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ubotch
Jun 24, 2005, 2:24 AM
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I am currently working towards learning to aid climb and eventually doing a big wall. My dream however is to do a big wall solo.
My question is to those of you who have soloed a wall. How many walls did you do with a partner before you were comfortable enough to do one on your own? I know this would depend on a lot of things but I am just wanting to get an idea. Thanks for the tips.
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climbinginchico
Jun 24, 2005, 3:35 AM
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tomorrow.
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gunksgoer
Jun 24, 2005, 3:37 AM
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No. Dont wait. Go now.
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noshoesnoshirt
Jun 24, 2005, 3:41 AM
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As soon as you don't have to ask.
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zozo
Jun 24, 2005, 3:46 AM
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Seems to me like a simple answer to this question could be given. Person says "Im working towards a goal and want to know from people who have been there". Im guessing the above three hav'nt even sniffed it yet.
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petsfed
Jun 24, 2005, 4:17 AM
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Actually, the number of people who climb their first big wall solo is startling. Essentially, if you have the skills to climb a big wall, you probably have almost all of the necessary skills to solo one. That is, virtually all of the skills pertinent to big wall soloing are also pertinent to big wall climbing in general (eg self belay, solo hauling systems, etc). The axiom that I was raised on, at least as it pertains to big wall climbing, was to find a partner convenient but not vital. In other words, if you can't do all of it yourself, you have no place on the big stone.
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phillipmikerevis
Jun 24, 2005, 4:27 AM
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two things i have always been told come to mind
one is that
experience is something you don't get until just after you need it
the other is
the only way to learn how to swim is to jump in the deep end feet first
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dangle
Jun 24, 2005, 5:04 AM
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I'd done 5 big walls before I soloed one (and a winter FA too) but the whole truth is that I had also done more than 50 roped solo ascents of shorter aid routes working out the bugs and feeling comfortable with the differences between soloing and climbing with a partner.
I would strongly advise such practices for anyone who aspires to walls so that once on one they only have to deal with the added exposure and payload.
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outsideguyzak
Jun 24, 2005, 5:08 AM
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bigwall it saweeeeet!!!!!!!!!!!! do it asap!
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onelung
Jun 24, 2005, 5:30 AM
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Dood my 5th mutipitch climb of my life was a solo of the WFLT. Only other wall I had been on was a year earlier on Zodiac half climb half party, great fun...we bailed on the 9th pitch.
So my 1st wall was solo.
You do it Bro!
ALOHA,
bill
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ricardol
Jun 24, 2005, 7:22 AM
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get out there .. practice -- learn to solo belay ..
and then pick a wall..
Soloing a big wall is easier in a few respects .. and alot harder in orders
Harder: YOU DO ALL THE WORK! -- nobody else hauls the pig, or cleans the route, or leads the scary pitch.
Easier: Management of gear is easier, since there is nobody else to work with. Management of the belay is easier, since its just you moving around.
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glockaroo
Jun 24, 2005, 2:14 PM
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In reply to: I'd done 5 big walls before I soloed one (and a winter FA too) but the whole truth is that I had also done more than 50 roped solo ascents of shorter aid routes working out the bugs and feeling comfortable with the differences between soloing and climbing with a partner. I would strongly advise such practices for anyone who aspires to walls so that once on one they only have to deal with the added exposure and payload.
Sage advice. Aid small stuff w/ a partner, then big stuff w/ a partner. Next solo small stuff, then big stuff. You certainly could solo big stuff right out of the gate, but the odds of you running into problems are a lot higher that way.
If you are shaky on the basics, you could make it just because nothing bad happened. If you are solid on the basics, you have a better chance of success (or survival) if things don't go as planned.
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ubotch
Jun 24, 2005, 2:15 PM
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Thanks for the tips. I am surprised/encouraged that some people actually do it for their first wall. Even though I don't plan on that, it is nice to know that if I have my systems down it wouldn't be completely crazy.
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mikeehartley
Jun 24, 2005, 2:48 PM
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The answer is always "it depends"...
What kind of a safety margin do you want to have?
How much "fun" do you want to have?
How much "dealing" are you willing to put up with?
And occasionally - how much damage are you willing to inflict upon the rock because you don't have the skills and confidence to climb cleanly?
Soloing a wall in theory may not involve many new skills over doing a wall with a partner but in practice it is way more involved. Unless you are exceptional, you are going to get MUCH more tired. More tired means "more dumber". If you don't have your systems really dialed somewhere you are going to start making dumb mistakes. Dumb mistakes don't necessarily mean you'll kill yourself (though its a possibility) but the "dealing" factor goes way up. Your ropes may snag 3/4 the way up a pitch because you weren't careful in stacking them, you may pull all of the slack out of the haul line so now you don't have enough rope for the 40' lower out, and on and on. The ways you can have a brain fart are limitless. Usually all of these things are surmountable, and some will say they build character, but I find they require lots of extra energy and cut into my fun. Fun is hard to come by on a solo but for me it lives mostly in the feeling that things are going smoothly, efficiently, and my ego is being stroked 'cause I ain't looking like a gumbie.
