More adventures near Flagstaff, Arizona.

Zak Romuald on Crystal Clear 5.13a in Northern Arizona.

Matt Kuehl on The Grim Reefer 5.9.  Limestone offwidth in shorts?
Northern Arizona

Andy Reger digs deep on Mary Jane's Guillotine 5.10

Zak Romuald on the slab by start to Crystal Clear.

The Oak Creek / Waterfall area near Sedona.  Basalt splitters! 

Andy Reger doing a top rope run up Black and Tan 5.10

And at some point we also went to Zion and climbed Inner Chi 5.11.  It was sweet. 

Action In Solitude: Red Rock Profile

Thanks to Kevin and Ian with Action In Solitude for working on this great video short.

Featured Routes: 

Offwidth AKA Desert-erata V2 - In Calico Basin beneath Alternative Crag.

Plumbers Crack (South side) 5.10 - In the Kraft boulder field in Calico Basin.

Trophy Crack V2 - In Sandstone Quarry just East of the Trophy Wall.

Chrysler Crack 5.9 - In Sandstone Quarry at the top of the Sandy Corridor.

Also featured by Climbing Magazine here.

Vedauwoo: Still Damn Offwidth!

Enjoying the serenity of Vedauwoo on the scramble up to the "Eight Ball" formation.
Photo: Jason Molina

Summertime living in Las Vegas is not necessarily a climber's dream.  Consistent 100+ degree temperatures and a scorching sun beating down on your back aren't exactly inviting conditions.  The beautiful Aztec sandstone of Red Rock Canyon is pretty much all out of the picture, unless you're climbing at night during a full moon.  Luckily, some other options do exist. Probably the best local alternative is to take a 45 minute drive Northwest up to Mt. Charleston for what some consider to be a limestone paradise.  Here you'll find impressive caves, beautiful surroundings and perma-drawed sport test pieces waiting to pump you out of your gourd.  For me, the journey to find great summertime climbing would take me a bit further away. Determined to crush myself on some hard offwidths, I knew exactly where to go.  So (once again) I packed up the van with oodles of wide gear, a dozen roles of tape, and some disposable clothing and bee-lined it to Vedauwoo, Wyoming.  Offwidth paradise!

Jason Molina gettin' squeezed out on the burly start to Christie's Ultimatum 5.12a

The usual suspects were involved of course.  Jason Molina was van co-pilot and in it for the long haul with me. Pamela Pack and Jay Anderson were also our "partners in wide" and deemed the resident offwidth experts.  Jim, Danny, Greg, and Scott also joined our motley crew to crush and be crushed by anything wider than your fist.  Once assembled beers were cracked, hands were taped, and bodies were unnecessarily inverted. We started climbing some of the classics at The Nautilus, one of Vedauwoo's most easily accessed and popular climbing areas.  The highlights from the day were getting on Right Parallel Space 5.9 and the Left Torpedo Tube 5.10a (more like 5.10+).  Both of these climbs are really impressive and aesthetic lines.  Don't let the grade fool you, you're gonna sweat and have to implement some try-hard on these classics.

Packing up after climbing Mainstreet 5.10a the crack on the right. Classic

Another classic of a moderate grade is Mainstreet 5.10a.  At 120' this is by far one of the longest and most sustained offwidths that I've been on in Vedauwoo.  The crack does not really change much in width, and its almost entirely #6 Camalot size for its entire duration. The crux is negotiating a steep bulge in the first 25 feet, then the rest is enduro arm bars and heel-toes with a lot of foot pain.  I learned a lot on this pitch and on Left Torpedo Tube the day before. The offwidth technique required in Vedauwoo is much different than in the sandstone wide cracks I am more familiar with.  In Vedauwoo, the cracks tend to open up (flare) on the outside, so jams are typically deep inside the crack or not possible at all. On a sandstone offwidth, it is typically more "splitter" and the walls of the crack will be very parallel, making the climbing technique a little more obvious and less tricky (in general).  Another main difference in climbing offwidths on the Vedauwoo Sherman Granite is the large quarts crystals that can be used for foot holds outside the crack.  Using some outside features on the granite is often the difference between 5.10a and 5.11b, so going "straight in" isn't always going to serve you well. In example, on Mainstreet  I climbed it the burly way, utilizing fist stacking throughout the entire crux section.  Jay was watching me and said that it was a pretty cool way to do it, which made be psyched. But when I asked him how he climbed it, he said that he faces the other way and utilizes face features and arm barring to pull the crux.  Considerably different. In conclusion, I climbed it like a 5.11- sandstone offwidth and Jay climbed it like a 5.10a Vedauwoo offwidth... Ultimately his experience on the unique stone reigned superior, and my creativity and persistence came in as perhaps the second best option.

