Fourth Of July Crack (Hard Promises) 5.12a
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| Type: | Trad, 1 pitch |
| Consensus: | 5.12a [details] |
| FA: | FA: Dan McClure & Dick DuMais, '70s?, FFA: Paul Piana or Todd Skinner (I think), '80s. |
| Submitted By: | Alex Shainman on Aug 17, 2001 |
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Climber at the start of 4th of July Crack.
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Description This is super varied!! This pitch has it all: squeeze chimney, overhanging fingers and thin hands in a corner, straight in offwith! It's hard the whole way except for a rest before the final stretch to the chains....
Fourth of July is actually on the Coke Bottle where it meets up with Walt's Wall. Lead up the first pitch of Satterfield's Crack (5.7-), but tunnel up and right through stacked boulders to the base of the left-facing corner and set up a belay. Worm your way up the greasy chimney/slot (don't trust the slippery footholds too much!) and fight it up, around the bulge to a spectacular, left-leaning, thinner corner (10+?). Turn on the power and jam, with occasional stems, up the crux. Try not to place too much gear or you will be sure to pump out!! After what seems like an eternity, heave over a bulge and onto a ledge. It ain't over yet.... After camping out for an hour, remember your OW skills and stack it up a cool, (luckily short) straight in OW (9+/10-). Arrive at the top and you just did one of the best climbs in the whole damn West!!
Protection Lots!! #4 Friend + #4 Camalot for the start (a bigger piece would also be comforting), mostly 1/2"-1.5" cams for the middle including med nuts, #2 Big Bro or equivelant for the top, 2"-2.5" pieces in between
| Comments on Fourth Of July Crack (Hard Promises) |
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By Tony B
From: Around Boulder, CO
Sep 5, 2001
rating: 5.12a
| Fourth Of July is probably a bit easier than its grade would imply, although it is sustained. There are some stemming moves that allow you to 'rest' a bit here and there. This climb suits those with large fingers and enduro forearms. The protection is reasonable, and is easier (less pumpy) on your forarms if you take plenty of TCUs. I did not find large gear to be important. |
By david goldstein
Aug 16, 2002
| More rack beta. I took a lot of small gear and don't think I used anything smaller than a .5 friend except for a couple of small to medium rocks (#3 and 6?).Doubles of #1 through #2.5 Friend sizes were handy in the middle (crux/enduro) section. In the chimney at the bottom I placed one each of #3, #3.5 and #4 Friend. At the base of the offwidth at the end of the pitch, almost anything you have left over finger size or above will go in. The business part of the offwidth can be protected with a #4 Camalot; however, this Camalot can block the fist/hand jams at the back of the crack. Without these jams, this section is Crack of Fear desperate. At 5'7" with short arms, I could just barely reach them. Someone with shorter arms would probably be screwed here. |
By JayJurkowitsch
From: Laramie,WY
Mar 27, 2007
| Skinner and Piana did this FFA in the late '80s(?), and it was the first 5.12 at Vedauwoo!! |
By Bob Rotert
Apr 10, 2007
| Had to have been freed more like the early '80s. I know I did it free around '83, and it had been freed by those boys before then. |
By Sam Lightner, Jr.
Mar 8, 2008
| It was late 70's for Paul and Todd. I believe it was considered the hardest rock climb in Wyoming at the time. |
By Bart Paull
From: Boulder, CO
Oct 31, 2008
| This is one of Vedauwoo's best routes. As far as the top offwidth, if you know how to stack, it's casual. |
By Larry Bruce
Aug 17, 2012
| I do believe that Dan McClure did the first free ascent of this route belayed by Dick Dumais back in the late '70s. Dan was a brillant climber who always did his climbs in perfect style, a unknown legend. |
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