UKC

Wild Country Crack School Part 4 - Offwidth Cracks

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 UKC Articles 23 May 2012
Tom Randall makes the first flash ascent of Trench Warfare, 5.12c, 4 kbIn this, the fourth episode of a six part video series, crack addict Tom Randall teaches us everything we need to know about offwidths.

How's your squirming? Not too good? Get to Crack School!

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=4669

 althesin 23 May 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:
Is that a little bit of wee escaping from Pete at about 3:30? He must be really cranking.
 NIGBEE 23 May 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:

How on earth do you make the next move from any stacked hand/fist jam?
Kane 24 May 2012
In reply to NIGBEE: Google Leavittation. It's all about getting a no hands rest with leg jams so you can move your stack up, or along, the crack.
 Cruty Rammers 25 May 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:

Finding these videos really useful, thanks
 howlingbaboon 27 May 2012
In reply to UKC Articles: You forgot to mention an absolutely crucial off width technique - swearing! As if anyone has ever climbed a dirty great monster crack without. Apparently it increases your pain threshold, so much so that my previously very vocal partner now rations his swearing on easy routes so he can feel the benefit on the tough ones.

Great vids guys!
 michaelja 27 May 2012

Keep them coming, those videos.

 althesin 28 May 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:
Dear Mr Randall ( it doesn't feel right to address the teacher at Crack School by their first name),
I did my homework yesterday at Burbage South, I don't know if I got the right answers, please could you mark it for me?
1) Fat Man's Misery- I got up it, but couldn't find any gear, do I still get a mark for it?
2) Every Man's Misery, I missed that day at school ( didn't win the competition-hint, hint) so I went up on my front, breathed all the way out to get past the bulge and chicken winged the top. Do I get a gold star for this, or do I have to do it again upside down?


And please Sir, can we have some more 'O' level climbs on the Crack list, I think I need more practice before I can do the 'A' level papers.


 Kemics 28 May 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:

I have a question, something that's been bothering me for a long time:

How do you move up an offwidth?

So I get a bomber handstack. Happy days. I move my feet up.....then what? If I move my hands i'll fall off. This is only a problem for face/overhanging cracks. Is it a case of small incremental 'bumps' up the crack? Or do I look to get a knee bar or some other horror show? Basically how do I keep myself in the crack while I re-position my hand stack higher up?

 althesin 28 May 2012
In reply to Kemics:
From Tom Randall's talk about doing Century crack, stacked hand jams are mainly useful in roofs when you can put all your weight on foot or leg jams and make forward progress, this is pure theory to me, because I'm a million miles away from such things. But, climbing roof route at Burbage yesterday, after I had done the climb, it occured to me that the foot/knee jams were so secure that it might have been better to use stacked hand jams instead of arm bars in the crack. I'm not sure if I've got the bottle to try it out!
In reply to althesin:

1) Yes, you still get a pass on that one. Which "side in" did you do it? And did you arm bar low or high? Potential for C-A* on this one.

2)I'll give you a B+ for. Ideally, you'd come out to the edge of the crack for the tight section - it's an essential skill to learn to move towards the edge on constrictions rather than simply sucking in...! Chicken wing is correct - arm bars aren't great for it.

Hmmm O-Levels. What grade roughly?

In reply to Kemics:

To move your hands (stacked) on a vertical to slightly overhanging you need to use:

Knee lock
Thigh lock
Calf lock

Any will do, but one will work better than the others depending on your skill and/or specific width.

Mostly though, the above Leavittation technique is the reserve of very few offwidths (I've climbed very few that require this for more than 20ft) and you're better off practising armbars and heel-toe technique on the outside of the foot.

Good luck!
 howlingbaboon 29 May 2012
In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: Hi Tom,

I've used a technique in some off-widths in the past where I jam the knee of my outside leg into the crack but keep my toe out of the crack round the corner. The opposing forces of the knee and toe tended to keep me in and I just kept on moving up the knee and dragging the toe up the outside. Is this just my poor technique and me making life hard for myself?
 althesin 29 May 2012
In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:
1) Facing left, I have to admit to using the flake, until I ran out of leg length, then it was outside foot the rest of the way up. Low arm bar, with finishing holds behind me. Not a cofident solo, please don't make me resit this one.
2) From below I thought the constriction was just perspective messing with me, there's a lovely arrete at the back of the crack, but this stopped at the crux. I should have moved out more, have a bruise on my sternum to teach me that lesson, also my second dropped a prowire behind the chockstone, so I should go back and pick it up, or if anyone gets there first, they deserve it.
Next lesson Crew Cut.
I'm in my second year of climbing, late starter, the presidents crack was my first mistake, I find the security of only being able to fall into, rather than off, an offwidth reassuring. Suggestions around the VS level appreciated.
How far can I go without big cams?
Big thanks for the videos.
Silas (althesin)
 TobyA 30 May 2012
In reply to althesin:

> Next lesson Crew Cut.

> How far can I go without big cams?

I did Crew Cut IIRC using my big Rock Empire cam (Pulsar 7 - very cheap if you can find them), the chockstone and then there is a small nut out on right highish up. I don't remember it as particularly scary or difficult, although of course it is a proper struggle. Go for it!

 althesin 30 May 2012
In reply to TobyA:
I have access to an old 4 camalot, which I have always left on the ground because it weighs more than my head. It became my friend on roof route (burbage), is that about the same size? I can't get inside Crew cut, I'd have to climb it properly, can't even fall back on laybacks- not very good at them! This and Altar crack go on my medium term wishlist, but it might be a while.
Thanks for the beta.
In reply to howlingbaboon: Using your toe outside of the crack whilst jamming your knee is a totally legitimate technique - in fact, it's one of the tricks to good knee locking. Sounds to me as if you're mixing techniques though - try to not drag the knee and toe up, but use this in combination with normal heel-toe technique. Make sure you stretch your hips a bit first though, as it's quite flexibility driven when on 4-5 inch cracks.

In reply to althesin:

1. Ok no re-sit... but you now have to do the crack boulder on the backside of the Cobra block on the Burbage S boulders both leftside-in and rightside-in.

2. Tent pole and a nut key should solve that one

Crew cut. Perfect knee lock practice! Try to get to grips with some stacking on that one too.

Big Cams - if you're really stuck, put a top rope up or get a friend 4 and a copy of the Bible?!

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