Finishing The Spins 5.11b as Jay Anderson comes up the unknown chimney.
Photo: Jason Molina

Later on we explored an area I've never been before to get on Someday Kid's This Will All Be Yours 5.10 and The Spins 5.11b. "Someday Kids" is a pretty unassuming wide crack tucked away in corridor between some boulders.  It is a corner crack that gradually widens as you get higher and higher.  To me it was very reminiscent of Chrysler Crack in Red Rocks, although shorter, slightly more flared and little more difficult because of the slick granite.  This route was a great warm-up and also a great opportunity to not-thrash and focus on efficient movement.  If I were to do this climb again I would forgo bringing large cams, instead placing mostly Big Bro's for protection.  The reason for this is because once I got back to the ground I realized most of my energy from the climb was wasted pushing large cams up with me, despite the climbing being pretty straight forward.  The "Bro and Go" method has become a much more appealing way to protect these moderate offwidths and I really like the "giv-er-hell" mentality that comes from placing a long string of Big Bros.

Greg Cameron on Burning Man 5.11

Jim on Burning Man.

The crew also jumped on the excellent (but deceptive) Burning Man 5.11.  Despite looking more friendly than fierce, this climb is like a human jig-saw puzzle with no correct solution.  Everyone who attempted this climb had their own bag of tricks, different methods, and a different vision of how this could go down.  Collectively we tried right-side in, left-side in, kick through, face holds, head jamming, and even desperate sidewinding, but nothing seemed to do the trick.   In the end Pamela was the only one able to send this 5.11 today, but a lot of us were damn close! Either way it was great watching everyone work this route and I look forward to getting on it again when it isn't on my "rest day".

Danny Parker inverts Bob's mysterious top-rope test-peice. 

Jay gives the invert method a shot.  Pretty entertaining! 

One of my favorite moments from the trip was when Jason and I went and climbed The Gates of Ladore 5.11c.  This line always stood out to me as an impressive, inspiring, very clean line.  This route splits a huge boulder and is about 60 feet tall and features a squeeze start that gradually tightens down to fists.  Although the climb itself was excellent, the excitement really came from an impending storm that loomed overhead and threatened to strike us down.  Getting a late start to our day, we got to the crag with the storm already lookiong a little to close for comfort.  We were also surprised the van could make it down the "4x4" road but we were psyched it drove us within a stone's throw of the climbing. As time quickly passed, the storm gradually got closer and closer, lightning and thunder booms were beginning to crash quite near us.  We took a quick moment to drive the van out of the steep terrain before the rain hit. I ran back to the crag and in a moment of eagerness quickly told Jason I was still gonna go for it.  I taped up my inside (right) hand and figured that should be good enough. It was time to get climbing! I started up the crack and made as quick progress as I could up the squeeze.  There was a good 15'-20' of climbing before I could get my first piece of gear, a blue Big Bro.  Above this gear the climbing became more difficult, requiring some real solid technique to the next gear placement.  From here I placed a #6 Camalot and kept moving.... fast! I plugged and chugged as fast I could and tried to avoid rushing and thrashing.  Soon enough, I was at the anchor bolts and gave a nice solid "Waaahooo!" to celebrate.  The storm, now in the close distance, was starting to unleash the rain.  I cleaned the anchor and rappelled back down to the ground as the rain increased.  Before we knew it, Jason and I were running back to the van (I was still racked up!) in a full-on downpour dash to the finish line.  We fumbled with the keys trying to get into the van but eventually open the sliding down and jumped in! A little bit wet in the end, but a damn good time. 

Scott on his first Vedauwoo offwidth Penetration 5.9+

So many good stories, photos, and beta to share still, but some must remain to be told over beers and a crackling campfire.  After all, that's were they are most appreciated right? Thanks to the crew from making it another successful trip to Vedauwoo, I'm looking forward to more soul crushing next summer!  Never been to Vedauwoo?  Take a look at some of these climbs for your first visit too...

Mother #1 5.7, Straight and Narrow 5.8+, The Convict 5.9, Spectraman 5.11c, and The Shocker 5.11d

Me climbing Spectraman 5.11c. Another classic!
Photo: Scott

Another beautiful night of free camping in Vedauwoo.  Living the dream. 

