RRC Archives

what is your criteria for choosing which side of your body you will insert into a knee-sized OW splitter crack?

Yesterday, I decided to insert the side of my body that hurt the least, but I'm sure there must be more to it than that. One wall protruded slightly more than the other, and I had my back to that wall. The face holds were better on the wall I had my back to, though, and I wished I was facing the other way a few times.

At least now I have matching (heinous) bruises on both knees!

If it's offset, I usually put my back to the side that protrudes. However, a lot of it depends on the moves further up and how you will need to be facing, as well as which faceholds, if any, you will need to use. I think really you just play it by ear. Not sure there is really one steadfast rule. Like any other type of climbing, different routes require different approaches. Psyched you are sampling the offwidths though!

On Cussin Crack whatever I do ends up being wrong. I always end up facing in the wrong direction, or at least it feels like that.

I find a lot of cussing works pretty good!

If if is offset, then you almost always want your back to the offset. If it is not offset, then try to pick out features that will help. Also, some routes you want to switch sides once on the route, so be aware of that as well. I think I switch sides three or four times on muscle shoals.

Wes

Wes wrote:some routes you want to switch sides once on the route, so be aware of that as well. I think I switch sides three or four times on muscle shoals.

Sandy this is what I did on that route! I found the L was good for the bottom and R towards the top.
In the end though I was doing the dirty dance with the crack and that worked just fine.

Paul says he needs to stop climbing with girls. He could barely get a knee in whereas I think we could both fit half of our bodies in!

Sandy wrote:what is your criteria for choosing which side of your body you will insert into a knee-sized OW splitter crack?

I am just curious what kneed-sized OW splitter did you get on?

Wes always has the good beta.

Put your back to the wall. Thats almost always the rule. Fact is...unless its super steep, the hand stacks or arm bars in a crack that wide are better than any face hold you could possibly find.

Caspian wrote:I am just curious what kneed-sized OW splitter did you get on?

The short 5.8 OW, that's not in the guidebook, at Pebble Beach-- to the right of Zambezi Plunge.