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

Original Post
camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

Ok, this may be overly ambitious, but I was thinking about this while reading another thread over on rc.kn00b about hard roof cracks. Would it be possible for us to put together a list of all cracks, 5.13 and up, in North America?

Since this is already going to be a big list let's narrow it down a bit:
-no offwidths,
-no face trad (i.e., the routes should be splitters and/or corners, in which the crux is more or less pure jamming. Something like Survival of the Fittest at the Gunks would not cut it)
-no boulder problems (i.e. Sasquatch) or super short routes that are usually tr'd (Moonbeam Crack at Jtree)
-perhaps keep it limited to more cragging-type routes (1-3 pitches)? I'm not sure if we should go into, say, the Salathe Headwall or not.

I'll try to put together a list, state-by-state (and Canadian province by province). FA info, and specifications (corner, splitter, size) would be cool, too. Help me out!

Sam Feuerborn · · Carbondale · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 810

I think the creek is going to have the best selection of hard cracks.
Learning to Fly
Ruby's Cafe
Optimator
Machete
Hot Pork Sundae
Death of a Cowboy

to name a few of the .13's at the creek

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

Yeah, the list I put together has a LOT from the Creek. Here goes:

Hard Trad Cracks (East to West)

QUEBEC
Le Zebree, 14a, Val-David, FA: Peewee Oullett
Toit de Ben, 13a, “”

NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Beanpole, 13-, Pawtuckaway, FA: Charlie Bentley (a 35 foot TR, but I had to include something from NH!)

NEW YORK
Zabba, 13a, ADKs, FA: Dave Aldous
Wheelin’ n Dealin, 13c, ADKs, Matt McCormick
Oppositional Defiance Disorder, 14-, ADKs, Pete Kamitses

VIRGINIA
The The, 13a, Old Rag, FA: John Bercaw

WEST VIRGINIA
Greatest Show on Earth, 13a, NRG, FA: Lynn Hill
Biodiesel, 13b, NRG, FA: Eric DeCaria
Temporary Insanity, 13a, NRG, FA: Brian McCray

NORTH CAROLINA
(no idea, all the hard lines I know of here are face climbs)

KENTUCKY
Welcome to Ol Kentuck, 13a, RRG, FA: Steve Petro
Thermonuclear, 13a, Dawson Bluffs, FA: Jim Thurmond
Gyana Mudra, 13b, FA: Andrew Gearing
Charlie, 13b, FA: A bunch of Petzl Roktrip people, has not seen a redpoint gear ascent

TENNESSEE
Tamper Proof, 13a, T-wall, FA: Jeff Gruenberg
Supernova, 13a, T-wall, FA: Rob Robinson
Riddle on the Roof, 13a, T-wall, Nathaniel Walker
Grand Contusion, 13, T-wall, FA: Robinson
Poweropolis, 13, T-wall, FA: Robinson

TEXAS
Gunfighter, 13a, Hueco Tanks, FA: Todd Skinner

COLORADO
The Wasp, 12+/13-, RMNP, FA: Topher Donahue
China Doll Extension, 14-, Boulder Canyon, FA: Mike Patz
Country Boy, 13+, Lumpy Ridge, FA: Caldwell
Anaconda, 13c, Lumpy Ridge, FA: Alan Lester
Sphinx Crack, 13b/c, Spatte, FA: Steve Hong
Comprometido, 14-, Spatte, FA: Jason Haas
Sub-Zero, 13-, 11-Mile Canyon, FA: Chris Barlow
Triple Exposure, 12+/13-, Garden of the Gods, FA: Aschert/Dangle
Orangutang Overhang, 14-, Independence Pass, FA: Matt Segal
The Avenger, 13-, Independence Pass, Josh Wharton

NEW MEXICO
Cat Daddy, 13-, Sandias, FA: John Duran
Original Route (Mean Leaner), 13-, Las Conchas, FA: Luke Laeser

WYOMING
Fiddler on the Roof, 13d, Fremont Canyon, FA: Steve Petro
Home on the Range, 13+/14-, Vedauwoo, FA: Justin Edl
Cranner Rock Roof Crack, 13-, Sweetwater Rocks, FA: Greg Collins
Soapstone Crack, 13-, Sweetwater Rocks, FA: Steve Bechtel
Waterfall Crack, 13c, Teton Canyon, Ty Mack

IDAHO
Boogieman, 14-, City of Rocks, FA: Yaniro (currently closed, may have been bolted?)

