster, the new Slot Machine bwahaha, and that's just IC off the top o' me head, plus all the ones that don't even have names, plus if we're counting the Crimson Cringes of the desert we got what, Critic's Choice, Fonda, Deseret Moon and a million others I don't have the sack to get on, PLUS if you got little girl hands you got your Excuse Station/Pente/half a thousand other thin-handies, whilst if you're big, I don't know, those scare me but there's loads o' those too, got yer Chinese Eyes in Arches, Cynthia in Zion, Spaceshot like the lady says, Headache, that's about all I got.
Hotline's alright too.
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 13, 2007 - 09:59pm PT
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Hey Warbler
Gripper ......
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:11pm PT
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Wunsch's Dihedral
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:15pm PT
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Probably 1000 times he he he
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:19pm PT
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Y'all have a lot of nerve, openly talking about climbing on this forum.
Hard to beat Hot Line.
That pitch high up on Mount Watkins is pretty good.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:25pm PT
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hey warbler -- if you like sportclimbing on granite, you ain't seen 'nuthin yet.....
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:26pm PT
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I keep thinking there is a 200' 5.6 splitter hands waiting for me in the woods out there.
some day I'll find it. that will be the best one because by the time I find it, that will be all I can climb.
rawk on
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DixieGal
Trad climber
NC
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:30pm PT
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1. Reppy's crack at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire, 5.8 hands.
2. Second pitch of the Odyssey, Looking Glass, North Carolina, 5.9
hands.
3. There are two really good hand sized cracks at Poke-o-Moonshine
in upstate New York. First pitch of Gamesmanship (5.8) and the
second pitch of Paralysis (5.8).
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:30pm PT
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Mungeclimber...For a brilliant 5.6 hand crack, do the RORP! Admission isn't free though.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:37pm PT
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Yes Kevin,
There might be a couple of hand jams out here Colorado, but I think Bob D. already tagged Wunsch's Dihedral on Cynical Pinnacle.
Although not a splitter, what about the Zebra on Tis Sa Ak?
I had big plans to free that when Shipley and I were up there, alas we were stormed off, but I remember sitting on my porta ledge, um our single porta ledge, totally ready to start jamming that sucker the next day, it starts out perfect hands...
I could have been a contender...
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:42pm PT
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I think I hammered a six inch aluminum bong end wise at the top of the Zebra.
How wide would that be?
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:51pm PT
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Scorpio Crack,Drumstick Direct and Quivering Quill...South Platte area.
North Face, Castleton
Beefeater,Vedauwoo
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Rocky5000
Trad climber
Falls Church, VA
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Aug 13, 2007 - 10:53pm PT
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some more nominations from the East -
Crack of Dawn (Seneca)
Bushwhack Crack
Strawberry Jam (Old Rag)
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:03pm PT
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Werner wrote:
"I think I hammered a six inch aluminum bong end wise at the top of the Zebra.
How wide would that be?"
Well you got me their boss, technically speaking, as the tape measure goes, that would be 6 inches: but what about all that nice crack leading up to where it gets wide?
I know, I know, I only did the one jam, while leaning out of the belay.
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:06pm PT
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Yeah it's 1 1/2 to 2 inches. It's still there for someone to free climb.
Where is the hardman free climber to do this?
Tissiack might be a sleeper free climb?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:10pm PT
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Now look what you've started!
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:12pm PT
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after the revolution, splitters in every pot!!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:14pm PT
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Okay okay, it ain't pure hands, more like fingers & hands to fist'n stuff, but that pitch on Fatal Mistake is straight up straight in hero climbing.
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:14pm PT
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Tis-sa-sack sleeper free climb...What!?
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:14pm PT
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It safe to say that the area around Moab holds the greatest amount of classic (climbed and unclimbed) handcracks in the world.
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bob
climber
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:19pm PT
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Bob D. wrote, "Scorpio Crack,Drumstick Direct and Quivering Quill...South Platte area.
North Face, Castleton "
I agree, but would have to add that really, its half or more of the cracks at Turkey Rocks that rock the hands. Bob, what about the C. Pinnacle and Poe Butt? Holy hands!
Also, I would have to say Silent Line up on the Gold Wall is hands fugging heaven if you are a 5.13 face climber or just willing to yard on a bolt ladder. Hands heaven.
