Best finger cracks in N. America

Bird on fire - joshua tree

Sasquatch - little cottonwood canyon

Harry Netzerwrote:

There's a 14- finger crack at a gym in SF? Are there any pictures of this?

I think it's seen ~5 ascents, but that might be out of date.

Harry Netzerwrote:

There's a 14- finger crack at a gym in SF? Are there any pictures of this?

The video is good. I made it to the angle change back when I lived there. I also 1 hung my onsight try of Cosmic Debris about a week later, so it’s real. I couldn’t even establish in the last body length of this thing. I think 5 ascents might be high and pretty sure Honnold and Gobright aren’t on the list despite trying it.

P2 of the Fine Line on Elephant's Perch

Sky Pilot on Mt Goode is amazing. It has a long 0.4/tight 0.5 splitter above 12000ft. It's steep but has enough footholds to keep it 5.11

The Prow on Cardinal Pinnacle is also incredible.

I believe it's the route Angry Inch in the Creek that the description in the guidebook reads "You thought Power Line was badass? THIS IS BADASS!!!"

Nol Hwrote:

I believe it's the route Angry Inch in the Creek that the description in the guidebook reads "You thought Power Line was badass? THIS IS BADASS!!!"

I’ve been on both. Angry Inch is super short and stout. Jamable but nearly impossible to let go and place gear. Reminds me of a harder version of Hypertension in Vedauwoo.

Crimson king and moonlight buttress in Zion both have great finger cracks. 

I'd say el matador p2 (devils tower) should be on the list. It's a stem box, but locker fingers for over 40M and at a reasonable grade. 

Trout creek is stacked. Added to the ones above: Gateway, Alchemy, space mission and others.

I’d add the Emperor at the Needles. All fingers but for a few pods

Also, the finger crack pitch on the Bastille Buttress is as good as the best finger cracks in Yosemite at the grade

2nd pitch on central pillar of frenzy, 5.9, middle cathedral, California is pretty stellar

The routes getting named here are mostly in the 5.10 and up range. This makes sense - finger cracks often make for great hard trad lines.

As a mild variation to this question - what are the best easy finger cracks? Let's say 5.8 and under. These are a lot more rare - I can scarcely think of any. Surely there are some out there.

 Nobody has mentioned the crux pitches of the Prophet, or Tom Egan Memorial Route?!

Sands of Time

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/107344282

Thin Ice

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/106047486

Bony Fingers

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/111936684

Bombs Over Tokyo

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/113462565

Wall of the Worlds (right variation start)

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/110167978

Here it is. the absolute winner. 

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105749101/finger-crack

JCMwrote:

The routes getting named here are mostly in the 5.10 and up range. This makes sense - finger cracks often make for great hard trad lines.

As a mild variation to this question - what are the best easy finger cracks? Let's say 5.8 and under. These are a lot more rare - I can scarcely think of any. Surely there are some out there.

Uhhh pine line, and there's a couple 5.8 finger cracks at Genesis at Burst Rock. Info isn't online as is par for the course for highway 108 climbing, but it's page 82 in yh book. Tbh Sonora pass in general is pretty outstanding for easy and moderate crack climbing regardless of size of crack. 

You have a lot more options if you go up to 5.9 I think. Super Slide and P2 of Jamcrack are considerably easier than Grant's crack IMO, to the point that I don't understand how they're the same grade. If you can get up those 5.8 finger cracks at Burst Rock you'll be fine on Super Slide and Jamcrack but Grant's Crack would still be quite a bit harder than any of those. 

The Grotto has Table Manners which has a finger crack next to a hand crack that goes at 5.8, so you can stay in the finger crack as much as you fancy, but climbing it straight in would be quite a bit harder. Can get some finger locks in none the less. Go with the flow up and right from that is mostly thin hands but I had to get some ringlocks in it, meanwhile I've seen those with smaller hands cruise the whole thing as thing hands. 

Would definitely be curious to learn about other options as that's a size I haven't practiced enough and I've already climbed most of the stuff that is reasonably attainable for me (that I'm aware of anyway).

JCMwrote:

As a mild variation to this question - what are the best easy finger cracks? Let's say 5.8 and under. These are a lot more rare - I can scarcely think of any. Surely there are some out there.

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/109006250/sceptre

ETA: just over the cut at 5.9:

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105899731/the-golden-dream

JCMwrote:

As a mild variation to this question - what are the best easy finger cracks? Let's say 5.8 and under. These are a lot more rare - I can scarcely think of any. Surely there are some out there.

Senior citizen’s in space 5.7+  index Washington 

West face direct 5.8 smith rock Oregon 

Intruding dike 5.7+ COR Idaho (way hard if you just use the crack)

Irene arete 5.8-5.9 tetons Wyoming (has a few variations that have awesome finger crack sections )

Crusher to crispy critter 5.9- to 5.7 Seneca West Virginia ( just avoid the death block on crusher

Zodiac 5.8+ looking glass North Carolina 

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/116384969/karakoram-highway

Karakoram Highway, some of the best finger crack pitches anywhere. An under appreciated route which is one of the best in North America. Definitely a destination route. 

Austin Donisanwrote:

I think it's seen ~5 ascents, but that might be out of date.

Someone should post this in the Awesome Trad Videos thread. Chaos would ensue.