Saul's Crack Route Grade Votings
Total votes cast 215
Adjacent Routes
18m. A Roaches' classic and a good test of your jamming technique. Climb into the groove then thug up the polished corner crack to the overhang and exit rapidly rightwards to easy ground. The crack is renowned for 'eating' gear, think before you place! USER COMMENTS
Beware of the gear-eating monster that lives at the top of the initial groove - it's well known for eating small cams and nuts.
Has become much harder over last 15 years, with wear. Bit less friction on the walls, and the interior of the crack - thanks to Friends - horrendously smooth and worn. Now HVS 5b.
Jamming technique made all the harder thanks to loss of friction. though leaves your skin better in tact.
going from the jug on the right to the hold on the left over the overhang was really reachy for a short arse girl like me. when i matched on that hold i had to cut loose to get my heel up on the lip! definitely a thug's route with that horrible jam beforehand...
easy hvs if not vs,try a ramshaw hvs
Sustained and strenuous stuff. I could not find a way to use the well-chalked hold at the LHS of the overhang and had to resort to an udging semi-mantel off poor holds with judicious use of the knee. Topped out a gibbering mess... brilliant fun.
Found a great way to gain the (polished) crack: push up with the palm of your right hand until you can get your right foot on the left-facing wall. Brilliant!
I heard the crack below the roof was supposed to be the crux on this, what a load of rubbish, it was straight forward VS climbing. However, I found the overhang tough and closer to 5b - very reachy off the jam to the good hold up right and knees came in useful (the ignominy!). The crack was also lined with slime which didn't help.
The grade of the crack below the roof will depend on the size of your hands.
The jamming crack was hard work but easier than Wise Crack, The Crank and quite a few other VS cracks in the guide. Unusually the overhang did for me (normally one of my strengths but I seem to have a problem pulling on jugs after jamming) I couldnt quite reach the next jug up and left. I tried to reverse and recover the jams below but failed and had to rest on gear. Seems now a lot of climbers pull out right so maybe I missed the easier way? Whatever, HVS 5a seems right.
Great route. Was initially disappointed when arriving at the slab under the overhang and found it wet and thought about backing off. Decided to give it a go and found my feet stayed on the smears without problem.
Great route. The crack's fine if you don't get your hands the wrong bloody way entering it! (big jug out left should've given it away really) Got up it second go.
What a route. Absolutely classic HVS gritstone crack climbing. Loved every strenuous minute of it! |