Bob J.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:42pm PT
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Bob...already mentioned C-Pinnacle. Poe Buttress doesn't have any pure handcracks and T-Rocks has some of Colorado best crack climbing in all sizes.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:53pm PT
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bv and handsum b-- that thing looks really cool. but also really sharp and painful. on the other hand, it's in the henry's, and that alone makes it worthwhile as a destination. fall? say, october? room on the couch? i'll bring the good bourbon-- good enuf to get u off that foreign shite.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 13, 2007 - 11:58pm PT
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There really aren't that many good hand cracks in the desert.
(!)
hehehe
First ascent of No Name Crack on Super Crack Buttress, 1982.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Aug 14, 2007 - 12:50am PT
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Yeah, funny that. 5 trillion Wingate splitters and none of them are actually hand sized.
Hey, what about the Dunn route on Moses, or is it Pale Fire? Haven't clumb either myself, but one is supposed to have tons of 5.10 hands after the hard pitch. I guess that'd be Pale Fire.
If I recall correctly, that second pitch of the Odyssey devolves into an offwidth trough in short order. Fact is, NC is kinda hurting for pure hand cracks. There's that thing over left of the Nose,Dum-de-dum dum, and a couple moves on Gemini cracks, and I heard something up high on the Menagerie, and that's about it for the Glass. Oh yeah-- Fear of Flying, ha.
Fruit Loops.
Tis-sa-ack has miles of red camalots in a corner, as well as some super-proud odub, and several bolt ladders that will never go free. The Zebra is awesome, and I yarded on gear all the way up it. Next time, I'm bringing a belayer...
That second pitch on Wunsch's is brilliant. Not to mention the last pitch of the Edge.
Surely the Diamond has a couple.
The Arches Terrace Direct has an awesome 200' hand-sized 5.8 splitter on the last pitch. However, the opening pitches are not 5.8, so it won't be overtaking the Bishop's Terrace in popularity anytime soon.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 12:56am PT
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Rhodo:
I've done both Pale Fire and the Dunn Route on Moses.
Couldn't touch the 5.12 rattley fingers on Pale Fire, yes there are hand cracks above, which go OK at 5.10, but they are awkwardly situated in flares.
The Dunn route is terrific: but the crux is a superlative overhanging fist crack in a corner, real punchy.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Aug 14, 2007 - 12:59am PT
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Somewhere down low on the Scenic Cruise are some fairly heroic hands sections.
I believe the Road Warrior is hands for Grug.
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yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:03am PT
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Anybody been on that lil' Star Wars in Eldo? Goes in the "man that was over fast" file.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:03am PT
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You're right about the hand cracks on the Scenic Cruise!
I Simul climbed the first four to five pitches of that route in about 45 minutes just to get to those cracks and taste them.
Excellent section of hand and fingers. Then it started raining.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:05am PT
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Yup, Star Wars on Peanuts Wall, 5.8 hands. Nice and yes too short.
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Hummerchine
Trad climber
East Wenatchee, WA
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:05am PT
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I gotta throw in ROTC at Midnight Rock (Leavenworth, WA) just for fun...because it as just as awesome as the other awesome routes mentioned here!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:21am PT
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Oh man, I always wanted to do that ROTC!
Bit of a test piece right?
Just the other day I was trying to remember the name...
Here's the second pitch of Wunsch's Diehedral:
From Godfrey and Chelton's climb!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:26am PT
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Boy, that ledge looks cozy...
...know anything about that one?
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:27am PT
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rotc rawks--
but if we expand this thread to finger cracks, it will take all night and bvb will end up with arthritis from uploading all the scans.
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Mark
climber
bend, oregon
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:27am PT
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what about this one:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:28am PT
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What about that ledge Rhodo?
Are you trying to trick me?
Ha ha.
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Mark
climber
bend, oregon
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:29am PT
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this is a good one as well:
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Mark
climber
bend, oregon
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:36am PT
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lower gorge:
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:38am PT
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Some allusion in Achey's 'Climb' to a couple folks "enjoying the ledge a little too much" and never getting around to finishing the route...Diana somebody. No one I know.
Pente isn't exactly slammer hands for me, but that thing around the corner is pretty much a custom fit.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:39am PT
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didn't Doug Robinson write:
Driving out later, afternoon sun highlighted an endlessly parade of vertical cracks in the warm sandstone walls along the road. Glancing up, Chuck gathered in the miles of cliff face with the sweeping gesture of a callused hand and pronounced, "The future home of crack climbing in America."
regarding Pratt's comment on their 1969 trip to Indian Creek... seems authoritative.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:40am PT
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Mr. Clean at Devils Tower.
