Sometime Crack is found on the monolith of rock that sticks out between the Pedestal Buttress and D'Arcy's Buttress. The climb faces southeast and is overhanging. Start out on a slabby piece of rock that is rated about 5.6. Climb the 10-15 feet to the top of this slab and you'll be standing on a ledge at the base of the crack. Climb the crack using jams (it's the only way in this case, so don't try to layback or you'll get spit off). At the top of the crack the route goes to the right on a less defined crack/ledge for about 10 feet to the top.
It's still a hard lead if you do it without SLCD's, particularly on a hot august day. In 1992... I have the distinct memory of trying to get a middle-sized Lowe Tricam (blue or purple) to stick at the crux, but it kept wiggling... eventually you give up and climb without it. SLCD's probably make it easier, but imagining a lead on just passive pro, or free-solo, really ballsy.
I have heard that, while aiding Sometimes, a climber put in a seemingly bomber #1 Camalot in the smooth sided jam crack. When he weighted the piece, it slid down the smooth crack a full three feet before it held. Yikes. Maybe hexes and tricams are a better way to go on this route. Cams rely on friction, and I can think of few cracks smoother than the crux crack of Sometimes.
All cams rely on friction, tricams do certainly as well. Chocks less so. It's a simple product of camming angle, coefficient of friction and wall angle, although that's virtually impossible to model for an individual placement... It's still the driving force of how that all works. A "steeper" cam will more likely slide or pop in most cases.
By Steve Sangdahl From: eldo sprngs,co Feb 16, 2003 rating: 5.10a
this could have been done as early as 1958-59
By Steve Sangdahl From: eldo sprngs,co Mar 25, 2005 rating: 5.10a
all the variations of this are excellant!of note is "Blow-Up"5.10b at the horizontal traverse left to the arete then up.this is out there.i remember following barney shaffers lead of the crack with the rope tied to my neck,is that jacked or what? STUPID!!
I tried this as the last climb of the day b/c i didnt feel pumped at all and this crack was very tough esp in the middle going up for the big hold that is about 3" taller than me. I dont really like hand jams that much but there are some crimps in the crack which i like better. The top was very hard, i could not get it after 10 trys. But i am excited to go back and give it another go.
If your interested in some classic photo's of John Gill doing Acid Rock, Sometime Crack, Tombstone wall and the Flatiron, head to his website - www.johngill.net
Stated there, he indicates he did those routes/problems in 58/59 like Steve Sangdahl said. Amazing amount of history on his website too. Worth looking into.
I have this memory from my earlier years of Dave Groth soloing this thing as a "warmdown". He came walking down around the corner with that classic grin of his, mumbling something about "high bouldering"... and left it at that for me to interpret. Nobody around, just he and I. Kinda timeless. JJ
Pedestal Buttress
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