Don't Just Wing It: Climbing Magazine

The article featured in Climbing #317 (August 2013)

I am glad to announce that an article I wrote on offwidth climbing technique was featured in Climbing Magazine #317. The article covers some essential techniques such as Heel-Toe cam, Chicken Wing, Arm Bar, and several different Hand-Stack variations.  I am grateful to contribute something to the climbing community and hope those who is interested to offwidthing will learn a few things from the article.  I also shot the technique photos for the article, and have written a little about that process in my last post.  Now go climb a wide crack and enjoy!

The article can also be viewed online here.

Also featured on the Mountain Project homepage (mobile version shown).

Photo Happenings

Serious camera rigging in the name of offwidth climbing photography. 

Here are a few photos I've shot recently that I'm pretty excited about.  At time's it can be hard to convince myself to lug around the big SLR and I occasionally settle for snapshots on the mobile device, especially on long all day routes.  Sometimes the best camera is the one you have with you, but that's no excuse not to get quality images when you have the time. There is nothing quite as rewarding as the process of getting a high quality, thought provoking, well composed climbing photograph.  It's an adventure in itself just trying to get into position and anticipate the best shot. These two photos from Zion were actually from our "rest day" from doing longer climbs, but I managed to convince the boys to get on the Intruder 5.11+ with no warm up. They did pretty damn well!  My part was easy, I just aid climbed it in 5 minutes and made sure to bring a beer to drink at the top. The three of us seemed to gather some attention from the passing by tourists and some bikers stopped to take photos of us climbing and shooting photos.  Rock climbers might be one of Zion's main attractions... they should let us in for free... and feed us! 

Andy Hansen on Intruder 5.11+ in Zion, Utah.

Ryan Strong on Intruder 5.11+ in Zion, Utah.

I also have just recently started to experiment with a photo idea I've had some time.  Often I encounter problems with a lack of people to shoot, not enough belayers, or a hard to get angle where a person doesn't really fit (i.e. deep inside a crack).  My solution to the problem was clear, I needed to experiment with camera rigging with an automated shutter release.  The concept is easy to understand, but the execution is the real test.  So recently when stuck with no available climbing partners and a photo deadline to meet, I went to see what I could do.  Rigging the camera up inside a crack was my first objective, and it was a precarious and delicate process consisting of much jingus-ness and improvising... my strong point! 

Self portrait solo on Chrysler Crack 5.9 in Red Rocks.

My second objective was to do a more full-scale shot of a climb from a distance with the camera set to shoot in increments of 10 or so seconds. Keeping with my wide-crack ways I decided Chrysler Crack would be a fitting climb.  I have climbed this crack many times and it's difficulty lessens significantly with every passing arm bar.  A while back, this was my first true offwidth I attempted.  On that try I couldn't even figure out what to do! The second time (after climbing many other harder offwidths) I did it without any trouble and only placed three Big Bro's for protection in the whole 90' feet. The third time I did it in 2 minutes and 30 seconds and set the new "world's most pointless" speed record. And the fourth time I did it sans-rope.  Clearly, once your figure this thing out it becomes pretty mellow.  Whatever way you climb this thing it is a classic! 

Jason Molina on Beelzebub 5.11 in Red Rocks, Nevada.

I also finally got around to shooting the obscure wide route Beelzebub 5.11, which I think is one of Red Rocks most impressive and clean cut offwidths.  This route tackles a long offwidth crack that splits the center of a beautiful streaked wall and is about 70' of a clean cut 6 inch crack... Woohoo! Finally burly fist stacks and heinous thigh scums and heel toes for a looong while.  This thing is a beast and I can't wait to get more images of it once the desert temps drop more in the fall.  But in the mean time, these two images should give you a little taste of what it's all about.  Cheers! 

A view from the offwidth cam, but this time my head was also in the crack...

Offwidthing in Moab, Utah.

View from the base of Sorcerer's Crossing

Back in mid December I took a trip over to Indian Creek and the Moab area to get crushed by as many offwidths as my body and mind could simultaneously handle. When I arrived in the land of endless cracks my perma-psyche was at an all time high and I was eager to get out and climb! But unexpectedly my pysche was at a level that sleeping seemed next to impossible despite being exhausted from the day's drive. So in preparation for tomorrow's offwidthing we stayed up till 4am drinking beers of questionable quality blathering about who-knows what until we saw the people camping next to use waking up for their early morning start. At that time we decided it was appropriate to get some rest because soon we were going to meet up with Pamela and Jay to go climb some cracks in Long Canyon.  I was eager to explore the area and having these two show us around was more than rad. Onward!