If memory serves me correctly it's hands forever.
Might be a bit tighter...
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:40am PT
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Nah
All those desert cracks are filled with sand and scorpions.
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matisse
climber
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:42am PT
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Igor Unchained. Needles.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:43am PT
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... and very often, those desert cracks: filled with cams.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:45am PT
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And almost everything else in the California Needles is some sort of fingers.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:47am PT
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There are some VERY fine hand cracks on gritstone in England - Almscliff, Stanage, Froggatt, and so on. As gritstone is a kind of sandstone, maybe all the hand cracks migrated there?
I once met a tiny fellow who did Tales of Power, and said it was a strenuous 5.9 hand crack.
We have some ok hand cracks in Squamish, best appreciated in November.
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crřtch
climber
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:48am PT
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Has anybody mentioned Karate Crack at Smith? Wasn't it on the cover of one edition of Climbing Anchors?
Blue Sun
Bunny Slope
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:55am PT
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karate crack is actually really cool, although it would suck to second the thing since that last traverse to the belay ends up a down-climb.
and i'll push sometime crack once more, since as an overhanging handcracks it doesn't require ankle pain.
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Hummerchine
Trad climber
East Wenatchee, WA
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Aug 14, 2007 - 02:01am PT
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Tarbuster
Come to WA, I'd love to go do ROTC with you. I live 35 minutes away, go solo top-roping up there all the time because it is so awesome. The hike is the testpiece, less than an hour but quite brutal. The grade is 5.11c, which I guess is accurate, I've lost track. It is the sort of route where the difference between leading and toproping is HUGE, as far as it can be. Good jams the whole way, if you sequence it right and don't waste time...which is hard when you are leading. I've seen a number of good climbers butcher the lead and then immediately top-rope it like it's easy. Best pitch in the state, even though Index is a much better area overall. And yes, definitely include Mister Clean at the Devil Rock.
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Mark
climber
bend, oregon
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Aug 14, 2007 - 02:03am PT
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karate crack:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 14, 2007 - 02:08am PT
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Hummerchine!
A very nice, offer thank you.
I do remember that ROTC thing is way up the hill.
Right after I get my re-juve I will be looking you up...
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crřtch
climber
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Aug 14, 2007 - 02:10am PT
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There's that handcrack high up on Outer Space in Leavenworth, but it's not as steep or as clean as the others on this thread.
The pics of Hotline, and that un-named crack that Handsome B posted are giving me a boner.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Aug 14, 2007 - 02:11am PT
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Crack House.
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Mike from Phoenix
Trad climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Aug 14, 2007 - 06:24am PT
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It isn't a perfect splitter, but the top 2/3 of the Majak Line on the Tower of Bootle in Sedona is pretty sweet. Nice vertical hands thru a roof into a lieback through a limestone band.
-Mike
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Derek
climber
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Aug 14, 2007 - 09:14am PT
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There's a 200' perfect hands crack that goes at maybe 5.8 or 5.9, just hanging in space ~20 pitches up the Cordier Pillar on the West Face of the Grand Charmoz in Chamonix. It just splits this otherwise featureless slab of absolutely flawless golden granite. It's easily one of the finest pitches I've ever done. Not hard, but with that position, that rock, that alpine ambiance. Wow...Hard to believe so many folks rap off from the terraces a couple of pitches below.
-Derek
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darod
Trad climber
South Side Billburg
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Aug 14, 2007 - 10:49am PT
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Has anybody mentioned Way Rambo? i remembered it being this amazing perfect hands splitter, a little too short but really nice, and the setting, wow....
Correction, i was talking about Blue Sun, that you did mentioned above!
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 14, 2007 - 04:16pm PT
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Great to see so many good suggestions, especially for the desert areas. The in-print guidebooks seem to lack a listing of the better routes by type so this feedback from y'all is terrific.
I just know there is a rock shaped like a breaking wave with a perfect hand crack through it somewhere out there. It just has yet to be discovered.
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TimN
Trad climber
St. Charles, MO
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Aug 14, 2007 - 04:29pm PT
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If you like roof cracks. . . "Arkansas Reality"- Sam's Throne, Arkansas
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Aug 14, 2007 - 04:33pm PT
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Second pitch, Falling Ross at Granite Mountain (10b):
Rhythm & Blues (10b), Phoenix
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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Aug 14, 2007 - 04:44pm PT
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Assembly line D.T.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 14, 2007 - 05:25pm PT
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Kevin- that short circuit is like a wave and even better it's situated on a river island but it's rugged fingers 1-1.25 inches. I've been dreaming of some arching wave like the boulders where the Cookie rockfall meets 140. That would be very cool to find. And I'm still looking!
