To the right of Hydra-crack is a more formed fist sized crack. SDS and work the easy crack to its top.

Warm Up Crack

Ode To Violetta

Hydra-Crack

This problem climbs the tall northeast face of the boulder. The beginning holds are a bit nondescript, but you are heading up to a large, flat hold in the middle of the face. The first few moves are the crux - bad holds, bad feet, hard move up and right. It eases up at the top, thankfully.

Hydra-Crack is the prominent lie back crack feature on the formations north face. It was first climbed on a few pieces of sketchy gear by Mark Jacobs in 1987. Mark writes, " My last climbing season in the Black Hills wrapped-up in '87. Hydracrack near Baldy is a bookend of that era for me. Future climbers would leave the rope & rack behind on a route near the center of the bouldering wonderland they would explore & develop. I lead the route with a few pieces. A B1 problem to an 11a layback. If I had left behind the rope and pro, I might claim some connection to development of Rushmore bouldering. Or found the trailhead. But that remained for the next group of climbers."  

  This is a classic highball at Rushmore and would be a true classic if cleaned up and given some new TLC.

The Hydra-Crack Boulder is a large boulder between Loosening The Lid boulder and The Seul Avec Dieux Boulder. On the south side you can climb easy cracks to the top. The huge Northside has its name sake route Hydra-Crack solid 5.11. Put up by Mark Jacobs in '87 on lead using a few pieces.The Lewis Brothers Mike And Rusty were the likely candidates for the first free solo/ boulder ascent.  Chuck Fryberger has a problem to the left on the corner from Hydracrack. This boulder has a few incomplete projects from past years as well. You will understand once you stand below it.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Hydra-Crack Boulder