Me exiting Toe Crack and entering the traverse to ...
Description
Though Toe Crack is not its own route it is done on its own more often than not so I figured I'd add it as a route.... It is actually the second pitch of Repulsion (5.8+) which is not too popular due to being a bit spicy.... If you are looking to climb a perfect 5.7 hand crack, Toe Crack is for you for sure...It is also one of the first cracks to dry after rain which adds to its allure....
Pitch 1: (5.5) Start on the ramp that leads up and right to Turner's Flake.... When you get under Turner's, step down and right (tricky at the grade) and over to a stance below the beautiful crack.... Belay from here or keep climbing but think of rope drag and your partners safety on the traverse move and protect accordingly....
Pitch 2: (5.7) Climb the crack for about 100ft. It doesn't get much finer at the grade.... #3 cams help and you may want a 3.5 if you are shaky at the grade...The jams are good and so are the feet, but the gear is a little weird in parts 'cause the crack isn't perfectly splitter.... Just look at your cams before you move on instead of stuffing them blindly (always a bad idea).... When the crack ends, move right into Standard Route (5.7) and belay at a fixed rap anchor on a tree or build and anchor at a thread...One rap with double ropes gets you back to the ground....
Finish: you have choices if you don't feel like rappeling.... You can continue up Standard Route (5.7) or Repulsion (5.8+), or trail blaze left on fun, low-angle, face climbing (it protects well but you can't really tell from below) over to the 2nd belay on Thin Air (5.6) and finish up that....
Location
Just right of Turner's Flake (5.8) look for the hard to miss perfect hand crack, that screams to be climb....
Two rope rap to the ground from the standard route belay.
What a great route. The traverse left to Thin Air is fun and easy. You can also rap from those anchors with two ropes, or a set just below with a 70m.
By Bill Hutchins From: Bethesda, MD Oct 6, 2007 rating: 5.7
Great route. From the end of the crack one can climb the arete above to a belay on right in the Standard Route Crack. An option from there is to traverse high across the face to the third belay ledge on Thin Air. Aim for a right facing corner with a tree. The belay is just above the corner. The traverse is easy (5.3?) but unprotected.
Great route my climbing partner Gary's hand actually got stuck in the crack, great fun...
By Duncan Lennon From: New Hampshire Jan 17, 2009 rating: 5.7
Hm, on pitch 1, I think the crux is before you reach Turner's, on the hand traverse once the ramp ends. And as you approach the belay ledge, it is helpful to place as high in the crack as possible so as to protect the second, then downclimb it to the ledge.
Not an easier option really but more direct (and fun) is to start up the first pitch of Repulsion (5.8) it is a slab and crack pitch leading up directly under the Toe Crack... Start up a dike to a bolt then move left on tricky moves between finger cracks protected by TCUs then over a slight bulge to belay at the base of Toe Crack...
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