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clode
Trad climber
portland, or
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Aug 14, 2007 - 05:49pm PT
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For us mere mortal, overweight, off-the-couch, maybe-once-a-year climbers, don't forget the second pitch of The Grack, Glacier Point Apron. Or the first pitch of Prussik Peak, West Ridge, Enchantments. Both 5.6. And no sand or scorpions in The Enchantments crack Werner!
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Aug 14, 2007 - 06:30pm PT
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Outer Space on Snow Creek Wall, Wa comes to mind. Not too hard, but it's like 400ft of splitter hands.
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crřtch
climber
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Aug 14, 2007 - 07:39pm PT
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Anyone have a picture of the headwall pitches on Tricks of the Trade?
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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Aug 14, 2007 - 10:15pm PT
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yes clode Prussik has incredible crack climbing esp the route put up by Fred & Ted Yackulic. no sand or scorpians just plenty mosquitoes
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Aug 15, 2007 - 12:42am PT
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Tarbusta;...about 10 years ago, I went up to Washington State for 2 reasons;... Hummershine's 40th birthady bash, and to climb R O T C......both were excellent;. R O T C is Wahington's Insomnia Crack.....(Hummershine sent, by the way;...I was able to follow with no falls.... but remember; that was about 10 years ago....)......The best pitch in the state;....but don't take my and Hummershine's advice;... Peter Croft says it's the best pitch in Wa. too!...hop on it, Beadwagon....
Hummershine in action in Leavenworth on the practice crack.
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Hummerchine
Trad climber
East Wenatchee, WA
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Aug 15, 2007 - 02:10am PT
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"way up the hill..."
So true, the hike keeps out the riff-raff.
It really is an unpleasant hike, maybe 50 minutes, most of which sucks. That is to the base of the cliff, gets much worse if hiking to the summit to solo-toprope. And yes, Gordo and I had a gas up there! Once the hike is over the position is outstanding, as is the climbing!
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GOclimb
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Aug 15, 2007 - 10:06am PT
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Mungeclimber wrote: I keep thinking there is a 200' 5.6 splitter hands waiting for me in the woods out there.
some day I'll find it. that will be the best one because by the time I find it, that will be all I can climb.
Your search has ended. And, lucky for you, it's 20 minutes from the parking lot, so you can take your walker to get there.
Here it is:
GO
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GOclimb
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Aug 15, 2007 - 10:23am PT
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Regarding Reppy's Crack, at Cannon: Yes, it's New England's finest wide-hands crack. But I'm sorry, compared to every other crack mentioned in this thread, it's just boring and painful.
GO
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Aug 15, 2007 - 01:15pm PT
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Rostrum has some sweet hands on it and btw, it's open now.
Sunnyside Jam
Bishops Terrace
Moby Dick-Sacher Cracker
Outer Limits
Reeds
(I don't think gripper is all that sweet but it ain't chopped liver)
Sons of Yesterday
List goes on and on
Karl
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Aug 17, 2007 - 11:12am PT
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Dave's Diviation, Tahquitz.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Aug 17, 2007 - 01:02pm PT
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Somebody requested a Tricks photo:
(apologies in advance for the self-aggrandizement)
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Dec 14, 2009 - 10:43pm PT
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Tales,
Nine Lives,
Cow crack,
Spectreman
Assembly line
Deseret Moon
no particular order.
(that one on 'Tricks' is pretty cool, too
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More Air
Trad climber
S.L.C.
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Dec 15, 2009 - 12:51am PT
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A 220' hand crack on pitch 6 Silmaril, The Watchman, Zion
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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Dec 15, 2009 - 01:30am PT
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I didn't see anyone mention Perpetual Motion or O'Kelley's cracks at Josh...They are pretty cool...Or More Monkey...
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Dec 15, 2009 - 01:33am PT
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Outer Space on Snow Creek Wall - Amazing, comfy, feet don't need to go into the crack
3rd pitch of Tranquility at Whitehorse, South Buttress
Solar on DT - ok that was fist for me, but hands for hubby
Exasperator at Squamish Chief - first pitch straight up 10a, second pitch zigzags at 10c.
