Half of the time, granite climbing stumps me. The other half of the time, I’m unsure what to do. Despite spending years climbing in Yosemite, Squamish, Index, Tahoe and granite crags across the US, I am almost always perplexed by the best method to climb the features. The main lesson I’ve learned in granite is to make sure to have a huge arsenal of tricks. Here’s a few ideas for how to approach different climbing.
Stem Corners:
Corners offer some of the coolest climbing around and unbelievable aesthetics. Stemming provides the best way to climb these features. Paste your feet against the walls, trust the rubber and use your palms to slowly move your feet up the wall. Unfortunately, I’m horrible at stemming. I have the flexibility of a steel girder. Granite master, Tommy Caldwell developed a technique to beat the calf pump of stemming. Caldwell climbs the corners like a chimney, putting his back against one side and feet against the other. Though more physical than stemming, the technique saves your calves and can be easier. Numerous difficult crack climbs have fallen to the advanced chimney tactic including Book of Hate (5.13d).
Walker Emerson stemming on the Shadow in Squamish (5.13-)
Vancouverite Allen Roberts chimneying the same section that Walker stemmed.
Offwidths:
Is that crack too wide? Are you struggling to get inside? Beat the offwidth dance by laybacking the feature. Climb faster by pasting your feet against the wall and hurdling up the rock. Just be extremely careful doing this. I have core shot my rope twice laybacking and falling out of the Harding Slot and then on the Scotty Burke offwidth on El Capitan. Yikes! Laybacking can be hard to place gear as well. Be sareful and think about toproping if you want to layback the offwidth
Laybacking the Harding Slot on toprope. I attempted to lead the pitch like this because I hated being inside the squeeze chimney. I should have been a little more prudent with my rope.
Underclings:
Is that undercling just a bit too big? Try stuffing your knee in the crack. The technique is not just for sport climbing. The University Wall in Squamish features a number of offset wide cracks and kneebars. The Enduro Corner on the Salathe, which many people layback and stem, can be dumbed down by kneebars. Underclinging and laybacking provides a great way to ascend the rock but kneebarring can offer a more static and arm saving way to get up the route. Learn the skill through sport climbing and apply it to granite.
Walker kneebarring his way up the University Wall
Slabs:
Are the holds way too far apart? Try dynoing! Actually, I’m kidding. There’s no good option to get up a smooth granite slab other than to use your feet. But if you plan on campusing up a Yosemite slab, let me know. I’ll make you a YouTube sensation.
