Crazy Alice 5.8 - Wichita Mountains, OK

[@princenabby1]

Awesome effort for your seventh trad lead! One thing I'd point out is that you seem to reach for cams as your default option, even when there are obvious and what look like bomber nut placements. An example would be around the 10.45 point. Keep up the great work!

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

Thank you! You’re right and I’m still struggling with this habit on harder terrain. Maybe I’ll start racking nuts at the front of my harness!

[@owenslubo9243]

Thanks for the Video man! Cant wait to get on that climb!

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

My pleasure! It’s a classic!

[@LouDude502]

I've seen you make harder graded routes look easy. Seems like a stiff 8. Thanks for sharing. 🤙

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

Thanks bro! It’s definitely a stiff 8, but I definitely didn’t climb it well haha I think it was mid or low 30s out that day

[@LouDude502]

@@grahmtheoverstoker hand warmers in chalk bag is a game changer... But crack climbing in the 30s is brutal. 😆

[@JonWuClimbs]

I enjoyed the video. Thanks for the detailed description. I was wondering why you were playing so many pieces until I read the description.

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

Thanks for reading the description before roasting me about stitching it up 😂

[@robertpearson9137]

Love Crazy Alice. Not just a straight in crack the whole way, requires different techniques. I miss the pink granite of OK. Why do people place cams sticking out horizontally? My partner still does this sometimes and she's been at it for decades, drives me nuts.

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

Crazy Alice is the best! To be honest my plan for this climb was to place as much gear as humanly possible. Because of this (and the cold) I made some lazy placements. Did you see where I placed a #1 and didn’t even clip it? Haha And you’re definitely right, I should always try to angle the stem of my cams in the direction of expected pull, especially in nonsplitter rock. The only times I will consciously place a cam horizontally would be for my first piece (because if you fall later on it will get pulled outward) or in a horizontal crack.

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

I would also place a cam horizontally if that was my only option due the the rocks characteristics

[@bryankano6247]

is there a reason you go with yellow nylon slings instead of dyneema? most of my alpine draws are dyneema but i climb mostly j tree.

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

I just couldn’t afford dyneema 🤣

[@dariocarafa3788]

I am just getting into trad climbing and one of the things I always hear is place your gear in the direction of Pull and I noticed your first piece is straight on horizontal and you've done that with a variety of other pieces as well. aren't you worried as you load it it's going to rotate in Pop?

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

You’re right! Definitely you want to angle it in the direction of expected pull. If you don’t expect to fall on your first piece, then it’s common practice to place the first piece perpendicular to the rock because if you fall on any other piece, the pull on the first piece will normally be straight out from the wall via the rope tightening. Sometimes these flared cracks don’t allow for optimal stem angles, and sometimes I’m just too distracted by my frozen fingers 🤣 but it also helps to climb well below your limit and climb with a free solo mindset, that keeps me from worrying too much about the gear, for better or worse. I’m glad you’re getting into trad! What area do you plan to climb in?

[@earthonemason]

Nice send man!

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

Thank you! It was freaking freezing

[@earthonemason]

@@grahmtheoverstoker almost that time of year again!

[@refugebouldering9968]

Somebody get this guy a portaledge.

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

PLEASE

[@59PLUS]

Sound of the helmet scraping gives me anxiety and backpack + helmet climbing flashbacks. Want to hit this up tomorrow but I bet it’s too wet. I also place gear and forget to clip it sometimes X D

[@grahmtheoverstoker]

Goodluck! The bottom is always always wet. Maybe practice going around it on TR! Hahaha this is not one of my proudest leads 😅

[@libertine5606]

More time looking at the crack and less time trying one piece after another. Picture, in your mind, what is the best piece, THEN get it. Just like when you started climbing, don't get tunnel vision.