Q+A With Pete Whittaker on Free Climbing Century Crack, Canyonlands, Utah

Photograph by Alex Ekins.

See more great images in our Extreme Photo of the Week.

"You climb upside down with your legs inverted inside the crack above your head the whole way," says British rock climber Pete Whittaker about completing the first free climb of Century Crack, the longest and hardest known roof crack climb in the world, in October 2011. Here he is seen upside down 200 feet above the floor of the canyon near the White Rim in Canyonlands National Park, Utah.

Whittaker and his climber partner Tom Randall trained for two years for the offwidth crack, meaning the gap was too wide for fist-jamming techniques and too narrow for chimney techniques. Instead the climber must fill the space with a combination of body parts to make slow, grueling progress. "Tom built a small replica of the climb in the cellar of his house. We did continuous training laps on this to prepare ourselves," says Whittaker. "We also did thousands of hours of offwidth-specific abdominal, bicep, shoulder, and leg conditioning."

While across the pond from home, the Brit duo hit every difficult offwidth crack they could find.

Adventure: What was going through your mind at this moment?
Pete Whittaker: At this point of the route I am just approaching the crux. The climb becomes very technical as you go from being upside down in the horizontal plane to getting the correct way up in the vertical plane. A lot of different techniques have to be used at this point. So I was just trying to picture the sequence of moves that I had to execute, whilst I was still climbing and approaching them. I knew if I could get past the next 10ft of climbing then I would be able to complete the route.

A: Did you and Tom Randall both do the same climb of Century Crack? Had it been done in this style before? 
PW: Tom and I both climbed Century Crack. It had never been free climbed before. By this I mean it had never been done from start to finish without weighting or resting on the rope and gear that you put in the rock. The best style it had been done before Tom and I, was by climbing the whole of the route but in sections. The climbers who previously tried it didn’t have the strength and fitness to complete it without resting lots.

A: Can you explain offwidth climbing in a way we can understand?
PW: An offwidth is a crack in the rock that is wider than a person’s fist (so they are unable to use secure fist jamming techniques) but narrower than a person to fit completely inside (so they are unable to use secure chimneying techniques). Therefore you have to try and fill the space using a combination of body parts together. You can then create stationary positions in able to move a separate body part up or across (in the case of this route). The climbing is slow and complex and a few inches at a time on offwidths is considered to be good progress. Offwidth climbing is generally hated by many people because of the strenuous and gruelling nature of the climbing. Offwidth climbing works the whole body and mainly the major limbs get massive amounts of lactic acid build up in them. It is not uncommon to hear about people throwing up or fainting straight after completing or whilst climbing offwidths.

A: Do you have no protection, is it considered free soloing?
PW: The climbing on this route was so difficult that we did not free solo it. Most climbs of this type are never really soloed. It is common for this type of climbing to use protection called Cams. These are devices that go into the rock and cam against either side of the crack. You then clip your rope through them and if you fall the camming device catches you. This route was very unique in that it needed 13cams of very similar size to protect it. It is unusual for a route to have so many of the same large camming devices.

A: You are climbing the roof of the cave? Literally climbing across the ceiling?
PW: Yes, you climb the roof of the cave for about 37 meters. You climb the whole thing upside down with your legs inverted inside the crack above your head for the whole way. This section of the route can take about 15/20 minutes to climb.

A: What happens if you fall?
PW: If you fall you are protected by the camming devices that I mentioned earlier. The sections between the camming devices can be quite a distance so 20/30ft falls are common if you fall off. You have to be careful at the beginning of the route because the climb is quite close to the ground so you have to make sure you don’t fall off and land on your head. However by the end of the route (where I am in the picture) the ground has dropped away and there is exposure of 200ft below you, so if you fell from here you would fall into space.

A: You came all the way from the UK for this feature, why is it so special?
PW: The feature is so special because it is one of the longest roof cracks that is possible to climb in the world. It is also one of the hardest crack climbs in the world. The line of the route is amazing to look at and it looks so hard and steep that it would not be possible to climb.

