PRINT: Rock Climb Straight Edge, Vedauwoo

Straight Edge

5.9+, Trad, 65 ft (20 m),

Avg: 3.2 from 43 votes
FA: unknown
Wyoming > Laramie Area > Vedauwoo > Old Easy

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Description

Climb MRC Direct, and belay on the large ledge that is down and climber's right from the MRC rap rings (gear belay). Straight Edge is the unmistakable splitter. Step across the chasm, jam a flared crack (#6 stopper works nicely here) to a small bulge, place pro, and gun for the top. The guidebook rates this a 9+; however, compared to other 9+s in Vedauwoo that I have done, this is a step up. It is definitely a 3-star pitch.

Location

Descent: From the top walk climber's right for 100 or so feet to a rap anchor. Do 2 raps to a shelf, walk off easily to the south east from here.

Protection

1 ea (#1 Camalot, #2 Camalot), 2 each (#3 Camalot, #4 WC Friend). Have an extra 4-inch piece for the belay.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Cameron Stebbins drilling the anchor for Straight Edge.

Splitter right there in the middle.

Straight Edge.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Eric Sorenson
Las Vegas

It should be noted that the first rap on the descent described above is almost 100' long and one must trend a bit left to get to it. This is the way we went, too. I had intended to rappel MRC Direct but wasn't comfortable spanning the gap to get over to that anchor. Aug 6, 2008

Jason Albino
Salt Lake City, UT

We did this on our first trip to The Voo.

Although the pitches below on the formation are great, if you're not a wide/fist-crack specialist, you might hate this pitch. Although the gear is good, without enormous hands/feet, you may struggle to gain decent purchase on the steep and sharp jams. At 6' with above-average hand size, it still seemed to me that the best jams were too deep in the crack for me to reach, and the feet rarely gave me enough of a break to get two good hands in.

Overall, I think this is one of those pitches where if you climb 5.10a+ wider crack well, you may like it, but others will probably not (and might consider rapping off instead of topping out with this pitch). Jul 18, 2013

justin hausmann
Fort collins

Classic Voo fists. Good pitch and position. Can set belay and bring someone up with smaller gear #1, but a 4 would be useful for the top anchor if you plan on toproping. Don't get sucked into the deep hand jams except for maybe placing gear. Can rap all but last 10 feet with 70 meter rope. Jul 24, 2013

cstebbins024
Laramie, WY

As of 8/12/16 Straight Edge has a bolted anchor. The anchor helps keep the rope out of the crack, avoids a gear anchor, and makes descent much easier. Rap climber's left of the route, make an easy step across a hallway, and use the rap anchor for MRC Direct. Three rappels to the ground. Aug 13, 2016

Matt Enlow
Wyoming

5.10a

Stebbins means use the rap anchor for MRC Left, down to the first anchor below the roof on direct/left.

Obviously, the 2x raps to the right are still an option as well, but my God, the belay just got way better.

Here's Stebbins putting in the goods last night:

Aug 13, 2016