Mountain Project Logo
To save paper & ink, use the [Hide] controls next to photos and comments so you only print what you need.

Best Crack

5.10a, Trad, 60 ft (18 m), Grade II,  Avg: 2.8 from 23 votes
FA: John Hulett and George ..., 1982
Colorado > Gunnison > Hartman Rocks > Best Crack Wall

Description

A couple of hard moves off the ground (crux) gain a good finger and hand crack.

Location

Best Crack can be seen just up and left from the Tiger Wall. Approach 2min.

Protection

Per Sam Vitello: there is now a 2 bolt anchor at the very top over the second ridge. It can be accessed by scrambling up the back of the formation. Previously, there was a single bolt in poor position with chains at the top of the climb.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Best Crack climbs up the obvious splitter in the middle. Surely a right of passage for any Gunny trad. climber that is moving into 5.10.
[Hide Photo] Best Crack climbs up the obvious splitter in the middle. Surely a right of passage for any Gunny trad. climber that is moving into 5.10.
Best Crack.
[Hide Photo] Best Crack.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Matt Toensing
Pagosa Springs
  5.10-
[Hide Comment] Fixed stopper protects the beginning, you just have to place a quickdraw on there blind. Good stuff. Splitter for Hartman. Sep 19, 2008
YDPL8S
Santa Monica, Ca.
[Hide Comment] Need to get a higher res picture if you have one.

There are 3 lines shown in this picture to the left of Best Crack. I did the 2 furthest left (I think FA's) with John Rosholt in 78 or 79. They were full of spider webs and lots of Hartman's crumbles coming down. Have you guys named or rated those? May 21, 2009
TuFF GonG
gunnison Colorado
  5.10a
[Hide Comment] The routes to the left fall into the 5.6/7 range, and because there only crux is right off the ground I have only seen/done them as high-ball boulder problems. There is a sport route just a few feet to the right called Joe Cockers Toe Jam 5.10+ which gains anchors (a route worth doing if you're there). May 21, 2009
YDPL8S
Santa Monica, Ca.
[Hide Comment] Sounds about right, probably seemed harder to me at the time because of all the crap we had to wade through and all the stuff coming down. I'm so glad that you guys are documenting this area. Hartman's was so close that it was always easy to blow off homework and be grinding flesh against that rough rock in mere minutes. May 21, 2009
phil broscovak
[Hide Comment] Fairly sure I led this nice climb in the later '70s. No idea if it was a FA or not but the conditions I saw were exactly as MossMan described, cobwebs and grapple. May 21, 2009
Sam Feuerborn
Carbondale
  5.10a
[Hide Comment] No more fixed stopper. This climb is great to practice passive placements, gobbles up hexes and stoppers just like all good granite cracks. Jan 27, 2010
James Hulett
Boulder, Colorado
[Hide Comment] First Ascent (also free) done by John Hulett and George in 1982. It was named Best Crack because it was the best hand crack they could find at Hartmans. Apr 23, 2011
Slade Bradbury
Gunnison
[Hide Comment] This thing is a little tricky down low (but with good feet nonetheless), and I think there's a five foot section in the lower middle that makes this thing considered "Best Crack". The rest is fun as well. (Anyone know what that face bolted route to the right is? - I mean 3 feet to the right. The one that shares the same anchor as Best Crack?) May 3, 2011
Grayson Stewart
[Hide Comment] There are chains on the route now. Just above the stance at the top, climb 10 more feet. Sep 22, 2014