Hand Jive 

Again, Andrew hits the nail on the head. A little insecure, right around the bulge, and also the step over to start it was exhillarating. It was a little bit wet still near the top. If you climb Crack in the Woods, climb this also.

This is definately the 5.9 and Crack in Woods is the 5.8. Pretty fun route using lots of medium gear. I would recommend starting this route from its base at the bottom of the chimney. I downclimbed the chimney from the top of Crack in the Woods and leading it this way means you have to climb about ten to fifteen feet before placing. This could set you up for a nasty weird toprope slam into the chimney wall at what may be the crux of the route (undercling flake to the crack).

love the start, kind of unique in the canyon. any body else contemplate jumping into the crack from the top of crack in the woods.

Crack in the woods and Hand Jive are both still in the shade until around 1:00pm- makes a great late morning two pitches. Any later than 12:30-1-ish though Hand Jive gets hot like the rest of them. Hand Jive is a great crack- it's got a little of everything. The couple moves past the undercling start are definitely the crux (for an average height girl).

Nah, not bad for the second if you wait just a bit before placing pro after the step across. Also, if you use a rabbit runner on the first piece, then sling the second piece long, if your partner does come off at the step off from the top of Crack in the Woods, then the TR will be fully deployed and there won't be much if any swing. This route is 5.8, C in the W is 5.9, IMHO.

Beautiful pitch. very sustained. The earily moves are sweet, you are basicaly on Top rope when starting this pitch if belaying off crack in the woods. I agree with the previous comments. Of course the higher you get before placeing your 1st piece the better.

I met Frank from Connecticut(he was out here skiing for a couple months) up under the Bong Eater on Jan 18th 08. The rock was perfect and the winds calm. We came up and got him on Hand Jive the next day and TRed the crack on the face. We had the same horrible ski conditions but perfect LCC winter climbing weather. Both were very cool climbs.

I'm not sure but I think the undercling fell off. May be a lot harder/sketchier now

I would agree with Michael..I started this on the flake and got stumped-it ran out and the move to get to the small double cracks was way too sketchy for me. After rapping off Crack In The Woods I ran into another climber and he said he tried it recently and backed off as well. Maybe i'm a wuss, I dunno. Anyone else climb this recently?

That is always a committing and tricky move right there.

10 4 Ben. It's just me-I'll give it another go at some point...committing and very tricky.

Never climbed before the flake fell off, but I did it last week. The move into the double crack from the broken flake is very committing. I ended up doing a left hand-foot match while holding myself on a single finger crystal with my right hand. My biggest surprise was the bulge crux above the double cracks. I was placing .75 camalots in the area described in the guide as "hands." Do you know anyone with hands the size of a .75 camalot?

Are you guys sure something broke? It has ALWAYS been spicy, the Ruckman book just downplays how serious it is getting out of that chimney (IMO).

Tytonic said" I was placing .75 camalots in the area described in the guide as "hands." Do you know anyone with hands the size of a .75 camalot?"

And she AIN"T a minority.........look at the pic of Hand Jive in the book. Who is on it?

http://mountainproject.com/v/utah/moab_area/indian_creek/106>>>>>

Agreed, that move is spooky no matter how you look at it.
And this is not the BD catalogue, hands = anything from rattly #3 down to .75 barely-get-the-knuckles-in.

I think it's probably the same flake as it always has been, as it was my first attempt at the route, I just need to bring my A game and figure out the magic for that move. But a spicy one it is.....

If crack in the woods is 5.9, this route is 10b. There is no way to downplay the fact this route is much, much harder than crack in the woods.

If you want to argue that crack in the woods is harder, you're either a liar, or full of shit.

The bottom crimper moves felt like 5.10 to me, not to mention they are poorly protected. Call me a wuss if you want; this route is probably as hard as coffin or sasquatch in my opinion.

There is just a general lack of consistency here. If you're going to rate crack of the woods 5.9, how can you honestly justify rating the route RIGHT next to it 5.8?

I had an amazing time with this route. I did it as one long pitch up the chimney because the start from the top of Crack in the woods looks sketch balls. Ive done green A, Sasquatch, bushwack and cranial profilactic and this felt harder than all of them, so sustained. bring extra green and red camalot sizes if you dont like to run it out.

Climbed it today...and...yeah, its spicy but I don't think its gotten a bunch harder over the years. One thing I noticed was I usually protect the chimney up high prior to the committing step over with a hand-ish sized cam on the left side, but, that crack seems have have disappeared.

Anywhoo...maybe 5.8+. Easier to clip the upper (old) anchor on Crack in the Wood, long, and have your partner belay from up there too. Then, step across, almost on a TR, dial the feet in on lower angle friction bits, and, have that right foot hit that flat horizontal to the right. Helps to be tall, as, from that right foot hold I can pro up that short little vertical crack from there, and, off to the races. Then, when you have a solid piece or three, have the partner unclip the extended sling off the old Crack in the Woods anchor and the rope drag will be minimal. Up ya go.

Much of the crack is good hand sized even where the pro is .75 or so camalots. Milk the pods. Cheers!