Yosemite Hardman Offwidth Circuit
Alexander George Cooper
can't find any references to it other than that Chingando is part of the
circuit. Is there an official list and/or sequence of climbs to do?
Alexander
Clint Cummins
- Chingando
- Generator Crack (on toprope)
- last 10' of Sacherer Cracker (can be avoided by going left)
If you want to get serious, check out the list below, posted
to this newsgroup a mere 10 years ago.
Note: I don't "do" ow, so I can't provide any ow beta from
personal experience.
Have fun,
Clint Cummins
-------------
From: bru...@roadrunner.denver.sgi.com (Bruce Bailey)
Newsgroups: rec.climbing
Subject: Re: Calling Dr. OW...
Date: 29 Jan 92 17:37:43 GMT
In article <20...@dog.ee.lbl.gov>, ag...@csa2.lbl.gov (JOEL AGER) writes:
|> Note: I am posting this for a (yeah, sure) friend of mine.
|>
|> This message is designed to find the email address of
|> Bruce Bailey (Dr. OW).
|>
bru...@denver.sgi.com
|> A certain individual is considering embarking on a spring tour
|> of pain, i.e., checking out a few Valley wides. This may or
|> may not have been inspired by a recent viewing of the classic
|> "Steppin Out." How about sending me your address and maybe
|> a rank-ordered list of Valley OW's - you could even include a
|> little gear beta. Misleading or sandbagging information will
|> just add to the fun.
Here's a list of the Yosemite offwidths that I'm "familiar" with. They're
ranked in descending order of difficulty according to the guidebook's
rating of the actual offwidth section. Some of these routes may have overall
ratings which are harder than the one I give, due to non-offwidth climbing
which is technically more difficult. I'll try to list person responsible
for the first ascent if I can remember who it is, as well as include some
personal observations.
5.11d Death Crack Vern Clevinger. Tuolome Meadows classic. Not much
offwidth necessary. A couple of #4 Camalots and a #6 friend (Yates)
ought to cover the widest parts.
5.11c Easy Wind ? Tuolome Meadows. Impressive and beautiful, overhanging
fist crack. The widest part doesn't have to be offwidthed. Carry 4 pieces
in the 5 to 6 inch range.
5.11a Cream Mark Klemens classic. Carry many 5 and 6 inch pieces, as
well as stuff up to 7 or 8 inches.
5.11a Blind Faith Kauk (and I think Bard). There are actually 4 pitches
of offwidth on this route, 5.11a, 5.10c, 5.10b, 5.9 (the last pitch of
the regular route, which the guidebook mis-rates).
5.11a Power Point Braun and Cosgrove. This pitch is mostly wide-fists.
The offwidth section is short and is protected by a bolt, but having a #3
Bigbro would surely help alot too. Bring as many #4 Camalots and #4 Friends
as you can get your hands on.
5.10d Twilight Zone Chuck Pratt. Number 3 Bigbros are the ticket here.
About 4 of these will make this route quite save. Bring a #4 Camalot too, and
some smaller (hand sized) stuff for near the top. Barry Bates told me that
when Pratt lead this, he went all the way past the widest stuff without
protection (about 40 feet up?). He then yelled down to someone on the ground
to run to his car and get a big piton. So Pratt hung on while they fetched
the piton (bong I suppose), and then he pulled it up with the rope and wanked
it in!
5.10d Steppin Out Mark Klemens. Off on the right side of Reed's. Bring
as many 6 inch pieces as you can get your hands on. It is possible to push
a 6 inch Friend (Yates) practically up the entire pitch. The crux is at the
very top, and can be protected by a #4 Camalot. I heard a story that Earl
Wiggens lead this without any big gear! I guess all he got in was something
at the chockstone (half way), and the quarter-inch bolt 20 feet below the top!
5.10c Edge of Night Bridwell, et. al. Hideous, flared, greasy, overhanging
5 inch (my worst size) section. This entire pitch could probably be lead with
just #4 Camalots (about 5 of them)!
5.10c Wild Turkey Dale Bard. Way out on Autobahn Buttress. Bring as many
5 and 6 inch pieces as you can get your hands on. I think I had about 8 - 10
pieces in this size range.
5.10c Mental Block Bard, Bridwell. Two offwidth pitches. Impressive line,
but old, death rappel anchors (the bolt hangers are home-made; single strips
of metal bent at a slight angle such that a downward load caused a force
DIRECTLY OUT on the bolt!).
