South Crack 5.11c
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| Type: | Trad, 1 pitch, 120 feet |
| Consensus: | 5.11 [details] |
| FA: | FFA: Steve Wunsch & John Bragg, 1975 |
| Submitted By: | Mark Hammond on Mar 19, 2004 |
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This is the start of the crux section. From here o...
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Description This has got to be one of the best cracks in the area! It's the obvious crack just up from the low point of the Maiden (on the S. face), look up. Great protection, setting and movement make this one a gem. 5.10 climbing leads to the final pumpy sequence where the crack leans right and the crux face climbing exit. (Or was that the pump factor?) Save a #3.5 or 4 Friend for the last piece. Rated .11c, it felt more like .11a to both me and my partner. No fixed anchor means that you continue to the summit or devise another way down. Combine with East Ridge, West Overhang and Dream Street Rose (on the North face) for the ultimate Maiden tour!
Protection Nuts and cams to #4 Friend, no fixed anchor.
BETA PHOTO: The prominent crack on the right side is South Cra...
| BETA PHOTO: The South Crack (5.11) on the Maiden, as seen from...
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By Bill Wright Apr 2, 2004 rating: 5.11b
| This is a really cool crack with good protection. I guess it isn't 11c, but it is sure hard for me. It is builds in difficulty all the way and the pump factor for me in the last twenty feet is too much, but the holds are generally good and there is no real technical crux or bouldery, stopper move. Save a couple of medium cams for the belay. You must continue up at least one pitch to the two-bolts at the top of the South Face. From here you can do two raps with a single 60-meter rope, but it will NOT bring you to the ground. You have to downclimb about 40-feet of very positive 5.4 climbing. Or you can continue up another long, easy pitch to the summit. |
By Chris Archer Apr 2, 2004 rating: 5.11c
| Fabulous route, it and dream street rose on the north side deserve lots more traffic. Too bad the fixed anchor was chopped because for a while you could do south crack and east ridge back to back and rap after the cruxes without having to top out and join the bottleneck for the summit rappel. Solid 11. |
By Joe Collins Apr 2, 2004 rating: 5.11c
| Sorry about the cryptic post above. What I meant to say was, "Not 11a... harder than W. Overhang." Different style climb, but this isn't an easy 11. |
By Brian Milhaupt From: Golden, CO Apr 3, 2004 rating: 5.11c
| Two #3 Camalots would be very useful for the start and middle of the traverse. |
By Tony B From: Around Boulder, CO Jun 24, 2007 rating: 5.11-
| I kept waiting for the crux. I usually have trouble on hard 11s in the Flatirons, but this one went down easy as a warm-up. Probably not 11c. Then again, I was feeling around near the hard section and found good (well, positive at least) holds. If you let the bottom sections pump you out before you hit the top, I guess you will end up slapping at 'whatever' and have trouble... Grade? 5.11- I guess. I thought W. Overhang was WAY harder. YMMV. Rack- one set of Camalots and small Aliens. I placed nuts, Aliens, and then the red and blue Camalot (up top) and that was it. A few longer slings are useful, and the anchor up top was a gold Camalot and left-over Alien. |
By Phil Lauffen From: Louyuppie Apr 18, 2011
| This climb is probably my favorite pitch. Really good, airy climbing on jugs and cracks down low leads into some thinner, trickier sequences that get you pumped out for the finale. Then as your leaden arms fail you on the mantle onto the slab, you get the huge whip into air. So much fun! This climb is a lot easier to follow, as after I led SC, we topped out, got spanked on west overhang, and my partner then led SC. Both times the leader fell once, while the follower didn't really break a sweat. I placed a #2 Camalot about halfway through the traverse and that was good for me at the end. I don't really know where you put a #3. |
By kubes From: Littleton, CO Mar 29, 2012 rating: 5.11b
| Really cool climb! Fun moves, airy exposure, good gear, and nice rock. It has fun and varied 5.9/10 climbing the whole way to the crux section using cool jams and face holds. I thought the technical crux was right where the crack begins to arch to the right, to me it felt about 11a with some thin finger jams and crimpy faceholds, but then you don't really get a rest and have to keep traversing the crack on the pretty steep wall with good handholds but not the best feet. The key is definitely just being able to hold on, just plug gear and go! There's good holds and good gear all the way to end, and a nice clean fall (I tried it out...). |
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