So I am looking for OW problems, 5.7-5.10. Looking at the "Who uses a BD#6 thread" made me sad that I have not really done that much OW despite my so called claims of loving it.

I would love some Central Coast, CA OW but I don't think such a thing exists.

Not sure if I should put this somewhere else to get more responses, we will see.

Jon

Check out widefetish.com lots of beta and info on offwidth in particular CA ow.

I wrote this about 15 years ago, but most of it should still be current.

Offwidths in Joshua Tree
With the recent publication of Alan Bartlett's excellent guide to the Joshua Tree Wonderland, Mark Reyes and I headed out towards Willow Hole. In the Atom Smashers area, we did all three listed routes on Grinch Rock. Stolen Christmas (5.8) was an excellent hand crack.

The Grinch's Grin is rated as a 5.10D lieback. As soon as we reached the base, I immediately thought of doing it as an offwidth instead. It did in fact go as a pure offwidth, with a 5.10 B or C difficulty. It was quite wide (8") at the start, and the crux was squirming up until you could get a heel-toe jam with your outside foot. Slow but easier moves above led to a section where the crack narrowed inside to fist size. Recessed jamming and offwidth moves led to the top. With an almost complete absence of face holds, pure offwidth technique was needed; it is one of the best offwidths that I have done at JT. After hearing my enthusistic comments, Mark agreed to try it. He made it past the crux, but then decided to forgo any additional abrasions and lowered off (I had worn a long sleeve shirt to cover the skin on my arms).

Four bolts on the left wall provide protection if you do it as a lieback. The first two bolts were needed for protection, since the crack is loose deep inside, and camming nuts might not hold. Higher up, #3 camalots give great protection, and you don't need to use the third or fourth bolt (but if you were liebacking, you wouldn't be able to reach inside to place camming nuts).

The third route on the rock, Nonprofit Crack (5.10A), also had an offwidth section. Moderate jamming led up to a short, 4" wide crux section, well protected with a #4 camalot. At first, Mark was stymied. After I explained how to do a forearm jam, he made it first try (to his surprise). A forearm jam can be useful in relatively narrow offwidths, as it allows you to hold on with just one arm. First, put your arm into the crack, palm up. Then, tense your arm muscles, and bend your elbow as fully as possible (your hand will now be close to your face). A muscle (I don't know the name) near your elbow expands, providing the jam. This type of jam is much more awkward than a hand or fist jam, so it can't be used in all situations.


For those interested in climbing offwidths at JT, here are my favorites:

5.7
Carola's Hip fairly nice offwidth and overhang
Dolphin hand and fist jamming leads to a clean, crux offwidth and squeeze chimney
above - tube chocks or wide cams give good protection
Dry Rain fist jamming leads to an offwidth/squeeze chimney - one or two 5" camming
nuts give good protection
Duchess Right excellent clean offwidth in Indian Cove campground
Dweeb fairly nice offwidth in a corner - bring a #4 camalot for pro
Flake Hickey short, clean 4" width crack
Hex Marks the Root (or Poot) long offwidth and flared chimney - bring 4"-6" nuts
Jessica's Crack hand jamming and offwidth

5.8
The Awful Width despite the name, I liked this route. It is a pleasant, quality climb
Date Queen fairly nice offwidth and squeeze chimney
Feltoneon Physics long route
Into the Black a long 5.7 hand crack leads to short crux offwidth
Lean Two Left short, clean, widening
Made in the Shade a crux offwidth start leads to nice hand jamming above
Pleasure Principal offwidth in a dihedral


5.9
Bank Note Blues in a corner
Wanna Bong excellent route, 120' long, widening from 2" to 7"; bring a number of tube
chocks or large cams

5.10A
Riders on the Storm short, clean

5.10B
Ali Shuffle fairly nice route
Nuclear Waste clean, 30' long, quality route (4"-5" wide)
Offshoot nice offwidth (crux) and 5.10A finger crack above
Poodle Boy excellent, sustained 6"-9" wide crack
Six Pack 50'-60' long, offwidth and fist crack
Test Pilot this is a striking splitter crack: long, clean, widening. Bring one or two #4
camalots for the crux offwidth section

5.10C
Cole-Gordon Offwidth a thin hands crux leads to a 5.10A/B chimney above; a bit loose, but a great
location
Kamakaze clean offwidth in a large dihedral
Point of No Return the crux is the offwidth, which is clean but hard to protect. The roof above
seemed easier to me, and you can protect it well.

5.10D
Centurion good quality 4"-7" wide crack, with a crux overhang at the start; there is no
anchor on top
Cinnamon Girl 160' long crack route, with a crux offwidth section in the last 40'
Incinerator short, clean hands to offwidth
Squatter's Right this is a roof crack, with an offwidth start and then hand jamming out to the lip;
an excellent climb

one of the best WIDE in JT: Between a Rock and a Hard Place 5.10b, Geo Tour Road.

I would add the route "music box" in belle campground on castle rock. the book has it at 5.8 but I (and plenty of others) would argue that it is significantly harder then that. Also the crack is flaring so if you wanted to run laps you could practice jamming and working up the crack at different sizes depending on how deep you reach in. a bit of a drive to get out there but if in the area you should check it out!

Agreed about Music Box, very odd-size if nothing else. A few "fun" ones come to mind....

The good the bad and the ugly
Six Pack Crack
Jumar of Flesh