Pamela Pack shows us the art of route finding in Long Canyon. 

Long Canyon might be one of Moab's best kept "secrets" so make sure to forget all about this post! Essentially this area is a lot like Indian Creek, except most of the lines are unclimbed and first ascents are everywhere!  It seemed a lot more adventurous to me because of the lack of other people around and the absence of some conveniences (poopers and good trails) that exist in Indian Creek.  Pamela pointed out a handful of Craig Luebben's route's and some of her own newer routes.  My mind was blown and they all looked awesome and hard!  So the only reasonable option was to go out and try a few of them... For me the most memorable routes I tried in Moab were Slither and Scream 5.11 and Done Lubin' 5.11.  Both these routes were featured in Pamela's article on Craig Luebben's "Top Ten Dessert Offwidths" that was featured in Climbing magazine and can also be read here.  Both of these cracks stood out to me as not only being aesthetic and impressive but they also demanded a truly unique amount of concentration and persistence that I might'a just had enough of. 

Matt Kuehl on pitch one of Done Lubin' 5.11.
Photo: Andy Reger

I happened to try Done Lubin' first. The rack for these types of climbs is always unbearable HUGE and makes even the "easy" climbing seem hard.  The start of this climb is a cupped-hand crack with a funky little foot-less section that would typically be no big deal, but now became surprisingly tricky with massive amounts of gear. After this section you can kiss your hand-cracks goodbye because it's nothing but offwidth for the next twenty minutes of your life (if you're lucky).  The climbing was very sustained and tricky throughout but the crux of the whole shebang has got to be when the crack widens and you can no longer hand or fist-stack the beast.  This 8" wide crack seems like it goes on forever and you can forget about trying to "rest".  You better love arm bars and thigh scums because that's all you get for quite a ways.  Simply and delightfully brutal.  I distinctly remember getting off this climb and looking down at my hands and arms and was convinced that this route had shrunk them and that I was forever a smaller and weaker human.  I was completely exhausted and nearly threw up.  It was the time of my life.

Matt Kuehl on the first pitch of Craig Luebben's Slither and Scream 5.11
Photo: Andy Reger

The next day we went to check out Slither And Scream 5.11.  I looked up at the route with an eager nervousness and debated internally about leading the climb or just taking the easy way out and top roping it, but the choice became clear to go for the lead. After some discussion about soft rock and ground falls I decided it would be wise to pre-place my first piece of protection for the soon-to-be lead attempt. So I went up on top rope to place the peice and sure enough I ripped off a huge chunk of stone and took a 10 foot top rope whipper right back to the ground. Gnarly! Somehow this gave me confidence and after I placed the good first piece I pulled the rope down and geared up for a lead attempt. 

 Pamela made it seem as if this route would fit my strengths (she always sandbags me!) so I was psyched and ever determined to make it to the top without a fall.  A majority of this climb is hand stacking and knee jaming on a sharp edged crack. Excellent movement that is pretty burly and exhausting.  Eventually the crack widens and you happily squeeze yourself in the crack for a rest.  What you soon realize is that the route is about to get seriously hard and that the rest of the climb is protected only by Big Bros. I delicately worked my way up as the moves became more precarious and difficult.  I placed an "OK" Bro that did not inspire much confidence in my now shrinking body. I tried not to think about it.  Continuing to slither up the crack I eventually got squeezed out and was now dangerously dangling outside the crack with nothing more than a brutal arm bar and leg scum holding me in place.  I somehow managed to place a better Bro but my confidence didn't really increase.  I worked my way up a few more feet and suddenly it hit me... I'm gonna fall onto this Big Bro!  And I thought to myself...

"DAMNIT YER GONNA DIE!"

Obviously I was a little dramatic in my own head, but after 30 minutes of climbing and then leading hard offwidth above Big Bros was, lets say, significantly intimidating. Luckily for me this inspired me to push myself beyond my perceived capabilities. At this point I knew I was totally committed and that I wasn't going to give up until I passed out from exhaustion.  So out of necessity I immediately development a new technique that has since been coined the "Super Try Hard" technique.  It is a mysterious technique that can only be used in very limited quantities, typically 30-60 seconds, before it is no longer useful and you are either completely screwed or undeniably sending. So after implementing the "Super Try Hard" I was able to place one last Bro and squeeze up farther to gain the last portion of squeeze chimney. From here you can catch your breath before running it out to the anchor. YES! Success! Once I returned to the ground I had wondered why Pamela didn't just send me up there with 9" and 12" Valley Giants so I could more easily protect the crux section.  I pondered this for a few moments before realizing that I had just sent one of Craig Luebben's classic offwidth's using Big Bro's (a device that he invented!) to protect the crux. Whoa, it all became clear and it was an amazing realization. I felt Craig's energy overwhelm me and I welcomed it all around.  

