Logan Barber Makes 12th Ascent of Cobra Crack
Logan Barber has tirelessly been working on Cobra Crack 5.14 since 2015, returning to Squamish during the summer to battle the overhanging finger crack.
On Facebook, after his send, he merely noted “Incredible day today. I don’t feel my name belongs in this list but there it is.” Barber was referring to the block of wood below the climb with all of the climbers’ names who have sent the route since Sonnie Trotters 2006 first ascent.
Mason Earle made the 11th ascent in August. The list of senders include many of the world’s top climbers, such as Alex Honnold, Tom Randall and Yuji Hirayama.
In 2015, Barber wrote about Cobra Crack, “The start is easy, a technical 5.11 chimney leading to a hands-free rest will probably become a bit of an annoyance when I have done it for the trillionth time approaching the real business above.
“After the hands free rest a short technical thin crack that would be the crux of a 5.12 leads to a jug right where the wall kicks back.
Even though it’s a jug you don’t want to hang around too long as you’re still on your arms. A couple of jams above the jug and I was surprised by the difficulty of one of the lower moves which marks the beginning of ‘the business’ section. [Watch Barber during his 2016 visit and attempt below]
“It took me a long time to work out, as the beta on the videos of other people climbing this section doesn’t suit me at all. I’m pretty sure the others are all close to a foot taller than me as they do some massive reaches between the good jams.”
Cobra Crack is an arching thin-finger crack splitting a steep wall at the Cirque of the Uncrackables on The Chief’s Backside.
In 2005, Swiss crack-climbing ace Didier Berthod, who had redpointed 5.14 gear lines, spent two months and 30 attempts on Cobra Crack without success.
Barber wrote on his blog here before his send in 2017, “I have stuck the mono move from the ground 19 times now but only climbed through to the exit crimps four times (all last season).”
He goes on to note, “The lip move afterwards I have tried to find alternate beta but it really just comes down to having enough power in my arm. I can do it extraordinarily easily after a quick sit on the rope.”
After his first ascent, Trotter told Gripped, “Cobra is 30 metres long, with the crux pulling over the lip around the two-thirds mark. It involves huge dynamic throws between one- and two-finger locks; pain is ever-present, and the mental crux is overlooking the pain move after move.
“The redpoint crux comes over the lip on a slippery side pull; the feet are next to nothing, and it takes momentum and a huge throw to latch the final edge, at which point you’re about 15 to 20 feet about your last piece of gear—it’s really exciting.”
Cobra Crack Sends
2006 – Sonnie Trotter (Canada)
2008 – Nicolas Favresse (Belgium)
2008 – Ethan Pringle (USA)
2008 – Matt Segal (USA)
2009 – Will Stanhope (Canada)
2009 – Yuji Hirayama (Japan)
2011 – Alex Honnold (USA)
2013 – Pete Whittaker (UK)
2013 – Tom Randall (UK)
2016 – Ben Harnden (Canada)
2017 – Mason Earle (USA)
2017 – Logan Barber (Australia)
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