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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
greater Yosemite
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Dec 15, 2009 - 01:36am PT
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Nobody has mentioned Phobos yet! I think that thing is a great handcrack.
As for Indian Creek, I thought the unnamed corner at the Broken Tooth was AWESOME! 120' of #2 hands, pulling through three different bulges... very nice.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Dec 15, 2009 - 02:11am PT
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-The last 125 ft of Vanishing Point, after the roof and .10+ off fingers, is pure, mellow 5.8 handcrack heaven, and in a killer setting, with a neat perch to sit on once you top out.
-The Henries are beautiful mountains. As seen from the West:
-Found this 150 ft handcrack somewhere on the Colorado Plateau, neither it nor anything for miles around it seemed to have been climbed. I slotted the first few jams but then kept on with our trip, so probably still unclimbed. The unclimbed CP must be riddled with lines like this.
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adam d
climber
closer to waves than rock
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Dec 15, 2009 - 02:16am PT
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p1 of Igor Unchained in the Needles...
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Dec 15, 2009 - 02:19am PT
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However, Exasperator is fingers, and even tips, not perfect hands.
Fun though!
Arne
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Dec 15, 2009 - 11:49pm PT
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As mentioned earlier. Devil's Tower has a few good ones. TAD, El Cracko Diablo, Solar, Assembly Line, 2nd pitch of One Way Sunset, 3rd of Tulgey Wood, a good chunck of Walt Bailey, Burning Daylight, Bonne Homme Variation and Belle Fourche Butress, McCarthy Free 2nd pitch. I've herd that Witchie has the best hand crack at the tower, but I have not done it. Classic Crack, Nic of Time, and Kamps Crack in the Needles have some nice hands.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Top of the 5.2-5.12 Boulder
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Dec 15, 2009 - 11:53pm PT
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Fabulous shot, MoreAir.
Digging 'hands'.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Dec 15, 2009 - 11:54pm PT
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I hear Freemont Canyon has some good hands.
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flyingkiwi1
Trad climber
Seattle WA
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Dec 16, 2009 - 12:41am PT
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Split Pillar, Grand Wall, Squamish.
This is the pitch that, more than any other, makes you feel universe-blessed to be big-of-hand. After the first red camalot, it's pure, gradually- and gracefully-widening pleasure.
Ian
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jfs
Trad climber
Upper Leftish
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Dec 16, 2009 - 12:49am PT
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For a single pitch climb, this one holds its own...
too bad I don't have a better picture of it...
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Dec 16, 2009 - 02:55am PT
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RORP
Reppys
and Goldrush are on the list now.
thx!
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Rudder
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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Dec 16, 2009 - 05:39am PT
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Although not top to bottom splitters... I can think of a couple of cracks I like:
Flower of High Rank -- Suicide
Illusion Dweller -- Joshua Tree
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Alpinist63
Mountain climber
neverfarawayfromtherocks
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Dec 16, 2009 - 06:45am PT
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a very cool handsize crack in europe is orrechio del pachidermo (ear of the elephant) in val del orco on the caporal wall. A must for every crackclimber!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Jan 11, 2016 - 02:48pm PT
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What about past-vertical hand cracks? Rare in granite. Who's got 'em?
Reaching for a gold or blue cam with one hand while a bunch of your body weight is hanging off a perfect jam (and not because of bad footwork, it's just steep). That's a rad feeling.
Two past-vertical hand pitches I thought were stellar:
-Uprising
-Windfall steep pitch
What others are out there?
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Jan 11, 2016 - 03:39pm PT
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The Flame on Pikes peak.
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Gooney
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Jan 11, 2016 - 04:02pm PT
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Arching Jams, Pericle, Pikes Peak gets my vote.
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Jan 11, 2016 - 04:14pm PT
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Ho Man! Arching Jams is still on my to do list!
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Dan McDevitt
Trad climber
yosemite
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Jan 11, 2016 - 04:56pm PT
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Jan 11, 2016 - 08:34pm PT
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Best - Cringe, but there are lots of suggestions on this post that I have not done.
I see Reeds Direct a couple of pics up. Hate that thing. Jams hurt and my feet would always try to get stuck.
Marty
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CanopyGorilla
Big Wall climber
Lolo, MT
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Jan 11, 2016 - 09:09pm PT
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My favorite from the valley is silent line. Some face climbing, some fingers, couple hundred feet of hands, then a sick chimney, then more hands.