The rack for Slither And Scream 5.11

Jason, Jay, Pamela and Andy looking up at Pamela and Patrick's route Dark Passenger.

On a rest day we got to explore some other routes in Long Canyon.  Pamela decided to show us her and Patrick Kingsbury's new route Dark Passenger 5.12 and it was sick! We hiked into the base and it was truly wild looking crack, I've never seen anything like that before.  The crack on pitch two "squiggles" back and forth and I could only imagine it would be totally brutal to climb.  The am pretty sure Pamela ruptured a disc in her back on this pitch.  Read all about it here!  SOOO much more to share but I feel I have reached my capacity for this post.  More offwidth stories from Moab and Indian Creek will be added here and there for a while... as for now I am still taking it all in!  Thanks for reading and a special shout out to Pamela and Jay for showing us around this awesome place.  Respect!

Bro's Before Holes 5.10c

It's not often that a single pitch route in my own backyard stays on the to-do list for almost an entire year.  But the route Bro's Before Holes in Red Rock Canyon has captured and maintained my interest ever since I laid eyes on it in Jerry Handren's guidebook.  Described as an "impressive offwidth" that is "burly and sustained" the book recommends racking up with two #6 cams and six Big Bro's... an equally burly rack.  At the time I first read about it I only owned one of the recommended pieces. A single #6 clearly wasn't gonna cut the mustard.  So I began the slow process of tracking down all the gear needed to get on this beast of a route with a realistic chance of being able to protect it.

Big Bro's are mysterious pieces of climbing gear.  The adjustable tube chokes are coveted pieces for the offwidth junkie, but the majority of the climbing community has never placed one... especially not on lead.  Like offwidths, many people consider Bro's difficult to place, mostly scary, and a completely foreign experience. But with a little experimenting and practice the tubes become your adjustable buddies on your journey upwards into unknown territory at about the pace of a constipated turtle. That being said... once the gear had been gathered and the psych was ridiculously built up it was time to finally give it a shot.  I got my opportunity with Nick Rhoads and Jason Molina on an unsuspecting day in November.  What followed was certainly an unforgettable experience...

Matt Kuehl enjoying the burly and sustained Bros Before Holes.
Photo: Jason Molina

It was the first of the cold days to hit Red Rocks this fall and early winter. Temps in the shade topped out at about high 40's and the light wind chilled any bit of skin left uncovered.  The hike in up the steep and loose terrain was a great warm up for the day, but once we arrived I was eager to stay moving and start climbing before I chilled too much.  So we compiled all of our Bro's and I started eyeing up the crack.  At the base I scummed myself into the start and starred upwards at the massive crack and left the rest to be discovered in the spontaneity of my immediate future.  I felt prepared to do the pitch because I had done a handful of other cracks of this nature in the area.  But no crack is the same and this was truly a unique and challenging size demanding thorough concentration, commitment and strength.  The beginning isn't the most technically difficult because of some occasional fragile face holds, but as you work your way up you can feel the weight of the ground beneath you.  So you pluck the first Bro off your rack of seven and start precision fiddling, yanking, and bashing to secure your first piece.  More arm-baring and heel-toeing will keep your progress moving upwards as you gradually work your feet above your last piece of gear.  So you place another Bro and continue the grind for another 15 feet before all the would-be holds entirely disappear.  Now pleasantly forced to rely on true offwidth technique, I felt the character of the route really set in.  Only being able to occsaionaly rely on a chicken-wing and not being able to get my body fully squeezed inside the crack definitely made placing gear more difficult and strenuous.  I managed to place gear at about every body length until now... but now I'm stuck with a tipped out #6 and a significant amount of climbing to go.

