Comprehensive List of North America's hard cracks, 5.13 and up?

Luke Stefurak wrote:There is at least one 5.13 at trout. It was a project last year, assume it got sent by now. Watts did the east face with bolts and fixed nuts, Sonnie did the first gear only redpoint. Pretty sure that Charlie at the RRG has seen a full Redpoint. Not sure where all of Pete Kamitses climbs are. Here is one: One called Oppositional Defiance Disorder (5.14a) in New York I don't think that Nick ever sent Kansas City Special... I know that Will Stanhope was working on it... Thought it was still a project. I think that Tricks are for Kids should be more in the 13b range. Didler also did an extension of this route, bumping up the grade slightly. The Salathe Headwall can be divided in up to three pitches 13a, 13a/b, 13b or 13c. Pyromania does follow cracks, but climbs more like a face route. Strong under-clinging and lay-backing ability will get you further than pure crack skills. Phantom should be added 13a in Yosemite. John Bachar FA Excellent Adventure on the Rostrum (a variation to the final pitch). If you do it as one pitch is 5.13 for sure. FA Peter Croft. The FA on Stingray is Hidetaka Suzuki, Mike did it on TR. The Stigma is 5.13c or so at the Cookie in Yosemite. FA Todd Skinner first "redpoin" Alan Watts. Good Story on the FA/ 2nd ascent

Hey Luke,

I have not heard of Charlie getting a proper send yet, though a lot of folks were talking about it this season. I'll add Excellent Adventure (see? this is what happens when I allow the Salathe headwall!), and Stigma & Phantom.

For Smith add Double Stain, Snack Crack, both 13b, FA Watts and The Optimist "14b" FA Rodden

I think there is more than enough jamming on this route to be considered. havent't done it though.
mountainproject.com/v/ring-…

In Wyoming, at the Sweetwater Rocks:

Soapstone Crack 5.13a- overhanging fingers and flared hands, 35 feet. FFA Steve Bechtel.

Cranner Rock Roof Crack 5.13a- roof crack on hands and fingers with some big sloping jugs outside the crack, 70 feet. FFA Greg Collins

In Teton Canyon (in Wyoming but approached through Idaho):

Waterfall Crack 5.13c- Vert finger crack. FFA with preplaced pro this fall by Ty Mack.

If you also are considering projects:

The "5.14" crack (Sweetwater Rocks)- overhanging flared fingers splitter with an extremely bouldery first 20 feet.

edit: oops, saw that the CRRC was already posted. Also check out teton.outerlocal.com/climbi… for a video of Waterfall Crack.

matt lisenby's 'radioactive porksickle' near long canyon, potash road, utah.

Less than zero doesn't make the cut as the cruxes are bouldery and i think it has been demoted by popular opinion.

And Kansas City special has been sent by nick martinez, it's in the First Ascent series.

I have not climbed it but the Grand Contusion now sports bolts alongside the seam where the fixed nuts used to be.

Add

YOS:
Van Belle O Drome
Van Belle Syndrome
Dale's Pin Job

Right. Saw the video, where Nick hadn't done it yet...

Looks like Hayden grabbed the FFA.

vimeo.com/50101783

Sweet looking climb!

ukclimbing.com/videos/play.…

- Luke

Ok, I updated a bit more. Shit, this list is getting burdensome.

Mark, the Optimist is bolted, no? Though, I guess that if I included the East Face of Monkey Face, I should include Optimist.

Will, I thought that the Van Belle cracks were just TRs, or at least that's how Bob put them up. Who got the first lead ascent of them?

Just sayin' check the Less than Zero MP page, gets the ol' 12+/12c

Larry, I'd agree with your appraisal of KSP, can't speak to the other.

camhead wrote: Will, I thought that the Van Belle cracks were just TRs, or at least that's how Bob put them up. Who got the first lead ascent of them?

Not sure about first leads, but I remember that one of them was bolted and Peter Croft onsighted it on gear...at least that's what my hazy memory says.

EDIT: Clint's page says
"Van Belle O Drome FA(with bolts): Hidetaka Suzuki, 1990
FA(without bolts): Peter Croft
Van Belle Syndrome FA: Peter Croft, 1991"

For NH, does this count? Beanpole

camhead wrote: Mark, the Optimist is bolted, no? Though, I guess that if I included the East Face of Monkey Face, I should include Optimist.

Yes, the optimist is bolted.

The East Face is hardly a clip up, though that is a common misconception. Its got 4 bolts in 130 feet of climbing. The hardest moves are gear-protected. Another misconception is that Watts added the bolts. In fact the bolts were placed by the FA aid party, which included Yosemite legend Kim Schmitz.

Not overly ambitious, but somewhat silly since the grade of any "true" crack is very size dependent.

For that reason, I'd propose changing the criteria of the list to "mostly gear-protected routes that are mostly about crack climbing and have a grade that most people consider 5.13". That way, you can keep routes like my route, Kindness, as well as other "crack" climbs that have "facey" cruxes like The Wasp, Pyromania, The Equalizer, and The Avenger, on the list.

Desert Gold was first freed (each section separately) by Paul Van Betten. The 13a linkup by Stefan Glowacz, not Peter Croft.

"Not overly ambitious, but somewhat silly since the grade of any "true" crack is very size dependent. For that reason, I'd propose changing the criteria of the list to "mostly gear-protected routes that are mostly about crack climbing and have a grade that most people consider 5.13". That way, you can keep routes like my route, Kindness, as well as other "crack" climbs that have "facey" cruxes like The Wasp, Pyromania, The Equalizer, and The Avenger, on the list.

Desert Gold was first freed (each section separately) by Paul Van Betten. The 13a linkup by Stefan Glowacz, not Peter Croft."

Yeah, this list is starting to show how contrived making designations for "pure" cracks is. Just curious, do "most" people consider The Wasp 5.13?

(edited because somehow I screwed the quote function up.)

A couple more Mattson Routes in Az are Pacing the Cage at the Forks 13 a or b and Lifeline in Sedona definitely 13b. Red Planet is now 13a. Great List.

What about Cat Daddy in the Sandia Mountains and
Original Route (aka Mean Leaner) at Las Conchas.

Cat Daddy has seen at least a handful of lead ascents, don't know about Mean Leaner.

Regarding the Wasp... I've heard a lot of people call it 5.12+ and a lot of people call it 5.13a. I think that it sure is "easy" for 5.13a, but that's once you suss out the moves and gear - both of which are very complicated. Anyone who onsights this will probably be putting in a 5.13 effort. But we all love that number - 5.13 - so I awarded myself 5.13a for the route even though on redpoint it felt easy... like I didn't "deserve it". But lots of redpoints feel that way. And I'll be the first to admit I can't even touch Wendego in Eldo which is only 12a!

Dont forget the O-Dubs:
Century Crack 5.14b
Army of Darkness 5.13d
Gabriel 5.13b
The Price of Evil 5.13b
Angry Pirate Finish 5.13b
Belly Full of Bad Berries 5.13a
Lucille 5.13a
Spatial Relations 5.13a
The Vag 5.13a
Trench Warfare Extension 5.13a
Witness The Wideness 5.12d/5.13a
The Brad 5.12d/5.13a
Improbability Drive 5.12+/13-
You cand find pictures and locales here.