UTAH
Fallen Arches, 13a, LCC, FA: Steve Hong
Ring That Bell, 13b, Bell's Canyon, FA: Brad Heller

  • Subheading: Indian Creek:
Ruby’s Café, 13a, FA: Lisa Gnade
Pink Flamingo, 13a, FA: Hong?
Tricks are for Kids, 13a, FA: Hong
Winner Takes All, 13a, FA: Woodward
6-Star, 13a, FA: Hong?
Kansas City Special, 14-, FA: Nick Martino
From Switzerland with Love, 13c, FA: Berthoud
Learning to Fly, 13b/c, FA: Berthoud
Abbienormal, 13a, FA: Mike Patz
Optimator, 13a, FA: Jose Pereya
Machete, 13a, FA: Mason Earle
Pat’s Blue Ribbon, 13a, FA: Kingsbury
Fairy Tales, 13a, FA: Peewee
Less than Zero, 12+/13-, FA: Nathan Martin
Hot Pork Sundae, 13, Mason Earle
Death of a Cowboy, 13a, FA: Petro
Hong Kong Phooey, 13+, Dean Potter*

No Way, Jose, 13, North Wash, FA: Jose Pereya
Trail of Tears, 13, North Wash, FA: Scott Carson
Bushido, 13c, Moab, FA: Noah Bigwood
Concepción, 13+, Moab, FA: Dean Potter
Epitaph, 13+, Moab, FA: Dean Potter (ok, might be a bit more than “cragging”)
Necronomicon, 14-, Canyonlands, FA: Peewee
Army of Darkness, 13+, Canyonlands, FA: Rob Pizem
Master Blaster, 13+, Zion, FA: Ben Gilkinson

ARIZONA
Red Planet, 13a, Sedona, FA: John Mattson
Lifeline, 13b, Sedona, Mattson
Equalizer, 13a, Paradise Forks, FA: John Mattson
Pacing the Cage, 13a/b, Paradise Forks, Mattson
Parting Gift, 13a, Oak Creek Waterfall, FA: Mike Sokoloff
Kindness, 13a, Oak Creek Waterfall, FA: Josh Janes

NEVADA:
Desert Gold, 13a, Red Rocks, FA: Stefan Glowacz.

CALIFORNIA
The Stigma, 13c, Yosemite, FA: Alan Watts
Phantom, 13a, Yosemite, FA: Bachar
Casablanca (13-), Yosemite Valley, FA: Suzuki
Title Fight (13-), Yosemite Valley, FA: Suzuki
Van Belle Odrome, 13, Yosemite, FA: Bob Van Belle
Van Belle Syndrome, 13, Yosemite, FA: Bob Van Belle
Cosmic Debris, 13b, Yosemite, FA: Bil Price
Phoenix, 13a, Yosemite, FA: Jardine (with aid, no?)
Book of Hate, 13c, Yosemite, FA: Leavitt
Meltdown, 14b, Yosemite, FA: Beth Rodden
Magic Line, 14a, Yosemite, FA: Kauk
Excellent Adventure (13), Yosemite Valley, FA: Croft
Love Supreme (13-), Tuolumne, FA: Bachar
Whippersnapper (13-), Tuolumne, FA: Croft
Broken Arrow (13), Tuolumne, FA: Kauk
Puma (13), Donner Summit, FA: Suzuki
Star Wars Crack (13-), Donner Summit, FA: Suzuki
Grand Illusion, 13b/c, Sugarloaf, FA: Yaniro
Pyromania, 13b, Needles, FA: Yaniro
Stingray, 13+, J-tree, FA: Mike Paul/Suzuki?
Dihedron, 14-, Jtree, FA: Leavitt
Asteroid Crack, 12+/13-, Jtree, FA: ?

OREGON
East Monkey Face, 13+, Alan Watts?
Double Stain, 13b, Smith, Alan Watts
Snack Crack, 13b, Watts
(I am totally out of my element here. Any 13s at Trout Creek?)

WASHINGTON
City Park, 13c, Index, FA: Todd Skinner

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Zombie Roof, 13a, FA: Peter Croft
Sixty Nine, 13b/c, FA: Andrew Boyd
Cobra Crack, 14b/c, FA: Sonny Trotter

Ok, I'm missing a lot. help me out here!
Tico · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 0

Scott Carson did the FA of trail of tears.

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
Tico wrote:Scott Carson did the FA of trail of tears.

Thanks, I'll edit that. There are also at least two 13s in Capitol Reef that I know of, though I don't know the names of FAs.
Christopher Barlow · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2006 · Points: 540

I'll help narrow the list. There are several routes that you've mentioned that are not pure crack climbs. Here are the ones that I've seen/climbed that I'd remove because they are much more traditionally protected face climbing.

The Wasp
Kansas City Special
Pyromania (I haven't seen this one, but folks have said it's face climbing for the hard stuff)

I'd say China Doll barely qualifies. The 13+ version is entirely bolted while the 14- extension is on gear and pure jamming.