So I repeat, what kind of safety margin do you want on your side? How much idiotic dealing are you willing to put up with?
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ricardol
Jun 24, 2005, 3:17 PM
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In reply to: Thanks for the tips. I am surprised/encouraged that some people actually do it for their first wall. Even though I don't plan on that, it is nice to know that if I have my systems down it wouldn't be completely crazy.
.. it is crazy to solo something for your first big wall.. specially somehting big --
.. .but it just so happens that some of us are crazy
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dangle
Jun 24, 2005, 3:42 PM
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Speaking of practicing being crazy;
when I lived in Boulder I used to repeatedly solo the Practice Roof on Castle Rock without shoes. My theory was that if it hurt to stand in aiders I would learn to go through the moves more smoothly and efficiently (?? come again) and somehow I think that some improvement in skill did come about. Whether or not the foot pain actually helped is open to conjecture.
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lambone
Jun 24, 2005, 4:06 PM
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In reply to: My question is to those of you who have soloed a wall. How many walls did you do with a partner before you were comfortable enough to do one on your own? I know this would depend on a lot of things but I am just wanting to get an idea. Thanks for the tips.
5 El Cap Routes first- then a solo of Zodiac.
Also some small walls and alot of soloing one day multi-pitch aid routes.
And stepping up to El Cap aloe was still scary as hell.
Work your way up man and be patient, it is an awesome goal to have and reach. The wall will be more fun with some experience under your belt.
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t-dog
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Jun 24, 2005, 4:43 PM
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first wall I did was WFLT solo.
Depending on how you want to look at it, I chose studying and learning about all the systems you use on the wall over trying to make sure a partner does the same and knows exactly when to do things so that both people don't die.
But then again, I hadn't hauled anything before I got there, yet that wasn't a problem cause I had a great mental picture of how things should look like to work. Some people however seem to still have issues setting up hauling systems after even a couple practice sessions.
So in my opinion, if you feel comfortable rigging things, and you don't have the SIU mentality (Suck It Up) then soloing a wall is no harder than doing one with a partner. Plus, by the time you're done, you've learned how to do absolutely everything you could from that wall. No "I led everything and never had to clean stuff".
Enjoy, and don't back off!
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noshoesnoshirt
Jun 24, 2005, 5:10 PM
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In reply to: Seems to me like a simple answer to this question could be given. Person says "Im working towards a goal and want to know from people who have been there". Im guessing the above three hav'nt even sniffed it yet.
Why would you guess that?
Seems like my answer was pretty dang simple; when you don't feel the need to ask whether you should be doing something, you probably feel ready.
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maculated
Jun 24, 2005, 5:16 PM
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Noshoes,
Not neccessarily. Your philosophy can be likened to a pre-adolescent. They figure it all out by 13 and don't want to hear anything. It's not until after the big mistakes in life and age sets in, do they realize they didn't know everything nor the questions to ask to find out.
I'm "training" for a wall right now. I've got quite a few varied aid pitches under my belt now, but I'm not dialed, and every pitch teaches me to wait longer until I am . .. roofs, traverses, over hanging, slab, transition to free, organization, hauling . . . all of it.
If you want to bail, you can go when you think you know it all, but if you want to succeed, you can go when you know you don't.
ooooh, that was so deep. Ohm.
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noshoesnoshirt
Jun 24, 2005, 5:31 PM
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In reply to: Noshoes, Not neccessarily. Your philosophy can be likened to a pre-adolescent. They figure it all out by 13 and don't want to hear anything. It's not until after the big mistakes in life and age sets in, do they realize they didn't know everything nor the questions to ask to find out. I'm "training" for a wall right now. I've got quite a few varied aid pitches under my belt now, but I'm not dialed, and every pitch teaches me to wait longer until I am . .. roofs, traverses, over hanging, slab, transition to free, organization, hauling . . . all of it. If you want to bail, you can go when you think you know it all, but if you want to succeed, you can go when you know you don't. ooooh, that was so deep. Ohm.
Yes, but we learn from our mistakes.
If you feel ready, go for it. If you don't, practice more.
edited to add;
OK, a bit more.
Maculated, when are you going to try your solo? I'm guessing it's going to be when you feel ready. If you feel like you need to keep to keep asking others if you are ready, you know you're not.
Perhaps there should be a review board? Your comparison to pre-adolescent is especially apt. We have an agency that tests potential automobile drivers. Should we implement the same for soloing big walls?
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t-dog
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Jun 24, 2005, 5:33 PM
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In reply to: If you want to bail, you can go when you think you know it all, but if you want to succeed, you can go when you know you don't. ooooh, that was so deep. Ohm.
Waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy deep!!!!!! Why can't I rate posts today???
Can you feel the zen-ness in the air?
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asandh
Jun 24, 2005, 5:39 PM
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:)
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diesel___smoke
Jun 24, 2005, 6:16 PM
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My third wall was solo - SFWC.
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