Offwidths, So Hot Right Now

Lurking out there in the climbing world is a topic that rarely gets brought up, and few people ever mention in polite company. That’s right, I’m talking about offwidths. Those dreaded wide cracks that most of us try to avoid, but some take to as their calling in life. Some love them so much, in fact, that they have created websites dedicated to them. I first heard about MonsterOffwidth.com from my friend Mike. It’s got a great gallery of wide stuff, and other amazing climbing shots from all over the place. They’ve also got sections on tape glove technique, a recommended Yosemite offwidth circuit, and a mini-guide to the Needles of California. Definitely some good stuff here.

And just when I thought there could be only one, I came across another site devoted to this same addiction, WideFetish.com. No, trust me, it’s not a porn site, though I was hesitant to type that url into my browser for fear of the emotionally scarring images that would be seared into my mind. What I did find was an even more substantial site dedicated to the wide world. There are forums, a gallery, videos, route beta, how-to’s and more! Wow, this is the mecca of wide cracks on the web! I guess offwidth climbing is no longer for the fringe of climbing society, it’s so hot right now!