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stickyfingerz
Jan 4, 2007, 4:48 PM
Post #26 of 40
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Registered: May 29, 2005
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I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the ultimate newbie-epic big climb: Royal Arches. 16 pitches, 5.7 A0, go get it. PS - Link it up with the South Face of North Dome for 24 pitches at 5.8 A0!!!
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yetanotherdave
Jan 4, 2007, 6:04 PM
Post #27 of 40
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Registered: Mar 19, 2005
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There are a few 20+ pitch route options on the Chief in squamish, too. The Ultimate Linkup, for example, is 26 pitches of mostly 5.9, with either one 5.10 pitch, one 5.9+/A0, or one 5.11b pitch (variations on the two possible finishes). Don't think it qualifies as a big wall, tho, I think it's like grade III.
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graniteboy
Jan 4, 2007, 6:57 PM
Post #28 of 40
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Registered: Dec 1, 2001
Posts: 1092
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Here's a list of some good free "bigwalls" in california. Although alot of folks wouldn't consider alot of em (like astroman, frinstance) a wall, because most folks do most of these in a day nowadays. North Butt middle cathedral (10a/b, V ) DNB middle cathedral (10b, V some stiff runouts) Steck Salathe (5.9, V plenty of wide stuff) Royal arches to Crest Jewel north dome(5.6 and 10a) IV+ Astroman. 11c, V . Stout. Eat yer wheaties. But not too many, cause you gotta fit into that damned harding slot. Half dome regular. (11a, A1, V) And no, you don't hafta climb12+ trad to do this with minmal aid. If you can lead 11a, or even 10c, you can do it with just a little aid...a couple bolt ladders on the first half and a couple sections of A1 in the zig zags. Conness southwest face. 10b V (offwidth) Red dihedral, Incredible hulk (10b, V) Dark star, Temple crag (10c, V) West face of the captain...11b V. Keeler needle, 10c V(scrappy offwidth flare at 13,000) huff puff. Palisades full traverse (5.9, VI, mostly class 4) Direct south face Lone Pine Peak (5.8 if U can routefind, 5.9 A0 otherwise). Loose rock and ants. There. That should keep you busy for a weekend or 2. Lemme know when you've finished these and I'll give you another to do list. There's plenty to climb in the golden state.
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bandycoot
Jan 4, 2007, 7:25 PM
Post #29 of 40
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Registered: Nov 25, 2002
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Astroman 5.11c Rainbow Wall 5.12 Both are "short" big walls that have gone free. I've done both in a day, Rainbow Wall I haven't freed (yet). For long easy non-bigwall routes, there is Dark Star 5.10b and Resolution Arete 5.10c with 6' of aid on a 5.11+ roof. For all around wildness, there is always Galactic Hitchhiker 5.11b/c? Speaking of which, Flamer do you want to do Galactic Hitchiker? I've been looking for a good fast partner for that one (tallest free climb in the lower 48?) no one I know good enough to do it wants to! Josh How hard do you climb? That's rather essential for recommendations of things you can free........
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flamer
Jan 4, 2007, 11:42 PM
Post #30 of 40
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Registered: Oct 22, 2002
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graniteboy wrote: Half dome regular. (11a, A1, V) And no, you don't hafta climb12+ trad to do this with minmal aid. If you can lead 11a, or even 10c, you can do it with just a little aid...a couple bolt ladders on the first half and a couple sections of A1 in the zig zags. ....ah but there is the rub...you don't have to climb 5.12+ to do it(believe me I know)...however It's not "just a couple of bolt ladder's" either. josh
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flamer
Jan 4, 2007, 11:46 PM
Post #31 of 40
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bandycoot wrote: For long easy non-bigwall routes, there is Dark Star 5.10b and Resolution Arete 5.10c with 6' of aid on a 5.11+ roof. Speaking of which, Flamer do you want to do Galactic Hitchiker? I've been looking for a good fast partner for that one (tallest free climb in the lower 48?) no one I know good enough to do it wants to! i was going to suggest resolution as well....the 'aid' is super cruiser...2 moves on .75 camalots and done...no aiders needed. Dude! I'd be up for an adventure like that!! Unfortunately I'm not sure I'll makle it to the valley this year. BUT!! I'll be in Vegas a lot in April- Rainbow wall free? I'm hoping to try the big link up again and some time free climbing on the OG would be good for speed! josh
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graniteboy
Jan 5, 2007, 12:18 AM
Post #32 of 40
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Registered: Dec 1, 2001
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Hmmmm...
In reply to: ah but there is the rub...you don't have to climb 5.12+ to do it(believe me I know)...however It's not "just a couple of bolt ladder's" either. Now Josh, maybe you can refresh my ancient memory....I've only done the regular route on half dome thrice...and the last time I did it was in 1995 or so..... but what i recall is this: there's a short bolt "ladder" (4 bolts or so ) on pitch 4, with two moves of 11a to get to it. after that, everything is 5.9 and down till you get to "the" bolt ladder just B4 robbins traverse. after that, to do it free, at less than 5.11, you gotta do that ugly 10a offwidth above the 12th pitch, or the shortish A1 just to it's left. Then it's all easy free (5.9 & down) till you get to the zigzags...where you can do the middle part free at 10c, and do some free moves here and there on the upper pitch. OH damn, I forgot the thin seam after the thank god ledge traverse......20 feet of aid added for that. MY BAD....... But Really, now, Josh...we hafta admit that the average 5.10 joe climber kid can do the dome with about 250 ft of actual aid...all of it fast and easy. I stand by my suggestion that this guy should take a run up it...it's mostly fast, easy climbing, and a good intro to free-walling. CR
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devils_advocate
Jan 5, 2007, 12:43 AM
Post #33 of 40
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Registered: May 18, 2006
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flamer wrote: i was going to suggest resolution as well....the 'aid' is super cruiser...2 moves on .75 camalots and done...no aiders needed. Forgive my lack of aid knowledge - but this is the Trad forum so I'm going to ask. If you can fit a .75 into that crack why does it need to be aided?
