|
sactownclimber
Feb 4, 2005, 7:24 PM
Post #1 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 2, 2005
Posts: 216
|
So a guy I started climbing with last summer said he was planning on doing some big walls this summer and asked me if I'd be interested in going . . . and I answered yes but with some trepidation. The issue is not that I don't trust him, because I totaly do, he's fully experienced. It's just that I'm slightly intimidated by the prospect of doing a big wall, for all the reasons that make a big wall a big wall . . .
So I'm curious about other's first big wall experiences . . . were you scared or intimidated before you did it the first time? How did you cope? Has it gotten easier with experience? Any good first-big-wall stories?
--J
|
|
|
|
|
bandycoot
Feb 4, 2005, 10:46 PM
Post #2 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 25, 2002
Posts: 2028
|
The more you prepare, the better chance of success you'll have. Practice all of the basics multiple times. Aiding, hauling, jugging, organizing belays, etc. I practiced quite a bit but was still completely shut down on my first attempt when the weather in Yosemite hit over 100 degrees and my friend and I had heat exhaustion trying the North West Face of Half Dome. Neither of us knew ANYTHING about bigwall climbing when we started. We bought the falcon guide for Big Walls, and I read some of Pass the Pitons Pete's stuff. The book was much more helpful since PTPPs stuff if so scatter brained.
Some stuff that makes the basics tricky that you should also practice and become proficient at are:
Traversing pitches
Lowerouts
Docking the Pig (hauling it doesn't mean you're done wrestling it)
Tying into the rope while jugging so that you don't crater on accident
After my failure I went back to Half Dome the next year with my wife. In under a year of climbing she was proficient enough to follow me up the entire face (and I give her mad props for so much jugging/suffering so that I could accomplish a goal). The difference in our success was I knew more about the water source, the slabs approach, the weather, how to dock a pig, not to bring so much stuff that I need a 3:1 to haul. In short, even if you try and fail you'll gain LOADS of experience that will help your climbing career and improve your chances next time.
I just watched a great video by Jeff Lowe and Ron Olevsky called Clean Walls. It shows a lot of the basics like jugging and how to highstep while aiding. It's available at mgear.com if memory serves correctly.
If you have any specific questions ask away. There are many knowledgeable resources on this website.
Josh
|
|
|
|
|
bandycoot
Feb 4, 2005, 10:54 PM
Post #3 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 25, 2002
Posts: 2028
|
About being scared and/or intimidated. The more you prepare, the better off you are, mentally, technically, and physically. If you practice your systems enough it will become very comfortable. If you don't, you'll be freaking out on the wall trying your first lowerout, or trying to lift your fat sow of a pig off the belay since you didn't use a docking tether of some sort. My friend and I were pretty comfortable with being on the face and sleeping on the ledge because we'd done it all before on a smaller scale. We worked our way up to it. There are definitely those who don't prepare. When we went up to do HD the first time we passed a couple that walked all the way to the base, then turned around and immediately walked away. They were so unprepared that they had one of those little backpack haulbags and 2 gallons of water capacity for 3 days!!! While my friend and I weren't completely prepared (we bailed) we did better, by getting off the ground and staying one night, probably because we'd researched more and had more experience.
|
|
|
|
|
all_that_is_rock
Feb 8, 2005, 11:11 AM
Post #4 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 8, 2005
Posts: 291
|
jugging, jugging, jugging. my first big wall experience was in zion. i had been climbing for 2 years (trad and sport), but no experience with jugging ropes. just getting used to using acenders is very important. you can be a strong climber but if you dont get comfortable (and fast) at getting to your high point, and quickly acending fixed lines a 3 day wall will take 6. also on the mental game: befoure i went big wallin i borowed a friends porta ledge and rigged it 30 feet of the ground on a obscure root in j-tree. i slept in this for the 5 days i was in the monument on that visit. the first night i had a hard time sleeping but after that it was better than the back of my pick-up. then when it came time for a real overnighter a bit higher off the ground the porta ledge felt like home.
have fun big wall is a wonderfull experience (exept doing #2)
|
|
|
|
|
ufdigga
Feb 8, 2005, 1:51 PM
Post #5 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 6, 2005
Posts: 36
|
I didn't find "pig" in the rc.com climbing dictionary. could someone give me a definition of this term? thanks.
