Climbing Vedawuo, Wyoming
The Nautilus.
Edward's Crack (5.7+) has some of the
best hand-jamming in the park
Sharp, Wide, Thin: Climbing Vedauwoo Bring the tape gloves and thick jeans for this place, because any climber in Vedauwoo, Wyoming stands to lose blood, regardless of how much body armor is donned to climb these cracks. While there are many classic slabs, faces and finger cracks, Vedauwoo is known for its abundance of savage off-widths (cracks 8-12 inches in width).
A 5.9 offwidth near "The Potato Chip"
formation
The granite is studded with crystals sharper than a cheese-grater, allowing for superb friction, crimping and jamming as well as bleeding. Many of the routes are only one or two pitches and with a relatively warm, dry climate, the place could be called a granite Indian Creek.
The crux offwidth at the end of Edward's
Crack.
Unlike Indian Creek, however, there is a plethora of good climbs that range from 5.6 to 5.13 that can be seen from the parking lot. The best time to go is during spring or fall, but the summer's hot temperatures are easily avoided by finding routes in the shade.
* Feature written and photographed by Derek Franz, August 2003.
GUIDE NOTES AND DIRECTIONS:
To get there from Colorado, take I-25 north just past Cheyenne and follow I-80 west to exit 329. Recommended guidebook: Heel and Toe: The Climbs of Greater Vedauwoo, by Harper & Kellman. There will be a revised version coming out by next year.