A: Did you have to train for a while to be ready for this climb? How?
PW: We trained specifically for two years so we would be able to do this climb. Tom built a small replica of the climb in the cellar of his house. We did continuous training laps on this to prepare ourselves. Over the top of this we did thousands of hours of offwidth specific abdominal, bicep, shoulder and leg conditioning. An average week we would train 5 days out of 7, though not all completely intensive.

A: How do you know this is the hardest offwidth completed?
PW: We know it is the hardest offwidth because we have already completed all the other hardest offwidths in the world. This has also been a project for offwidth climbers for around 8-10 years and it was still never done.

A: Did you climb some other stuff in the Southwest while you were here?
PW: We climbed all the other hardest offwidths that America had to offer.

Comments

[vacation home rentals]

We climbed all the other hardest offwidths that America had to offer.

[David Ng]

great!
http://www.worldmatetravel.com/vietnam-adventure-tours.html
http://www.worldmatetravel.com/vietnam-tours.html
http://www.worldmatetravel.com/indochina-tours.html
http://www.worldmatetravel.com/halong-bay-cruise-tours.html
http://www.worldmatetravel.com/mekong-cruise-tours.html

[Hai]

i've done e few climbing but this is really something.Utah is so beautiful.
http://www.indochinadeluxetravel.com/
http://www.indochinadeluxetravel.com/vietnam-tours.html
http://www.indochinadeluxetravel.com/halong-cruise-tours.html

[gallbladder pain]

While across the pond from home, the Brit duo hit every difficult offwidth crack they could find.

[Mehr Muskeln]

My only hope comes from a first principle of worry that I have learned in a lifetime of anxiety, some of the biggest problems are half of womens burberry belt.

[Account Deleted]

Cheap NBA hats:http://fashion-saler.com/

[Cheap UGGs]

A nearly century-old hunting Cheap UGGs is catching on with a younger generation that sees the utilitarian footwear as hip.L.L Bean's familiar duck UGG Bailey Button with leather uppers and rubber soles - designed for slogging through mud and snow - has become something of a statement owing to its newfound popularity on campuses, UGG Amberlee the company said. Another reason is new styles, UGG Tularosa including something Leon Leonwood Bean surely never envisioned in 1912: bright blue and pink leather, new for spring.Part of the success of the UGG Kensington is its versatility, in barnyards or in cities, in snow or rain.Defying a trend toward offshore production,UGG Bailey Button Triplet the outdoors retailer is adding 125 full-time employees to its Maine manufacturing operation to keep pace with orders.
The well-known UGG Classic Short Sparkles appears to be benefiting from a retro trend, whether it's penny loafers or Gap's 1969 series blue jeans, said Candace Corlett, UGG Caspia president of WSL Strategic Retail in New York.Another factor that could be helping Bean: There's been little that's new and exciting in footwear in recent years beyond UGG Montclair boots and Crocs, said Alexander Geyman, editor of Focus on Fashion Retail. Trendy UGG Classic Cardy boots and the Timberland brand outstrip Bean's in sales, he said.
The duck UGG Classic Short carry the "Made in the USA" label, something that's hard to find these days in footwear. Nationwide, the number of shoe-manufacturing jobs dropped from more than 200,000 in the 1970s to 12,500 this year, UGG Fox Fur according to the U.S. Labor Department. In Maine, shoe-manufacturing jobs peaked at more than 25,000 in the 1960s, UGG Delaine and last year there were 1,300 jobs, according to the Maine Department of LaborWell-known Maine brands like G.H. Bass, Cole Haan, UGG Knightsbridge Sebago and Dexter are now made abroad. But L.L. Bean has resisted the notion of making its Bean UGG Plumdale.As the story goes, L.L. Bean created the hunting UGG Classic Tall for himself after his feet got wet and cold on a hunting trip, and it was not an instant success. Ninety of the first 100 pairs sold in 1912 were returned after the leather separated; Bean had a satisfaction guarantee, UGG Annabelle so he returned customers' money.These days, UGG Retro Cargo the original L.L. Bean Hunting Shoe is available unlined or with various linings, UGG Finnegan including Gore-Tex, Thinsulate and shearling. There are plenty of other variations, including quilted, canvas and plaid, UGG Sheepskin Cuff and even bright blue and pink leather. There are low-cut versions as well.All of them are still made by hand. The rubber soles are made by L.L. Bean workers in Lewiston, UGG Mayfaire and they're sewn to the leather uppers at an L.L. Bean plant in Brunswick.All told, there are 320 workers at L.L. Bean's factory in Brunswick, making UGG Highkoo, dog beds, canvas totes and other products.Each Gore-Tex liner is inflated and dunked in a tank to make sure it's watertight before being dried and put in the UGG Roslynn.