Focusing my energy on moving upwards and relaxing my breathing I gradually slid the #6 up with me until the placement became more secure.  I placed another #6 above that and then slide it along for the ride, now entering the most technical portion of the climb.  This section required fist/fist stacking and some delicately insecure thigh/heel toe jam trickery.  If you are able to summon the ancients and not spin your wheels too much here you'll be just fine. Remember it's only 5.10c offwidth. After this section you are able to gain a small ledge which is an excellent rest spot and the ending of the truly wide difficulties.  What is left after the ledge is a 15 foot right-facing corner that could take a #5 or old #4 cam (that I didn't have at that time). Although this section seemed easier, it was still hard enough and I was already 10-15 feet above my last piece of gear.  I carefully moved upwards with foot jams, calf locks and baggy fist jams.  The rock was starting to get very questionable all around.  I delicately grabbed a small edge out right and begun to weight it while still quite run-out.  In an instant the entire section of rock in front of me had dislodged and crumbled apart hitting me directly in the forehead and torso.  I immediately yelled "Rock! Rock! Rock!" and watched as the sandy blocks hit the ledge beneath me and shattered into thousands of pieces raining down onto the ground. The rope went taunt and I feared rock fall had pinned the rope.  Beneath me Nick and Jason were just getting up after having just jumped into adjacent chasms to avoid the rockfall when they yelled up to me "Are you okay?". To their surprise I yelled back down "Yes... Don't take!" (The tension in the rope was pulling me down into the what-woulda-been scary as hell whipper.) Nick fed me slack as I brushed the piles of sand from my overalls.  I delicately continued upwards and managed to top out the route to complete a action-packed onsight of a route that's been on my mind for what seems like forever.  After I got down we played some Talking Heads and I believe these lyrics best sum up my experience...

"Watch out! You might get what you're after." - David Byrne

Trophy Crack

Click above to watch the video of me on Trophy Crack. 

While paging through the new Southern Nevada Bouldering guidebook recently I couldn't help but notice a photo of an awesome looking splitter crack problem.  With a little investigation I located the climb in the Sandstone Quarry area of Red Rock Canyon.  The crack is about 12-15 feet tall and goes from about 2 1/2 inches to 5 inches in width. The crack is also cut very clean with no face holds to help you along the way.  This splitter crack problem is a great way to practice crack climbing technique and it especially caters to those looking to learn some offwidth techniques.  This problem can be done in several different ways (probably) but the "kick-through" method seemed to be the easiest way for me to climb it.  Enjoy the videos and hope it's not too much beta spray!

Click above to watch my explanation of this climb.

Craig Luebben on Offwidths in Rock & Ice #95

These can be easily viewed by enlarging each photo in Blogger, then 

opening the photo in a new browser window to zoom in 100%. 

The Fox, Risk Brothers, and the Mystery OW

Andy Reger gets gear on The Fox 5.10d

The crew and I are back to the same ol' shenanigans in Red Rock again and I've been feeling productive climbing these last few days.  We've been dodging the heat and searching for shade like a bunch of fast moving slugs not wanting to dry up in the sun.  Luckily for us there are many excellent crack climbs in the area that get shade.  Two climbs that are too fun to pass by are The Fox and Risk Brother's Roof in Calico Basin.  Despite the fact that there are "no splitters in Red Rock" these two climbs are great clean-cut cracks that demand true crack technique to complete.  The Fox is one of the most popular crack climbs in the area and I've heard countless people try to compare other routes to it... but luckily it is unique in its difficulties and nothing else is quite like it here.  This time around I was able to shoot photos of the aesthetic line, which is something that has been on my list for a while. So sweet!

Andy further up on The Fox.

The Masai's performing great on Risk Brothers Roof 5.11-
Photo: Andy Reger

Afterwards we hiked over to another great crack climb "Risk Brothers Roof".  This thing is short and stout like George from Seinfeld and occasionally as fumbly if you mess it up.   I've found that this route is pretty much a roof crack boulder problem with a short crux with some potential for thrashing in between.  Too many falls working this thing and your rope WILL get core shot... too few and you're destine to make the same mistakes.  This fun little diddy also has a great chillin' ledge beneath and gives you a great few of Calico Basin and Las Vegas.  I haven't been on this route since last year around this time but I felt pretty good on it.  One of the biggest difficulties I expeireced this time was negotiating around the #3 cam that I placed exactly where I wanted my hand to be... rookie mistake!  Luckily my footwork felt solid and the new shoes from Teneya really worked well on this.

