Century Crack
| Century Crack | |
|---|---|
| Location | Canyonlands National Park, Utah |
| Route type | Crack climbing |
| Pitches | 1 |
| Grade | 5.14b (8c)[1] |
| First ascent | Steve Bartlett, 2001[1] |
| First free ascent | Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, 2011[1] |
Century Crack is a 120ft (40m) long sandstone offwidth crack climb at White Rim in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, graded at 5.14b (8c). It is one of the hardest and longest offwidth crack climbs in the world.[2]
The route
Century Crack starts with an 85ft roof crack, requiring the climber to hang upside-down, making progress with various jams thoughout the crack's varying widths. It requires a mix of hand jams, hand-fist stacks, fist jams, and various other offwidth techniques.[3][1]
The first 15ft of the crack is small enough for straightforward hand jams. This is followed by the offwidth crux section, wide enough for No. 6 cams, and the rest of the horizontal section fits No. 5 cams.[1]
The crack transitions into 45-degree overhang, where the climber transfers into an upright position. The top-out has the climber squeeze between two outcrops of rock onto the plain above.[1]
First aid ascent
Century Crack was discovered by Steve Bartlett, who completed the first aid climb of the route in 2001, giving it the name Chocolate Starfish.[4]
Wide Boyz
The first free climb of the route was completed in 2011 by Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, documented in the movie Wide Boyz.[3][4] They initially climbed it with pre-placed gear, but returned two weeks later to do the climb while placing the gear.[4]
List of free ascents
- Pete Whittaker, 2011
- Tom Randall, 2011
- Danny Parker, 2018[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Century Crack". Hard Climbs. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Century Crack, the hardest offwidth in the world?". Planet Mountain.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ a b Chris Alstrin, Paul Diffley (directors) (2012). Wide Boyz (Documentary).
- ^ a b c d "Desert Testpiece Century Crack (5.14b) Sees Third Ascent by Danny Parker". Climbing. Retrieved 17 October 2023.