Some others to add to the list in CO:

Triple Exposure at Garden of the Gods (in the 12+/13- range)
Sub-Zero in Eleven-mile Canyon (has two bolts, but the hard stuff is jamming and gear protected)
Some cracks in Colorado National Monument (see the MP.com page on them)

There are also several more hard cracks at Tennessee Wall and areas around Chattanooga, but I don't know which ones specifically.

rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265

NC:
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test - mixed dihedral with some crack climbing in it 12c/d here on MP but its hard

Dixie Reality - 5.12 - cant attest to the difficulty of this one, havent tried it yet

Reflections - 5.12 C2 on the north face of table rock SC would be way hard if it was successfully freed.

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
Christopher Barlow wrote:I'll help narrow the list. There are several routes that you've mentioned that are not pure crack climbs. Here are the ones that I've seen/climbed that I'd remove because they are much more traditionally protected face climbing. The Wasp Kansas City Special Pyromania (I haven't seen this one, but folks have said it's face climbing for the hard stuff) I'd say China Doll barely qualifies. The 13+ version is entirely bolted while the 14- extension is on gear and pure jamming. Some others to add to the list in CO: Triple Exposure at Garden of the Gods (in the 12+/13- range) Sub-Zero in Eleven-mile Canyon (has two bolts, but the hard stuff is jamming and gear protected) Some cracks in Colorado National Monument (see the MP.com page on them) There are also several more hard cracks at Tennessee Wall and areas around Chattanooga, but I don't know which ones specifically.
Yeah, those routes you mentioned are definitely gray area climbs. The reason I added them (and I've not been on any of them, all this knowledge is just from jerking off to videos) is because they follow crack features, and at least KC Special and Pyromania have significant amounts of crack climbing to them, even if not at the cruxes. It gets difficult to draw the line at the upper levels, since hard face, hard crack, and laybacking all get so similar once you are just on your fingertips.

I'll remove the Wasp, though, and add Triple Exposure and Sub-zero.
camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
sawyer wylie wrote:One that HASN'T been done? too hard for me.
That thing looks SICK!
camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

All right, added Dihedron and Asteroid.

And JLP, yeah, I realized that quite a few 13s minus that I added would be in the debated 12+/13- divide. Especially for something like crack climbing which is so dependent on finger size.

I've not been on the Wasp, and have not sent Ruby's but felt that Ruby's Cafe was certainly comparable to other 13a cracks (or hell, 13a faces) that I've been on and/or sent.

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

Oh, and question on the Salathe headwall: Skinner split it into short pitches with a hanging belay, no? Who did the first send of it in its entirety? Alex Huber?

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115

In Wyoming, at Sweetwater Rocks, there is the Cranner Rock Roof Crack (13a).

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115
camhead wrote:Oh, and question on the Salathe headwall: Skinner split it into short pitches with a hanging belay, no? Who did the first send of it in its entirety? Alex Huber?
I think it was Yuji, but I am not certain of that.
JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115

Also, at the Flatirons, there is Five Year Plan (mid-5.13). A very steep crack

Edit:
At Independence Pass, there is Orangutan Overhang (5.14-). I'm fairly sure that it is a crack.

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
Jon Moen wrote:In Wyoming, at Sweetwater Rocks, there is the Cranner Rock Roof Crack (13a).
Done. I recall hearing something about that line, it would be sweet to see some photos.
camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

Yeah, looks like I forgot a bunch of stuff at Independence Pass. Orangutang, and The Avenger, for example.

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
johnL wrote: The word on the street is that Five Year Plan has nothing to do with crack climbing. The other word on the street is that The Wasp is a 12c "sport" route.
I pretty much wrote off everything in Eldo, too, since it's all face climbing.

And The Wasp has gotten voted off the island.
JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115

Oak Creek Waterfall (AZ) has some .13 cracks too, such as "Kindness" and "Parting Gift"

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115

In NH:

Journey to a Mushroom Planet is a steep 13a crack at Rumney (Monsters). Can be climbed as a jam crack, or via some more facey sequences. Often has fixed nuts as pro.

I think that most of the hard trad routes at Cathedral are primarily face climbs protected by small gear and sketchy "soft iron" pro.

Luke Stefurak · · Seattle, WA · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 2,573

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

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115
johnL wrote:There is a 30ft crack one tier above the Panty Wall in Red Rocks. I don't have the guidebook or know the area or anything. The book I borrowed that day said it had not seen an FFA. I hear tell that it has been freed though. It might be a 13. I bet a Vegas climber would have a better idea.
The Great Red Roof, 5.13, FFA Tom Moulin. Not sure what year. Basically a 30 foot roof crack; I think it is fingers-size.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
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