5.10c The Wedge Jardine. I think this should be called "The Wedgie".
The 5.11 face climbing at the bottom of this is NOT well protected. The wide
part starts at hand size, and gradually gets wider up to 9 inches, so bring
an assortment.
5.10b Slack, Left Side Bridwell (?). Bring stuff to 7 or 8 inches, and
be sure to save some big stuff for near the top of the pitch. My friend
lead this and thought he was through the worst of it, after climbing a squeeze
chimney. He left most of his big stuff in the middle of the lead, thinking
he wouldn't need it. He was rudely surprised at the top, where he had to do
a scarey runout on a slightly overhung, 7 inch section.
5.10b Ahab. Bridwell & Sacherer (spelling?). Everyone has seen this route
just to the right of Moby Dick. No mysteries here.
5.10b Vendetta Robbins. Flared, 5-5 1/2 inches. Bring a couple of pieces
to 6 inches for the bottom, and save about 4 #4 Camalots for the flared crux.
5.10a Chingando Pratt. Lots of stuff in the 5-6inch range, then maybe some
stuff to 8 inches for the squeeze at the top.
5.10a Crack of Despair Sacherer. A barrel of laughs. Include some gear
up to 7 or 8 inches.
5.10a Right Side of Absolutely Free. Klemens. Another barrel of laughs.
This felt like one of the hardest offwidths I had ever done. Bring as much
big stuff as you can get your hands on (all sizes). A real puker.
5.10a Reed's Direct (Robbins?). One 6 inch piece will probably protect
the crux flare at the top of the last pitch.
5.10a Reed's Left (Sacherer?). Beautiful, classic, direct line. Bring lots
of stuff in the 6 inch range.
5.10a Doggie Do (?). Good beginner's offwidth.5.10a
5.9 Moby Dick Left (Sacherer ?). A friend and I climbed Ahab, Moby
Center, and then this all in the same day. By the time we got to this we
were laughing hysterically - "only a 5.9!!!!"
Have fun!
Bruce Bailey (Dr. OW)
Greg Barnes
> but old, death rappel anchors (the bolt hangers are home-made; single strips
> of metal bent at a slight angle such that a downward load caused a force
> DIRECTLY OUT on the bolt!).
The anchors are fine now, at least one good bolt at each. We replaced
the protection bolt on the second pitch as well.
Greg
PS For some good offwidths at easier grades:
The Rorp - 5.5 ow p2, 5.7 ow/flares/squeeze higher
Left side of Little John - 5.8 ow, can TR after doing the right route
The Chosen Few - 5.9 ow base of Leaning Tower
Russ Walling
cl...@Stanford.EDU wrote on 4/11/02 2:03 PM:
> Alexander George Cooper <agco...@stanford.edu> wrote:
>> I keep hearing about the Hardman Offwidth Circuit in Yosemite but I
>> can't find any references to it other than that Chingando is part of the
>> circuit. Is there an official list and/or sequence of climbs to do?
> It's an informal concept. The standard ows that people try are:
> - Chingando
> - Generator Crack (on toprope)
> - last 10' of Sacherer Cracker (can be avoided by going left)
>
> If you want to get serious, check out the list below, posted
> to this newsgroup a mere 10 years ago.
> Note: I don't "do" ow, so I can't provide any ow beta from
> personal experience.
I'll add:
Left side of Gollum (roofy and dry in the rain)
Left side of the Hourglass (too far to hike)
10.96 (all time fave)
Orange Juice Ave (crappy leaning mess)
Secret Storm (camp 4 choss)
Bad Ass Momma (super TR or solo)
River Boulder (slick wide hand/fist to flare)
Cool Wheel (roofy wide hands?)
Rt. Side of the Pharoahs Beard? (forgot)
Owl Roof (famous butt shot)
Excalibur (kind of a wall route)
Space Invaders (hideous lieback?)
Crucifix (mostly fist)
Kaukulator (short OW, dry when wet)
Get Right with Galens Crack (short top rope)
Wild Thing (rock fall death now?)
Jaws (roof, hard, and then harder. TR w/ backrope & lead)
And the next day I did......
adios,
Russ
--
"...what are you? Attached to this world?"
Walt Shipley
--
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