Rounding the roof bulge...
Photo: Andy Reger

Jason on the Nameless OW. 5.10+

The next day we went to an excellent mystery line that we had scoped a few times before.  The route looked like a great #5 size offwidth splitter in a small corner on good stone.  We couldn't find any information on the climb, but we knew it had been climbed because there were two old protection bolts next to the crack.  The odd part was there was no bolted anchor or any other descent method, so we brought enough of a rack to complete this thing clean in it's entirety. This included cleaning all the gear by down climbing at the end of the day.  It was all worth it and what we found was awesome offwidth climbing at a consistent size with adventurous moves and just enough burliness.  We were pretty psyched about this and I knew we would have to find out some more information on it soon.

Mind blown! Jason Molina in an offwidth trance.

Stacking my way through the crux.  

I was lucky enough to climb this route twice, three times if you include down climbing it. On my first attempt I brought a lot of gear and had no idea what the really expect.  I found myself relying on knee jams a little too much in the crux and eventually getting my knee stuck.  I'm kinda getting used to that though.  What I've discovered is that it's best not to get bomber knees unless you want to rest.  Otherwise climb using calf-locks or high heel toes which are easier to progress and remove. Little tricks like this are why I love trying these routes.  If you're doing this right it should feel pretty relaxed, although you'll still be sweating at the end.  Yesterday I asked the Urioste's about this line because they have established a lot of other nearby climbs.  What I found out was a pretty entertaining story and a conclusion that they climbed this back in the day.   When they climbed it they were disappointed in didn't continue further and because of this didn't deem in worthy of a name.  Jorge and Joanne weren't interested in single pitch climbs at the time and were more interested in the alpinist style of first ascents.  The bolts were also not placed during this time, and they appeared sometime later in the routes history by who knows? We didn't clip 'em.  This is a great line that I'm excited to know a lot more about now.  And if you're into this sort of thing you might like the slightly more known Weenie Juice 5.10a in Icebox Canyon.  Check it out!

Weenie Juice 5.10a.

Work In Progress: Trench Warfare 5.12d

Matt Kuehl riding the wide pony on Trench Warfare.
Photo: Adam Floyd

Trench Warfare has to go down as one of the most awesome and difficult tradition climbs I have ever attempted.  This 50' foot straight horizontal roof crack leaves a lot for your imagination! Your creativity and ability to fight the pain in this inverted arena might be the only chance to come out of this war alive.  When you're on this beast you might find yourself attempting moves you previously thought were impossible but now seem to be a reasonable solution to your problem. This awesome looking offwidth crack packs a real punch for it's relatively short length and it feels like it's at least a mile long.  This crack will undoubtedly have you questioning your commitment to handstacks and your personal well-being as you attempt to unstick your feet before you might just come slipping out upside-down towards the trench below.  But that's just the beginning of the fun stuff, you're in for a wild ride.

Looking out and up at Trench Warfare... it's horizontal. 

This route is mysterious in nature and its hidden existence under a huge toppled boulder in Little Cottonwood Canyon makes it an adventure to find and a true experience to climb.  When you arrive at the crack you will find yourself under the huge boulder crawling through the V-slot "trench" looking up at the crack just knowing you've found something great.  This route is truly one of a kind and an unforgettable burl-fest.  After finding the climb on a solo mission and getting my first actual view of the crack I knew I'd have to return and give it a go.  A few days later I returned with good friends Molly and Sean to give the route my first attempts.  Although a little intimidating, the approach slab to gain the start of the crack is actually easier than it looks and you can plug gear in the crack before even leaving the slab.  Once getting a piece or two and chalking up several more times it's now time to commit.  So you stack your hands and kick your feet up and the madness begins!  It can be difficult to become comfortable hanging like this at first but soon you get used to the horizontal difficulties and technique and creativity really takes over.  Although my first attempts were cut short on time, I started to get a good feel for the crack and knew my next visit would be much more productive because of it.  

