For all my friends out there who are unfamiliar with friction climbing, aka Slab climbing, fear not! Your are not alone. Friction climbing is a style of climbing that lacks "normal" holds and requires the climber to focus on balance and footwork. This requires patience and poise but is no less exciting than "normal" rock climbing. Slab climbing gets its name from the large, unbroken, and pitched-in slabs of rock where large amounts surface area contact of your climbing shoes is ideal. A few miles north of Laramie, Wyoming is a big, granite, climbing haven called Vedauwoo (pronounced vEE-duh-voo). Vedauwoo is known for offering many styles of climbing and slab is one of them! Vedauwoo granite is sharp, abrasive, and full of crystal; perfect for friction climbing, terrible for keeping skin on your body. I first experienced slab climbing in Vedauwoo last summer and I loved it! Vedauwoo is home to my favorite friction route and today I have brought a little piece of Wyoming slab to Granite Arch! Look for Drop-Zone (blue tape) on the right-most bar on the Cave wall (left of boulder room entrance if facing toward the boulder room). Bring your balance and fancy footwork for this unique route. Give it a try and tell me what you think! And, as always, your constructive comments and feedback are appreciated.
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