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martygarrison
Trad climber
The Great North these days......
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Apr 10, 2009 - 10:43pm PT
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my advice to folks who are aspiring to the 10d range in the valley, just go get on some 11a or b, you will be surprised at how many you pull off. Once you get to 11c or d the grade starts to have a noticeable difference between 10d....once again imho. Old timers please chimne in. Wabler, bf is solid 11b in my view btw.
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Bill
climber
San Francisco
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Apr 10, 2009 - 11:40pm PT
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Interesting - I thought EBC was solid 10c, but no harder - certainly easier than Waverly. 5 and Dime, Book of Revelations, Hardly Pinnacle, Mark of Art, Yin Yang are all good...
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Apr 11, 2009 - 12:38am PT
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One thing about the crux of English Breakfast Crack (end of p2) is that it helps greatly if you have long arms and small fingers. I have those, so it did not feel hard to me, but if I could not have reached that stuff or gotten good locks, it would have been desperate.
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JOEY.F
Social climber
sebastopol
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Apr 11, 2009 - 12:44am PT
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I need a month in the valley.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Apr 11, 2009 - 12:56am PT
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Maybe it's my fat hands, but the Center on Independence seemed harder than all those other 10ds and I've done most of them. For me, putting the Good Book (simple if you're in shape) in the same league with Independence Center is just wrong.
JL
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Apr 11, 2009 - 02:06am PT
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great thread.
finger lickin' was a route i did almost monthly in the mid-80's,and the grade always seemed right on to me, but then i never gave it much thought.
i suppose it's worth mentioning that size matters?
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Rankin
climber
Bishop, CA
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Apr 11, 2009 - 03:41am PT
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Somebody mentioned Waverly Wafer, I actually could agree to that, compared to some of the other routes on the list. I first heard of it as 10c, then I've seen it as 11a. 10d seems about right. What a great grade in the Valley. Not the hardest pitch on the route by grade, but the 10d pitch on the Rostrum is sneaky. The first time I did the route, my partner did every other pitch clean, but fell at the crux on that one.
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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
The American West
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Apr 11, 2009 - 12:23pm PT
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Yes!! Lord Caffeine is should definitely be on the list in my opinion. A seriously burly crack.
And I thought Butterfingers was maybe the easiest 11a I've done in the valley, quite a bit easier for me than LC.
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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Apr 12, 2009 - 01:36pm PT
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It goes to show it all varies. I thought 10c for Waverly about right. I get a stem coming over the roof and the jam/lieback section is short (I jam more than lb). On the other hand, I find Mark of Art harder just because the jams/lb go on longer.
Manana is a fun climb (minus the first 30 feet), but it is really only two moves. The butterfly jam above the roof and then the fingertip move at the exit. Has anybody mentioned Ying Yang? Clean and nicely sustained. This would seem a much better candidate to add to the 10d Hardman list.
As to the question of what 11a is easier, I don't find Hardd (11b) really any harder than, say, finger lickin (which isn't to say that I find either easy).
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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
The American West
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Apr 12, 2009 - 05:26pm PT
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Yo Rankin, good call on the Rostrum 10d pitch. You're talking about the one down there right? Or is that 11a in the book? Either way, sneaky for sure.
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James
climber
My twin brother's laundry room
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Apr 12, 2009 - 05:51pm PT
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How about Mark of Art. That's one long great pitch.
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nutjob
Stoked OW climber
San Jose, CA
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Apr 13, 2009 - 04:49pm PT
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Nice thread... bump.
I followed Serenity crux cleanly at a time when I thought most 5.10 climbing was out of reach... so it must be light! No 10d on my resume yet but I'm getting closer. I got a few 10b/c on-sites last season.
This list will fuel my aspirations if I string together enough time on the rock this season... more craggin', less cheatin' the reaper!
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Gilwad
climber
Frozen In Somewhere
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Apr 13, 2009 - 05:59pm PT
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I've climbed some hard 5.10 in the valley, but the hardest 5.10 crack I've ever climbed was a thing called "Recluse" in New Hampshire. I think that's what it's called, don't have the guidebook handy but from a 25-years past memory that's it. On the right side of Cathedral Ledge on the "practice slabs." Some of those New England grades are vicious; I've never climbed trad anywhere since my time there without thinking, "Hey, it's not as bad as (insert some New England desperate name here)."
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Redlands
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Apr 13, 2009 - 06:06pm PT
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Not really something to seek out (unless you're already at Generator since it's right across the road), and it's basically a 10' boulder problem with some 5-easy stacked on top, but Conductor Crack has got a pretty stout crux at 10d, IMO.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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Apr 13, 2009 - 06:06pm PT
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"i suppose it's worth mentioning that size matters?"
"I think it's the sausage digits, Johnny Man. "
I think BVB and Warbler are right on. I remember talking about Dog's Roof and Russ saying he thought it was easy, but that he had sausages for fingers. I think Fish Crack is nowhere near it's grade (I think .11c is appropriate), but maybe it's cause I don't have fat, stubby digits?
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Apr 13, 2009 - 06:51pm PT
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Size does matter. For instance, the hardest part of Butterballs (for me) is the first ten feet - my fingers are bomber at the top. Haard is harder for me than Butterballs. On the other hand, the Pirate, at Suicide, is totally impossible for me - I can't pull a single jam. And Insomnia is a hard size as well.
But back to 5.10d. Cramming is a hard size for fat hands, but Five and Dime is locker. That's the case with all of those routes that go from 1 to 1 1/2 inches.
JL
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TomT
Trad climber
Aptos.
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Apr 13, 2009 - 07:14pm PT
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John, I have wanted to try do Five and Dime- now it has moved up my list. I want to hear more beta on which hard 10s are good and bad for sausage fingers- I only get a few days per year to climb in the valley -got to pick things that will work to my advantage.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Apr 13, 2009 - 07:18pm PT
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anybody ever take a good look at watusi's digits? they start out, like, ham-hock thick at the palm then they taper down to quills at the tips.
genetically predisposed to finger crack mastery, as it were.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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Apr 13, 2009 - 07:41pm PT
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Now that you mention it, I just looked and my knees are pretty close to the same size as my fist (same size in front, tapers to slightly larger in the back - called chicken legs) ... Doesn't seem to help much! Still have to work my ass off on real OW. lol
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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Apr 13, 2009 - 07:56pm PT
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Hmmm... I'd say my knee, is at best, a 1/4" wider. If that. Regardless, I'm psyched, period once I can get my knee in!
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