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Cruel Sister 

5.10a

   

FA: Mike Seeley, Wayne Arrington 1974
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.10a [details]
Length: 1 pitch, 80 feet
Season: Summer, Spring, Fall
Views: 1,015 page views

Submitted By: Karsten on Jan 29, 2006


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Ian low on Cruel Sister. Crack-a-no-go and Blood C...


Description 

This is one of the Mega-classics of the gorge and Smith. It is one of the finest handcracks you'll ever do. The crack starts as tight hands and gradually widens to fists at the top. Easily the most popular climb in the gorge be prepared to wait for this climb on nice days. Still, the wait is worth it!!!


Protection 

Gear to 3.5 inches, couple of long slings for the anchor if TRing.
Chains at top



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Shirley leading Cruel Sister.

Shirley leading Cruel Sister.


Add Comment Comments on Cruel Sister
Show which comments —
By rpc
Jan 30, 2006

Gorgeous route! Best crack of the grade at Smith?

By DonJuan
From: Boulder, CO
Jun 16, 2006

Great climb, a bit underated for some (really 10c?), definitely challenging. Enjoy!

By Andy Laakmann
Site Landlord
From: Jackson Hole, WY
Oct 22, 2006
rating: 5.10a

Wow, fun stuff. All sizes of hands on this one, including a wide move or two at the top. Definitely bring a #4 Camalot for the top, and you might want to save a #3 Camalot for the top as well. The rest of the climb takes as many #0.5 through #2 Camalots as you can throw at it. Way better than Karate Crack imo.

By Bryan Gartland
From: Bozeman
Dec 13, 2006

Can you get away with just two sets of cams on this one?

~Thanks

By pointy
From: at large
Dec 18, 2006

You can get away with one set of cams if you know how to place nuts. The crack isn't splitter the whole way, so there are lots of passive gear placements and hand locks. As Andy said save a #4 Camalot for the top (or a big hex?).

By Max Tepfer
Mar 14, 2008

I might be biased as my first real experience with the 5.10 grade came in the Lower Gorge, but the grade 10a is definitely consistent w/other routes in the gorge. (Bloodclot, 10b is very similar w/a slightly harder, more sustained crux, ditto for Badfinger, and Last Chance, 10c is easily two letter grades harder than Cruel Sister. If you climb at other trad areas in Oregon, these grades are actually kind of soft...)