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evanwish
Nov 22, 2008, 3:08 AM
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So i've done a few easy C1 aid climbs so far; I have 2 aid ladders, ascenders, and a FULL trad rack (combined we would have tripples and even quadrooples of each size cams and nuts)
my question is: What do i need to know about aiding Grand Illusion ? I don't have alot of aid experience, but this route seems too apealing and historic to pass up.
thanks,
Evan Wish
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xtrmecat
Nov 25, 2008, 6:08 PM
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Evan, my guess is the pro is not going to be straight forward on this one. It goes at 13 + so having never seen this route I would guess the crack is not continuous. That leaves aid climbers other options, not clean options, but potentially harmful to the route options. Most will argue that hooking is clean, but I know for fact that it is not always straight forward and does have the potential to harm and damage the route.
We as aid climbers must preserve all the stone as much as we can and if it is free, then it is not ours to aid without purely "clean methods". I would suggest if you must do this route then clean only, with a top rope would be your best first attempt. At 50 feet though I'm sure there are many better objectives out there to give you a classic line experience without getting on a "High End" free climb.
You are merely hours from some of the best most classic aid climbing on the planet. May I suggest doing the bottom of any of these lines. They are very committing, yet most can be done and off from anywhere in the first three or four pitches, and cannot get any more historic than the birth place of big wall climbing than this.
Just my thoughts on this.
Bob
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bob_54b
Nov 25, 2008, 6:25 PM
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I direct aided it way before Massa Yaniro freed it. it's a great route however you do it...way exposed on the outside of the roof. anyway...i seem to remember using bongs up to 2 1/2" (this was before cams and barely into hexes). need some smaller stuff for the first pitch--a set or two of stoppers/cams to 1". the second pitch is like 5.5.
the roof would take a lot of cams from 1" to 2 1/2' (SAY UP TO A #4 CAMALOT). the roof is about 30' of overhanging crack so take a couple of sets of cams.
it's like A2 (old aid rating) but only because it's a bit strenous hanging out under the roof...the placements were all pretty bomber as I remember.
it's a fun route to aid...spectacular but not scary.
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bob_54b
Nov 25, 2008, 6:40 PM
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I was reading xtremcats post and I think you could do it clean...which nowadays is the necessary way to do it, since it is such a famous and fantastic free climb and we don't want to mess it up.
seems I remember when you get above the roof and it starts to kick back, it widens up a bit, you needed the bigger stuff there.
the crack in the roof is sort of like being in the top of an A-frame, it rounds into this pretty good crack in the top.
it'll be an adventure...it was for us and that's the cool part.
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caughtinside
Nov 25, 2008, 7:18 PM
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evanwish wrote: So i've done a few easy C1 aid climbs so far; I have 2 aid ladders, ascenders, and a FULL trad rack (combined we would have tripples and even quadrooples of each size cams and nuts) my question is: What do i need to know about aiding Grand Illusion ? I don't have alot of aid experience, but this route seems too apealing and historic to pass up. thanks, Evan Wish
All you need to know is that you must aid it without pins or a hammer. The crack is continuous and thin, so rack accordingly.
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dingus
Nov 25, 2008, 7:38 PM
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caughtinside wrote: evanwish wrote: So i've done a few easy C1 aid climbs so far; I have 2 aid ladders, ascenders, and a FULL trad rack (combined we would have tripples and even quadrooples of each size cams and nuts) my question is: What do i need to know about aiding Grand Illusion ? I don't have alot of aid experience, but this route seems too apealing and historic to pass up. thanks, Evan Wish All you need to know is that you must aid it without pins or a hammer. The crack is continuous and thin, so rack accordingly.
They used to advertise Ballnuts using a pic of someone on the GI.
DMT
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caughtinside
Nov 25, 2008, 7:49 PM
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dingus wrote: caughtinside wrote: evanwish wrote: So i've done a few easy C1 aid climbs so far; I have 2 aid ladders, ascenders, and a FULL trad rack (combined we would have tripples and even quadrooples of each size cams and nuts) my question is: What do i need to know about aiding Grand Illusion ? I don't have alot of aid experience, but this route seems too apealing and historic to pass up. thanks, Evan Wish All you need to know is that you must aid it without pins or a hammer. The crack is continuous and thin, so rack accordingly. They used to advertise Ballnuts using a pic of someone on the GI. DMT
Well for true style points you have to listen to Styx while you do it.
Of course, if you aid it, you're just doing the third pitch of the Fracture.
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dingus
Nov 25, 2008, 7:52 PM
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caughtinside wrote: dingus wrote: caughtinside wrote: evanwish wrote: So i've done a few easy C1 aid climbs so far; I have 2 aid ladders, ascenders, and a FULL trad rack (combined we would have tripples and even quadrooples of each size cams and nuts) my question is: What do i need to know about aiding Grand Illusion ? I don't have alot of aid experience, but this route seems too apealing and historic to pass up. thanks, Evan Wish All you need to know is that you must aid it without pins or a hammer. The crack is continuous and thin, so rack accordingly. They used to advertise Ballnuts using a pic of someone on the GI. DMT Well for true style points you have to listen to Styx while you do it. Of course, if you aid it, you're just doing the third pitch of the Fracture.
Don't be fooled by
the radio
or the climbing magazines
who show you photographs
of how your rack should be
imagine someone else's
fantasy....
