Beautiful and a well-deserved Vedauwoo classic, and also an excellent beginner lead. Kim is the right-angling crack on the Rat Brain clearly visible on the approach. Approach the Rat Brain as described on the main page and on the Piece of Dirt route description. Continue up past Piece of Dirt to the left side of the semicircular/circular flake. This climb eats about any gear and provides perfect jams for hands and feet all the way up to the now-bomber two-bolt anchor. There may be one of the old spinner 1/4 inchers left up there as well, which used to make for an uncomfortable rap down. Four stars.
Protection
A set of hexes and larger sized stoppers will get you up in style. If you insist on technology, a standard rack with nothing bigger than a #3 Camalot will also work.
My climbing partner speakth the truth. This route is great! The start is a bit slabby until you reach the left to right leaning crack. She's a short outing but well worth the visit.
Kim is a fun crack but it is super short. Seems like all the pictures of it make it look like a perfect hand/finger crack that goes on forever. Ed's Crack is ten times better than this thing.
The "perfect" part of Ed's is about the same length. Ed's is better (although not ten times better) only because you combine the perfect (if short) hand crack with an OW start, airy step across, insecure slab moves to the crack, and a thrutching OW bulge to finish. As a "pure" crack climb, Kim is better.
For me and my [average] sized hands, this seemed more like a finger crack. I got my hands in below and above the 15 feet of steep climbing, but in the crux a #1 camalot won't go in. Stoppers or TCUs will be what you want for pro. The thin crack makes it tough to practice a real foot jam too. In my opinion, Kim's is not the best crack for trying to teach someone to climb a crack
I agree that with average or slightly bigger than average sized hands, this is definitely a finger crack. Great climb for my first trip to Vedauwoo, only wish it was a longer route just like everyone.Biggest pro I placed was a .75 camalot.
Wonderful first Vedauwoo trad lead. . . If you have small to mediium size hands it is the perfect size! Gets fingery at the top, but the crack seems just deep enough!
The climber in the photo I posted is Roger Wilkerson. Nice fall colors!
By Brian Scoggins From: Laramie, WY Aug 16, 2003 rating: 5.6
I still don't enjoy this thing, so its all the better that it seems to be the only reason people come out to Poland Hill. For setting up top ropes for other harder climbs, Southwest Friction is faster and easier. I just can't seem to convince myself that 35 feet of rattly fingers can be all that fun compared to about 60 feet of good hands (and occasional offwidth feet) on Edward's. Has anyone here tried Skull? Anyone?
Several people recommended this route to us - at best I thought it was a fun warm up, but a classic? No way, not even close to the same league as Edward's Crack. I thought Sugar Crack, Petit Crapon, and Fantasia were all much nicer routes.
Wouldn't hike out to Poland Hill just to climb this one route (which rules it out as a classic in my book).
This can only be considered a classic if you're a boulderer! The route is only 30' long and for the length of the approach and the size of the normal crowds waiting in line makes it only worth 1 star in my book.
By Brian Scoggins From: Laramie, WY Jan 22, 2004 rating: 5.6
Don't bringing anything bigger than .75 camalot (as said above) unless you want to build an anchor in lieu of the big fat sexy bolts at the top of Southwest Friction. And if you must toprope at this crag, try Fantasia, Sugar Crack, or Skull. They're much more worth your time than this.
this is an exciting little seam with a nice approach. i think it fairly deserves two stars. if you're just cruising the area and are interested in the full experience of the climb, it's worth it. a nice warm-up to other climbs in the area as well.
The real climbing only last about 20 ft so imho would not be worth the hike out there if that is your only objective. However, if you have the place to yourselves, as we did today, it is fun to take laps on it and practice different crack technics, i.e. both feet in crack, one foot in, layback version, hand jams version, etc. 4-5 small to medium pieces are plenty to get you up safely.
I have to give this one two stars because it was my first lead. If anyone is looking for something short and easy to do a trad lead on, Kim is the one. My hands are average for a girl and I got some great hand jams in the beginning and solid fingers at the top, just keep your right foot on the crystals and it's a cruise.
For aesthetics, this line is hard to beat, second to fantasia for the most striking line at the formation IMHO. It is also great first lead b/c it is short and forgiving.
By Sara From: Conifer, CO Oct 18, 2005 rating: 5.6
A beautiful and fun crack climb...but , oh so short.
This is a good first 5.6 lead and may feel soft compared to the wider 5.6 climbs at Vedauwoo. I agree that the climb is pretty short. Be sure to check out the 5.6 handcrack around the corner.
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