PRINT: Rock Climb Handjacker, Vedauwoo

Handjacker

5.7+, Trad,

Avg: 2.5 from 160 votes
FA: Adolescent Boy
Wyoming > Laramie Area > Vedauwoo > Nautilus

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Description

Located left of Lower Progressive, this is a stiff little piece of offwidth climbing to contend with. Beware the Vedauwoo 5.7 wide crack!

Note that the photo on page 88 of the guidebook has the climb incorrectly labelled- the 30 arrow points to Lower Progressive, where as HJ is the climb to the left. The obvious flake at the start is a fun, if moderate, boulder problem.

It has good protection and sustained climbing. We have now entered the realm of climbs that are a LOT harder if technique is not employed. If you have followed the progression described in Easy Jam, by now you should feel confident on this one.

Arm bars, heel-toe, foot torque-cams, knee wedges...use it all, and pause every so often to remind yourself that, indeed, this IS fun.

Descent: Rap off bolts to the right(above Lower Progressive)

Protection

Big stuff.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

For the right side or left side in, there's no escaping the offwidth.

A picture of my pup, looking regal and otherwise unbothered as I battle up my first offwidth ever.

Handjacker, classic sandbagged Voo 5.7+.

Cruising up Handjacker.

Quickly learning the art of the bump and the value of a #8 cam....

Gearing up for Handjacker.

In all its glory.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Guy H.
Fort Collins CO

This was my first attempted lead at Vedauwoo as a beginning leader. We thought we were doing the "recommened" 5.6 Stinkzig. Bring some big bro's in the 2-3 size. A #4 Camalot will not cut it, as we found out that day. Luckly for us, some locals helped us retrive our gear. The climbing is easy until you get to the under cling flake on the left face, only good technique will get you to the top from there. Sep 4, 2001

Mike Sofranko

#2 and #3 Bigbros and a #5 Camalot will protect this one. It's quite a grunt, but short enough that it is still fun. Oct 9, 2001

Anonymous Coward

Or better yet, don your favorite pair of rollarskates and do it like they do at the "Fat Crack Festival." Best time with a pair of size 11 Rollerskates is 4 minutes flat. Feb 26, 2002

Tony B
Around Boulder, CO

5.9

I was once told by a local that the guidebook had errors at the right hand side of this cliff, and thus this 5.9 route had been misprinted as a 5.7. That may or may not be true, but more or less, they said that the book had all of the grades listed one-to-the-left of the respective route. Can anyone confirm this? Apr 30, 2002

Anonymous Coward

I think this one must be in the running for hardest 5.7 pitch in the universe May 1, 2002

Les Vanpelt

I was duped. I though I was on Stinkzig right side start. I left a good hunk of the skin on my right side on this Vedawound classic looking for that "good pro". Bring any and every big piece of gear you can, I didn't trust any of my two placements (one large hex and a fully expanded Metolius#10, both to small). The second pitch is great. look for good rap anchors to the right and down 50 to 60 feet, two ropes, also not mentioned in the guide. Jul 8, 2002

Theo Barker
Loveland, CO

We too were duped by the picture in the book and thought we were on Stinkzig. This is definitely a sandbag. I was able to protect it with a #11 Hex down low and #4 Camalot right before the bulge. That was all of the big gear that I had. A real grunt. Don't think I'd give it 3 stars and Stinkzig 1 star. I liked the upper pitch of Stinkzig better than this. Aug 5, 2002

Brian Weinstein

Great beginner Vedauwoo offwidth. This one is fun. Sep 15, 2003

Petsfed 00
Snohomish, WA

5.7+

Bring a #5 Camalot and just walk it with you. As to the grade, yes it is 5.7+. I could get up the thing, ergo 5.7+. Watching all the champions do this in big green Incredible Hulk gloves was quite the entertainment.

Also, I used 1 #4 Camalot, two #4.5, and a #5 I walked with me most of the way. You can get good placements for all of those, deep in the crack, but its easier to climb the thing if you're not that deep in. Sep 21, 2003

Jeffrey Bauer

Funny how time fades your memory. I did this climb years ago and it lived up to its name. Hands were certainly jacked, quite pumpy and strenuous...going back on the 5th any takers?? Apr 27, 2007

Bob

5.7

The first time I did this, there was snow on the ground and we were wearing boots and leather gloves. I fell three times on the lead. I used two WC 5s and a WC6. I walked the 6 up the last five feet.

A really nice, beginning off-width. Nov 8, 2009

colin tucker
Monticello, UT

This climb can be totally adequately protected with just two cams, one BD#5 and one #6. You will walk the 6, which is much easier than carrying two of them. Aug 10, 2011

claytown
Boulder, CO

If you really wanted to sew it up, you could bring 2x #6 camalot and a #5 camalot plus a #3 or #4 big bro. I placed my first big bro on this route, but it fell out. The 6 would have kept me off the deck though.

Traverse right to bolted anchors on Lower Progressive or continue to the top. May 21, 2012

jbarnum
Denver, CO

Right side in the whole way. Four large cams will do it. 2-5s 2-6s. Super fun. May 23, 2013

Phil Wells

Lead this today, whole thing had ice running down both sides. Nearly a rollerskate ascent, just no breaks for traction. Real fun for the grade! Mar 28, 2016

Mark Thomas
Broomfield, CO

I thought Slit was harder.... Aug 13, 2017

Will Tolleson
Golden, CO

Felt like Mother 1 except less sustained and maybe a tad harder at the crux.

A 5 and 6 will protect. You can walk a 6 up the whole way. I used two 6’s and a #4 Big Bro for a gear anchor directly at the top of the crack. Then you can traverse 15’ to the right to anchors above lower progressive and rap. Jul 3, 2022

Sarah Z
Golden

5.7+

I think I placed too much gear - walked up a #6 dumped a #6 and finished on a #7. Gear anchor: #2, #0.5, & #0.75. May 20, 2023