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CanopyGorilla
Big Wall climber
Lolo, MT
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Jan 11, 2016 - 09:14pm PT
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Big bobs big wedge, crimson, more monkey than funky, super crack, incredible, cobra in t, stovelegs, never got on separate reality. I really want that one.
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BFK
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jan 11, 2016 - 09:27pm PT
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This one's pretty good,.. some might even say one of the best in the valley!
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jan 11, 2016 - 10:46pm PT
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Interesting. For the Valley it seems like Hotline P3 is shaping up to be a solid winner. Seems legit.
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flatlandermcjack
Trad climber
Speardawg, SD
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Feb 23, 2017 - 01:34pm PT
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Walt Bailey on DeTo has some killer hand jams, although the bottom half is pretty tough fingers
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Dan McDevitt
Trad climber
yosemite
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Feb 23, 2017 - 05:45pm PT
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that does look amazing. Walter is that a pic of you on the direct?
lookin' svelte there bro.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Feb 23, 2017 - 07:11pm PT
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Bishops Terrace runs aces for hands. 3rd pitch of Central Pillar of Frenzy was very good, But the real whorehouse for hands is Bon Homme Variation at Devils Tower-- 300 feet of busting it 2-3". So fun--the real classic at DT
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Feb 24, 2017 - 05:54am PT
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The Mcgee variation; to think it was put up by a sport climber.....
:)
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Feb 24, 2017 - 07:50am PT
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There's a really good one on the approach to Nutcracker. It's short, but Marty showed us how to jam there.
Goldrush? Hahaha, that's a hand crack all right. If you're a gorilla.
Very cool pic of Sons. I remember it being cool, but not that cool. I guess I gotta go back for a refresh.
+1 for Generic. So many hands...
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Feb 24, 2017 - 07:54am PT
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walt bailey has some nice hands but you have to do some fingers first. I think Tad has one of the divest sections of hands at devils tower. Probably a good 120ft of nice 3's. Of course el cracko, solar, and assembly line all have some nice hands as well.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 24, 2017 - 08:13am PT
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For something 5.8, It's a Beautiful Day at the Cwm near Flagstaff.
Sweet dihedral that reverses direction half way up as the crack stays perfect on-size hands all the way. I do have big hands though...
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Feb 24, 2017 - 08:21am PT
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Nice call on It's A Beautiful Day, Steve!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 24, 2017 - 08:26am PT
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That one could be the best hand crack at that grade anywhere.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Feb 24, 2017 - 09:18am PT
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Well I'm partial but for those who know ~ Sound & Fury (5.8) (on the right)
(The finger crack Open-cockpit on the left)
The things one can run up in the moments of the dawns early light Go left, up -Petie's Spare Rib- (the white face, on the corner, left of all the overhangs, 5.4) get it wire'd 1st, climb down Lake View
The wide-ish hand (?)crack, 5.4, (on the right)
I don't have a picture but,also at Sky-Top, Jstans proud ~ "NO EXIT"
Edit I was hoping Red Swami was a'round, . . .
the center of the picture straight through the hangs is ~, The V . (5.11)
(some say easy for its grade,,,, not me)
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Feb 24, 2017 - 12:20pm PT
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I don't know if it has been mentioned but the Bunny Slope at the creek has like 140 ft of perfect 2's.
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Feb 24, 2017 - 12:35pm PT
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This one is in the Valley, but not close to the road. Pretty perfect hands for most of the pitch.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
Of THIS World (Planet Earth)
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Feb 24, 2017 - 02:59pm PT
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I haven't seen any 5.7's mentioned.
I will nominate "El Whampo" at Tahquitz.
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drF
Trad climber
usa
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Feb 24, 2017 - 03:20pm PT
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Triassic Sands 3rd and 4th pitches have loooong stretches of perfect hands....although somewhat marred by face holds for the feet ;-)
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Feb 24, 2017 - 03:38pm PT
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That's a great shot of Walt Bailey Mike
Do you have any photos of Soler? I never got on it for reasons that are no longer clear.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Feb 24, 2017 - 03:39pm PT
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5.7 Hands? Harry Daley Route
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 24, 2017 - 06:36pm PT
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Harry Daley: man it's been a while. It was tough way back then (first climb in the Valley? Luke and Matt?), and then it was tough again, and I bet it would be tough now.
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rmuir
Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Feb 24, 2017 - 06:53pm PT
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Bony Fingers up Whitney Portal way…
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