Fat Fingers (aka Shadow of a Hangdog) 

The Peter Hubbel guidebook calls this route "Fat Fingers". A sandbag at 10a/b. I have tried to climb this several times over several years, first on lead, then TR. More like 10d/11a. It requires a difficult layback with one's feet very close to the body. There is now a cam stuck in the crack several feet below the roof. See my comments on Brain Cloud re: other routes one can TR from the same anchors.

I don't think this route is a sandbag but it is definitely solid for the grade. Careful footwork and good off-finger (.75 Camalot) jamming technique will get you through the crux. If your trying to layback the crux it would be much much harder. A good varied trad lead with a sweet crux.

My brother (Scott Berk), Jeffery Brown, and I did the first accent of this sometime in the late 80's - don't remember who got up first. We named it Shadow of a Hangdog. I do remember connecting two wires for extended reach in protecting the crux. I really don't think it harder than 5.10b - just a tricky couple of moves requiring (as Anthony Everhart says) good off-finger technique.

The little overhang in the crack near the top is awesome. I wouldn't have had so much trouble if my forearms weren't so pumped, I looked like Pop-eye when I got to the ground. The bottom is way tough which makes the top even tougher. Fun ass climb though.

Various guidebooks refer to this climb as "Fat Fingers." I can believe that. I tried everything I could think of to get a lock in that crack that splits the small roof on this climb to no avail. Seconds later I became the namesake "hangdog" although there was nothing incorporeal about it. Not sure of the origin of the name - maybe those hanging at the crux pondering the question of how to get a lock in the off-fingers crack bathe their belayer in a "shadow of a hangdog" if the sun is in the right spot? What an amusing name!

This climb is listed under both its names. My original comments are hereby appended (and edited) to the more frequented listing:

"Fat Fingers" - a less amusing name, but probably more indicative of the crux's difficulties. I tried everything I could think of to get a lock in that crack that splits the small roof on this climb to no avail. Seconds later I became the namesake "hangdog" although there was nothing incorporeal about it.

Ring-locks!!

If you reach high in the crack, there is a hidden edge. If I remember correctly, it was half way up the off finger section on the left side. Using this crimp and jamming at the same time, may get you through the crux.

AC, that is where the name "Shadow of a Hangdog" came from. Don't remember where our shadows were projected (my brother, a friend and I put up the route sometime around '88) but I do remember staring at my shadow as I hung trying to figure out that move.

The 2-star rating I gave this climb is reflective of the location it is in. There are better climbs at Table, and far better climbs other places, but I am taking into account that The Naked Edge is not at Table....

5.10b or 5.10c. The move is kinda hard, and your hands can't get too far in. Fat fingers? I guess so. I half-hand-jammed it.

Rack is cams tiny-2" and a few nuts. You can clip the bolts on Brain Cloud for 1/2 of the route with 2' runners if you want to.

I had more fun doing this as an A0 (A1 if you deliberately use suspect nuts where you could use a cam) than toproping it. Even if this is 10b, I don't think I want to learn how to jam that thing with my fingers. Better to get strong enouth to do the layback moves.

It's a sandbag route. 5.11-.

Yep, I've hung on this one too. The guidebook calls this .10a, but getting your feet above the small roof while trying desperately to jam the crack is a 10b or 10c move for sure.

Easy for a 5.10. I give it a 5.10a. You don't need to jam the crack. Set up a good layback and get your feet super high and you can muscle right through the overhang.

The crack above the roof is not unlike Coyne Crack at Indian Creek, and that's rated 11+. Rating a climb that involves a few ring-locks over a roof 10a is a bit stiff.

This is probably the coolest route at N. Table. It’s really not that hard if you know how to rock climb (bwah ha ha). You only need to make one ring lock move, or you could lay it back and it would be like 10+. Or you could aid up it using only knotted webbing (H to the C).

IMHO among the more interesting climbs at table. Very safe lead as there is a bomber jam before the crux that allows pro placement at the hardest move/s. I did the strenuous layback version through the crux, have to try the ring locks next time but it does seem a bit wide for my fingers. Would have to say that at 10a this climb felt a bit harder than other easy 10s at Table.