-ufdigga
|
|
|
|
|
aid312
Feb 8, 2005, 1:58 PM
Post #6 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 22, 2002
Posts: 85
|
In reply to: I didn't find "pig" in the rc.com climbing dictionary. could someone give me a definition of this term? thanks. -ufdigga
Pig = Haulbag
|
|
|
|
|
epic_ed
Feb 8, 2005, 2:58 PM
Post #7 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 17, 2002
Posts: 4724
|
I assume whatever wall you choose will involve more aid climbing than free, so I'll bump this over to the aid forum. If not, and you're just looking for feedback about doing a grade IV or V trad route, I'll move it back.
epic_ed moved this thread from Trad Climbing to Aid Climbing.
|
|
|
|
|
lambone
Feb 8, 2005, 6:47 PM
Post #8 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 1, 2003
Posts: 1399
|
this same question was just asked on supertopo.com
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?m=62110&f=0&b=0
|
|
|
|
|
maculated
Feb 8, 2005, 7:03 PM
Post #9 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 23, 2001
Posts: 6179
|
Nyah nyah. I am so cool.
That thread wasn't supposed to be for advice, it was supposed to be a "remember when" thread.
|
|
|
|
|
sspssp
Feb 8, 2005, 7:27 PM
Post #10 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 2, 2003
Posts: 1731
|
I would say if you have an experienced wall partner to drag you along, jump at the chance. My initial wall experiences were with other bumblie partners. Took forever to do anything because neither of us new what we were doing. Took a long time to get better.
Quiz your parnter closely on what you should bring. Later when I did a wall with a more experienced partner, when we were half way up the wall he started berating me for what I brought that I shouldn't of and what I left that I should have brought (would have been nice if he had mentioned some of that before we left the ground...)
|
|
|
|
|
moof
Feb 9, 2005, 6:35 AM
Post #11 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 17, 2003
Posts: 400
|
I spent about two years from when people first tried to get me interested in aid until I went and did a wall. I spent the entire time with a "hell no, we won't go!" attitude. Probably good since I doubt I was ready.
Things to keep in mind:
1. Most people fail because they quit. Lack of food, water, trick gear, etc basically become excuses to do what they really want, which is to come down.
2. Next biggest reason people fail seems to be lack of water. Leave the electric shavers and other BS at home and don't skimp on the water. Water is time. If you don't quit, and have water, then you can keep plugging at it till you get up. Running out of water makes you want to quit right quick.
3. Get your pitches in. Set reasonable goals for each day. If you're not to pitch X, get the headlamp out and keep climbing. Falling behind will demotivate you. Getting you pitches in and feeling a sense of accomplishment lifts the spirits despite your partners growing wall odor.
|
|
|
|
|
jderekforrester
Feb 12, 2005, 6:26 PM
Post #12 of 12
(2903 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 15, 2002
Posts: 104
|
My first wall experience was fairly frightening but I learned a hell of a lot. My friend and I decided to try the Sundevil Chimney on the Titan. We had aided a little in the gym and in onion creek but had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We got into the chimneys, and bailed. We were out of water, out of juice and out of chew and I didn't want to free climb the chimney. We didn't have a guidebook and we were going to try and free climb the chimney aid sections. But hey, we hiked out, regrouped and wen't and did kingfisher. As long as you have tenacity and aren't foolish with your systems(jugging, hauling, cleaning) and are ready to bail if you know you are in over your head, go for it. Just practice jugging a bunch first, it will save your muscles for the really important stuff when you are on the wall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
