Pamela Varco Onsights Lucille Offwidth (5.12+) - USA

Dougald MacDonald

2nd July, 2008

This has been read 30,229 times

Hot on the heels of the recent ascents of Ray's Roof [UKC News Item] in the Peak District, we have news of more off-width action from across the water. Dougald MacDonald reports:

Pamela Pack Varco has onsighted Lucille (5.12+) at Vedauwoo, Wyoming, making the first female ascent and likely fifth or sixth overall ascent of the legendary offwidth and squeeze chimney. Jay Anderson first led Lucille free in 1988 after years of effort; Craig Luebben did the second ascent and the first onsight.

In the last few years Pamela Varco has become perhaps the foremost female practitioner in the blue-collar world of offwidth cracks, despite injuries including a broken back and torn muscles (from offwidthing) that once kept her in bed for two months.

Read the full report on Climbing.com

Photo from George Bell of mountainproject.com

This post has been read 30,229 times

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Comments

Morgan Woods

2 Jul, 2008

great effort but looks nasty!

johncoxmysteriously

2 Jul, 2008

Good for her. ("years of effort" - shudder). What is the hardest US offwidth? Bellyful of Bad Berries, or is that old hat? 5.13a or so? Do they get harder than that? jcm

TobyA

2 Jul, 2008

Regardless of whether its nature or nuture, we can be pretty certain that if Pamela and John have kids, the sprogs are going to get up to some really sick sh** in climbing terms! I suspect the child would eat Rays Roof for breakfast.

BelleVedere

2 Jul, 2008

can someone give me a sense of scale for the photo? How high is it?

johncoxmysteriously

2 Jul, 2008

I haven't been there, but from pictures with people on the route I'd say what you're looking at is about 80-100 feet high from the ground to the top of the crag. jcm

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