Cheers caught
DMT
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dingus
Nov 25, 2008, 7:53 PM
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dingus wrote: caughtinside wrote: evanwish wrote: So i've done a few easy C1 aid climbs so far; I have 2 aid ladders, ascenders, and a FULL trad rack (combined we would have tripples and even quadrooples of each size cams and nuts) my question is: What do i need to know about aiding Grand Illusion ? I don't have alot of aid experience, but this route seems too apealing and historic to pass up. thanks, Evan Wish All you need to know is that you must aid it without pins or a hammer. The crack is continuous and thin, so rack accordingly. They used to advertise Ballnuts using a pic of someone on the GI. DMT
Upon reflection I think they were Rollers something, not ballnuts. Oh well....
whatever.
DMT
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shimanilami
Nov 25, 2008, 8:02 PM
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Cam hooks will add a little spice to the climb and cut your gear placements down by a third. And they're bad ass.
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evanwish
Nov 26, 2008, 2:02 AM
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bob_54b wrote: I think you could do it clean...which nowadays is the necessary way to do it, since it is such a famous and fantastic free climb and we don't want to mess it up. <snip> it'll be an adventure...it was for us and that's the cool part.
a free climb up GI is sure in my dreams, but far in the future. the best i've done is 20 feet of a .12 crack
i guess something to work up to! :]
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evanwish
Nov 26, 2008, 7:48 PM
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ok now thats just strange... i went to the gym last night (i know, i know..) and ended up climbing that .12 crack and getting 15' up a 5.13
so maybe its not toooooo far off in the future.
thanks for the motivation!!!
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caughtinside
Nov 26, 2008, 7:56 PM
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evanwish wrote: ok now thats just strange... i went to the gym last night (i know, i know..) and ended up climbing that .12 crack and getting 15' up a 5.13
Oh? Then what are you waiting for? leave the aid gear on the ground and give it a run, sounds like you're ready.
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evanwish
Nov 26, 2008, 8:10 PM
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caughtinside wrote: evanwish wrote: ok now thats just strange... i went to the gym last night (i know, i know..) and ended up climbing that .12 crack and getting 15' up a 5.13 Oh? Then what are you waiting for? leave the aid gear on the ground and give it a run, sounds like you're ready.
well that's still 35 feet short of grand illusion. Its definately my mail goal
along side with the Fat Merchant's Crack (i don't know, why but i'm dying to eventually do that route)
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salamanizer
Nov 26, 2008, 9:02 PM
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evanwish wrote: ok now thats just strange... i went to the gym last night (i know, i know..) and ended up climbing that .12 crack and getting 15' up a 5.13 so maybe its not toooooo far off in the future. thanks for the motivation!!!
Uh Evan, that natural .13 route in the gym there (which I'll confirm is at least 5.13) doesn't have a move close to .13 until the last 10ft. The first half is all .11+. And that .12 crack is really only about .11c, not sustained and only 25ft long. I've (spray) lead the .13 several times and have done 12 laps on the crack, downclimbing between each lap. Yesterday infact I walked it in my socks and I know I still don't have even a remote prare of sending that thing anytime soon.
That being said, you can aid it at moderate C1. It would be great practice, you can do it in the rain, and even if your aid climbing skills suck, you can work out the kinks on this thing as it is steep and awkward. Get an adjustable fifi hook or your abs will suffer. Triple up on your mid sized cams and back clean... but not too much.
And GO!
Edited to add. Fat Merchants crack is a serious route. The crux is 50ft up in a bombay squeeze chimney over sharp talus. You can't get pro until well after the crux and it's as hard as .10b chimneys get.
Patience, make sure you're comfortable free soloing hard .10 OW's before you attempt it, cuz that's what you'll be doing.
Maybe TR it first.
(This post was edited by salamanizer on Nov 26, 2008, 9:06 PM)
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caughtinside
Nov 26, 2008, 10:04 PM
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salamanizer wrote: evanwish wrote: ok now thats just strange... i went to the gym last night (i know, i know..) and ended up climbing that .12 crack and getting 15' up a 5.13 so maybe its not toooooo far off in the future. thanks for the motivation!!! Uh Evan, that natural .13 route in the gym there (which I'll confirm is at least 5.13) doesn't have a move close to .13 until the last 10ft. The first half is all .11+. And that .12 crack is really only about .11c, not sustained and only 25ft long.
Gee Chad, way to squash a guy's dream!
You got any time in december off? Week in bishop or smith?
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zeke_sf
Nov 27, 2008, 12:09 AM
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evanwish wrote: caughtinside wrote: evanwish wrote: ok now thats just strange... i went to the gym last night (i know, i know..) and ended up climbing that .12 crack and getting 15' up a 5.13 Oh? Then what are you waiting for? leave the aid gear on the ground and give it a run, sounds like you're ready. well that's still 35 feet short of grand illusion. Its definately my mail goal along side with the Fat Merchant's Crack (i don't know, why but i'm dying to eventually do that route)
Hey, who knows, you may actually die doing it.
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evanwish
Nov 27, 2008, 5:18 AM
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caughtinside wrote: salamanizer wrote: evanwish wrote: ok now thats just strange... i went to the gym last night (i know, i know..) and ended up climbing that .12 crack and getting 15' up a 5.13 so maybe its not toooooo far off in the future. thanks for the motivation!!! Uh Evan, that natural .13 route in the gym there (which I'll confirm is at least 5.13) doesn't have a move close to .13 until the last 10ft. The first half is all .11+. And that .12 crack is really only about .11c, not sustained and only 25ft long. ! You got any time in december off? Week in bishop or smith?
no thats totally fine. I know that right now i have no chance in even getting close to toproping it, but what i do know is that i'm growing and getting stronger and since i'm only 17, i have loads of time to work my way up to that level. A real longterm goal, but for now i'd like to just aid it.
salamanizer wrote: Get an adjustable fifi hook or your abs will suffer. Triple up on your mid sized cams and back clean
salamanizer wrote: Fat Merchants crack is a serious route
in short, practice makes perfect and i've got some far off goals... :/
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