Crack Attack(10d)

By Jan Capps

This issue's featured climb, Crack Attack(10d), is located at Reimer's Fishing Ranch near Austin, Texas. It's been several years since I made my first attempt at this seemingly innocent overhanging pump fest. As the years have gone by, the only thing I could remember clearly about the route was that it had this absolutely hideous undercling move bad enough to bust a gut. That was enough to keep me away for a long time. Besides, I had no interest in leading my way up to that first bolt which you have to pull yourself up on way overhanging moves off this boulder with a nasty drop to get to. A couple of months ago, I was scoping out some new routes to the right of Prototype and I happened to pass Crack Attack. Since all the new routes were 5.fucking-impossible, I thought I'd give Crack Attack another go. Fortunately, I was climbing with a couple of balls-out climbing maniacs that I could get to set it up on top rope for me...Dave Phillips and Paul Johnson.

Dave took a look at the climb and pronounced in that down home country accent of his "It doesn't look too bad to me. A couple of hard moves and it's all over." I can hardly describe my glee at these words... Now that I had the climb in front of me, I remembered how it transitions from heinous overhanging moves to a shitty crimpy face at the top. Containing my grin, I say "Oh yeah, it's all over from there. You should have no problem. I'll just tie in 'cause you never know when a hold's going to break off or something. I mean, I'm sure you won't fall or anything." Well, needless to say, he worked it for a while. He did manage to get to the top without too much ado. Then I worked it for a long while before I could get the crux move.

So, I hope y'all appreciate our continued efforts to help you avoid the endless hang-dogging that I went through.

Crack Attack

• Walk up to the climb. There's a death fall beneath you so watch your footing on the boulder.
• Watch out for the mud near the base of the crag. I mean, you don't want to slime your shoes, do you?
• Put your right hand in the 3 finger pocket
• Put your left hand on the knob at the bottom of the crack/dihedral to your left
• Get your feet on and pop your left hand up to the bomber chalked-up knob

  Now starts the fun part...

• Put your right hand in the huge hueco
• Match hands and move your feet onto the wall
• Move your left hand into a side-pull in the hueco

  SUPER BETA

• There's an obvious horizontalish crack above you reach straight up with your right hand into the crack where there's a bomber secret pocket. I always use this but I've heard that it puts some people off balance.

• Match with your left hand
• Start moving your body over to the right

  SUPER BETA

• At the bottom-most point on the crack, there is a good undercling. You will know that you have it if it has a small knob to hold on to. It's the only place that is good.

  I'm sure that you're probably pumped to the max right about now since this is the crux of the climb.

• Put your left foot in the huge hueco
• Your goal is to move along the crack to the right until the crack ends.
• There are a couple of things you can do here

  1) There is a sidepull below the crack and to the right You can pull yourself over on that and about 1.5 feet straight up there is a chalked-up big edge for your left hand.

  SUPER BETA

  Once you get that, you can reach over to the right, up in the crack and there is a sinker pocket/sidepull

  2) You can work your hands along the crack in an undercling position while moving your feet over until you can throw for the big edge with your left. Then you can reach over to the right for the sidepull In either case once you have the sidepull you are past the tough part.

• Pull your feet up beneath you and that should put you in a fairly comfortable position
• Pop your left hand straight up to the big edge about a foot up
• Bring your right hand up to the edge beside your left hand and move your feet up
• Put your left hand in the 3 finger pocket
• Put your right hand in the jug

  Here's where it gets tedious since the real fun part's over. Luckily, your forearms shouldn't be throbbing so bad that you can barely maintain your grip which should liven things up a bit.

• Left hand to edge. Whatever you do, don't try to rest here. It's a sucker rest. There is a better one up higher.
• Move the right hand to the 2 finger pocket
• Left hand to the flake and move to the right
• Match to the next flake which curves right
• Put your right hand in the juggy sidepull next to the bolt
• High up on the left is a pinch for your left hand
• Grab the sidecling to the left of the chicken head with your left hand
• Theres's a 2 finger pocket for your right hand
• Grab the edge with your left
• Grab the flake just below the weeds and bring your feet up
• Put your right hand on the flake above the weeds
• Put your left hand in the 2 fingerpad pocket
• There's a small edge for your left hand
• There's another edge for your right hand
• Move your right foot up to the edge
• Look up at the chains

  SUPER BETA

• Right below the right anchor there is a pocket for your right hand

• Grab the top with your left and you're there

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