Best intro off widths and chimneys at Vedauwoo

hey all,

Cruising into Vedauwoo next week. I don't have a ton of off width or chimney experience, so I was wondering if there were any good routes that might be fun to learn on?

Also, anyone have any tips for camping? We have a fully self-sufficient dirtbag van, so we just need a spot to park.

Best.

I've been there exactly once. Loved it! I was told to lead Edward's Crack 5.7, on Walt's Wall. It's not exactly OW but has parts that are. You can do it as one pitch, though it's technically two. Really fun climbing. Just check the gear beta.

Then one of my partners led Hassler's Hatbox Route 5.7. A very interesting chimney, most of which can be climbed without Chimney technique if you like. Hassler's Hatbox sits on top of Walt's Wall, so Edward's was a good way to get there. Both are very protectable.

Then we traversed over an put a TR on Cat's Cradle 5.8+, which is a hand crack, but the bottom section (if you climb from the very base) had an option OW section. Short but also lots of fun.

All in all, it was very well planned out by my partners. I had a great time!

Steve's Offwidth 101 is a fantastic circuit of easy offwidths to learn on. Definitely familiarize yourself with the concepts before you get on them, and (especially on Easy Jam) really focus on using good technique, rather than trying to face climb around them.

Edward's Crack has some really cool offwidth sections if you climb them as offwidths, and you can't really cheat on the top. But they're typically a move or two before they go back to a more manageable size.
Ed's, Horticulture, and Satterfield's crack can be done with nothing larger than a #4 camalot, if you don't mind a little bit of runout in a chimney. Otherwise, find some big gear to borrow.

Handjacker, Lower Slot Right, Mother #1, and Strawberry Jam are not intro routes if you're unfamiliar with the technique. Save those for day 2 or 3. Strawberry Jam is just a little behind Ed's in terms of overall quality, but its a really sustained 5.6/5.7 offwidth, with a few moves of 5.8 sprinkled throughout. While you're up there, head over to Land of the Rising Moon to do Straight and Narrow.

J Marsella wrote:Check out the chimney at Holy Saturday for a good "5.5" experience.