[comforter sets]

Awesome (and scary) looking go up. Can see why the folks go to the US, we haven't got anything like that here in the BG. Whenever I check out your site, I can experience the mindset of commitment to the job and desire to understand. Your look enlightens me. I am delighted getting together with you. Your content on the actions to go by in organizing and using resources additionally to your site will be a referrals later on.

[seo stranica]

I'm a little old for climbing but will bring my grandchildren. This is an amazing place to be seen.

[search engine optimization service]

This is an incredibly beautiful view. I've never been to this place but I have to go someday. This is superb.

[Pattaya hotels]

Of course this is a very interesting picture. I do not know just how the man feels the rocks.

[rip dvd to mkv]

The picture looks very beautiful but the man in the picture may not feel that, he may just feel tired.

[burberry belts for women]

My only hope comes from a first principle of worry that I have learned in a lifetime of anxiety, some of the biggest problems are half of womens burberry belt. A nice example is that dreaded polar ice cap, which some scientists say isn't starting to melt at all but instead will shortly begin to enlarge rapidly, giving birth to a new ice age that burberry belt wholesale will cover the entire United States. http://www.burberrysonlinestore.com/
reniya

[snapback hats]

Whittaker and his climber partner Tom Randall trained for two years for the offwidth crack,

[du lich le loi]

I'm interested in such offer

[snap back hats]

At this point of the route I am just approaching the crux. The climb becomes very technical as you go from being upside down

[UGGs Cheap]

This site is very interesting and also great. I'm glad to find out this ste immediately. It's very informative.

[web hosting pakistan]

Whenever I visit your blog, I can feel the spirit of devotion to the job and willingness to learn. Your smile enlightens me. I am happy meeting you. Your posts on the steps to follow in preparing and using tools in addition to your blog will be a reference in future.

[披露宴ドレス]

真実はあなたの披露宴ドレスは、いくつかの変更を必要としない場合には非常に珍しい花嫁になるだろうということです。しかし、どの程度現実的に花嫁の服調整することができますか？とどのくらいのタキシードかかりますか？ほとんどの花嫁衣装は、いくつかの調整を必要とし、あなたのガウンは最低限で、列車を持っていない限り、それは後ろに縫いバッスルが必要になります。ので、値札の状態よりも、ウエディングドレス格安コストにもう少し追加のために準備される。平均的には、花嫁は変化に間$ 75$ 250を費やしています。

[landybridal]

I am getting married in the summer and when I took my bridesmaids to try on dresses they tried these on and say perfect.

[new era 59fifty hats]

Really impressed! Everything is very, very clear, open is a description of the problem. It contains the information.

http://www.discounthatsshop.com/

[Designer Baby Furniture]

Utah has some of the best canyons and structures I have ever seen, even though they don't get alot of publicity. I witnessed these and I truly enjoyed it.

[Tony]

Great photo and killer interview... Looks and sounds like someone whose heart chases adventure.

[Aiad]

Looks like a dangerous climb :)

[software development]

Amazing (and scary) looking climb. Can see why the guys go to the US, we haven't got anything like that here in the UK