Mark Gaguire working out the first section.
Photo: Adam Floyd

The next morning I posted on Mountain Project looking for climbers who were interested in spending a day working on Trench Warfare. Shortly after two enthusiastic and skilled climbers with an interest in the wide and a curiosity towards the route responded that they were interested in joining me.  Neither Adam Floyd or Mark Maguire had visited the route before, but that didn't stop us from giving the route a run for its money.  I got back on it first and progressed my way across the initial wide crack using hand/hand stacks and a lot of foot jam trickery.  I found the crux of this section to be the middle of the crack where it no longer easier accepts my size 12 boots.  I found myself spending more time and energy unsticking my feet than I really wanted.  Another common difficulty was efficiently placing gear and not burning precious energy.  When relying on handstacks which require your hands to be used together as one, removing one to place gear means your hands are no longer useful to hold you up. Because of this most every piece of gear I placed was while hanging primarily from my two feet in the inverted sit-up position.  Occasionally there would be small features to occupy one hand, but these where always quite minimal. Whenever the crack allowed it I would climb in the "wide pony" position with my feet on the outside and my handstacks in the middle. (Almost like you're on an inverted bucking bronco)  I found this position to be ideal and very secure, the only downside is the crack wouldn't always allow me in this position because of my wide feet.  One funny moment from this section was when I "fell" out of the crack just to discover I was still dangling comfortably from one foot with all my other limbs out of the crack.  So I grabbed an old #4 Camalot from my harness and nearly placed it before my one remaining foot slipped out entirely.  A pretty hilarious position to attempt to place gear from!  I refined my technique until this section felt smooth and do-able then eagerly approached the wide pod. 

Tom Randal enters the wide pod.
Photo: Alex Ekins

The distinct second half of the route is a lot different in nature because the crack opens up allowing you to struggle inside and become nearly upright for a short while. Although deceiving in most photographs, the wide pod section is still horizontal and doesn't round up to a vertical squeeze like it often looks.  The harsh reality is you're still on a roof crack and your only hope of crawling out is to try and relax, get gear, and flip back upside-down when you're ready for round two.  The wide pod presented a really neat challenge as well the unforgettable "reverse birth" sensation when first entering it.  I ungracefully struggled upwards inside using aggressive chicken-wings and a desperate crimp mantle until I found myself in the claustrophobic wide chamber too tight to even turn my head.  Unable to relax for more than a few moments I placed gear above my head and began the slow and agonizing "cartwheel" back into the inverted position.  Once here you know you're in for a wild ride and you have to simply find your happy place void of pain and gravity.  Getting into the wide pod was a more difficult squeeze than I had imagined, mostly because of the one really high foot and absence of anything for the other foot to really "push" off from below.  Luckily the chicken wings are totally bomber, and as long as you relax and breath you should be just fine.  Whatever you do don't get too tired to unweight your chicken wing, because then you'll be stuck, bad stuck... (that may or may not have happened to me).

Jay Anderson in the inverted shuffle in the wide section.

Once in the full body inversion I felt like a was bending space and time with every shuffle towards the outside.  The crack is pretty flared and tightens up a lot where your feet are jamming which makes it pretty do-able once you get your feet up there.  As I progressed I found increasingly secure foot jams and it was great to no longer rely on chicken wings and inverted arm bar nothingness.  While upside-down I was able to use small edges and crimps to help aid my sideways progress, but eventually they disappeared and stacks or magic abs were required to keep on truckin'.  This was another section where I don't think my big feet really helped my struggle, and perhaps it just made it a little more painful... it's hard to compare I suppose.  I wasn't often able to get straight heel-toe cams, but rather most of my foot jams were heel and side of foot jams which were generally just more uncomfortable than I wanted.  Either way it worked and I eventually stopped thinking about it and just shuffled my body towards the best hold on the whole route.  Once gaining the flat jug you're almost to the lip where there original 5.12d line finishes.  At this point I was totally exhausted but very psyched to have to just done all the moves on this awesome line.  I experienced much difficulty on the way, but it's was what I was looking for and working this route was pretty meditative and gratifying. 

Brad Jackson approaching the lip.
Photo: Kennan Harvey

So at the end of my session I left myself just enough energy to clean my gear off the route and belay Adam on his first attempts for the day.  Once the projecting process was complete I was free to evaluate all the cuts and bruises I'd accumulated from Trench and a nice warm shower helped me realize my soreness.  As I write this a few days later I must be honest that I am still sore and still doing my best to recover by climbing anything with face holds and big ledges for me to sleep on.  I never thought my legs would get so exhausted, but yet they are the most sore.  This route was another great learning experience for me and a trad project that I will keep until it gets completed.  Each attempt brought me drastically closer and I know that in time I will learn the intricacies of the crack and unique body positions to enable me to climb it clean.  Until then I'll be heading back to Red Rock Canyon for a productive Fall where I hope to keep building strength and climbing with new friends and maybe even finding some new ridiculous wide route monstrosities to attempt.  All in all my time hanging with Trench Warfare and the people of Salt Lake City was an unforgettable and positive experience.  I can only hope for more of this in the future and can't wait to see what's around the next bend.

Not tired yet? Turn the lip and top out to send the extended version Wench Warfare 5.13a