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flamer
Jan 5, 2007, 12:44 AM
Post #34 of 40
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Registered: Oct 22, 2002
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graniteboy wrote: Hmmmm... In reply to: ah but there is the rub...you don't have to climb 5.12+ to do it(believe me I know)...however It's not "just a couple of bolt ladder's" either. Now Josh, maybe you can refresh my ancient memory....I've only done the regular route on half dome thrice...and the last time I did it was in 1995 or so..... but what i recall is this: there's a short bolt "ladder" (4 bolts or so ) on pitch 4, with two moves of 11a to get to it. after that, everything is 5.9 and down till you get to "the" bolt ladder just B4 robbins traverse. after that, to do it free, at less than 5.11, you gotta do that ugly 10a offwidth above the 12th pitch, or the shortish A1 just to it's left. Then it's all easy free (5.9 & down) till you get to the zigzags...where you can do the middle part free at 10c, and do some free moves here and there on the upper pitch. OH damn, I forgot the thin seam after the thank god ledge traverse......20 feet of aid added for that. MY BAD....... But Really, now, Josh...we hafta admit that the average 5.10 joe climber kid can do the dome with about 250 ft of actual aid...all of it fast and easy. I stand by my suggestion that this guy should take a run up it...it's mostly fast, easy climbing, and a good intro to free-walling. CR I've only done it once so i guess that makes you the vet. But I agree wholeheartedly with your description. ...and I will stand by my point(which you made for me) That there is more than just "a couple of bolt ladders". Now for people who've done the route 3 times and undoubtly other walls with or without aid it's NBD.....and I agree that it's no big deal. But if you've ZERO aid or wall experience it's going to be alittle more of a pain. SO! I would also suggest Doing the RR to the original poster...however I would not miss lead him by saying that it's nothing more than 'a couple of bolt ladders" no matter how "little more" or easy it is. ...and I'd also thank you from anyone wanting to do the route for giving very exact beta! josh
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flamer
Jan 5, 2007, 12:56 AM
Post #35 of 40
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Registered: Oct 22, 2002
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devils_advocate wrote: flamer wrote: i was going to suggest resolution as well....the 'aid' is super cruiser...2 moves on .75 camalots and done...no aiders needed. Forgive my lack of aid knowledge - but this is the Trad forum so I'm going to ask. If you can fit a .75 into that crack why does it need to be aided? ...AH HA! a good question! The answer is...The crack is in a 6-8 ft roof and traverse's with poor feet. It has been freed at around 5.11+ and is only a few moves long. This section is *about* 1/2 way up a very long route with a big approach and descent. When i got to it I looked at it and said" Hmmm i think i can free that", "But I'm just going to yard through a couple moves and keep moving". Which is what most folks do there. Including the first ascenionist's.....one of whom went back a number of years later and freed it. It's one of those things you do *sometimes* on big routes to move quick. We did the route in under 6hrs. CTC in 10HR20M. Super fun day! Highly recomended! josh
(This post was edited by flamer on Jan 5, 2007, 6:49 AM)
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tradrenn
Jan 5, 2007, 3:44 AM
Post #36 of 40
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Registered: Jan 16, 2005
Posts: 2990
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bandycoot wrote: How hard do you climb? That's rather essential for recommendations of things you can free 5.9 ( I like to think ) I started some 10a at the end of 2006 season. I'm not looking for anything harder than 10 c or d. I'm only 32 so I have few more years to get there. Thanks again ( for helping me in this research )
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atg200
Jan 5, 2007, 11:39 PM
Post #37 of 40
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Registered: Jul 27, 2001
Posts: 4317
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i can't think of any long route 5.10 and under with no aid that i would consider to be a big wall - i just think of them as long easy free routes. a huge part of being a big wall is being steep and sustained - you just don't get that gut churning exposure that a big wall entails on purely 5.9 terrain. i've done 5 pitch desert towers that feel much more like a wall than 20 pitch alpine ridge routes.
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fukencanadian
Jan 6, 2007, 4:24 PM
Post #38 of 40
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Registered: Apr 3, 2005
Posts: 41
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Hey Wojtek, sounds like you had a pretty good year of climbing this past season.....one thing to keep in mind, some of these guys don't realize the grading in Yosemite is quite a bit harder than what we're used to....If you think the gunks has stiff grading, that's nothing! I was really surprised at how much harder some of the free grades were from what I'm used to...now part of that is simply because it's a much different type of climbing (mostly crack), which we have almost none of here Just something to keep in mind when you're looking at the grades I find that Red Rocks is closer to what we're used to. cheers
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brutusofwyde
Jan 8, 2007, 6:40 PM
Post #39 of 40
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Registered: Nov 3, 2002
Posts: 1473
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crotch wrote: What's a Big Wall? A wall? A big one? Touchstone? Spaceshot? Prodigal Son? Hairline? Muir Wall? Tempest? Book of Shadows? For me, something where I need to bivy. Something where I need to use aid. Brutus
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