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supertopoz
Jul 24, 2003, 12:31 PM
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Pride is a wonderfull thing sometimes.
But I don't have very much at all.
I want to be a big wall soloist, I really want to.
I have practised and practised trained and trained.
leaning tower and skull queen will be my first solos.
leaning tower because it's meant to be okay for soloing.
and skull queen because that bitch beat me off before.
So leaning tower for the first week of october, and the queen straight after.
I will climb in the fall as my body needs so much water. I can drink two lettres a day and still be thirsty.
Talk about self doubting.
I have the skills for success, but the self doubting is what is going to kill me.
"I solo because there is less time for fear to set in".
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neadamthal
Jul 24, 2003, 1:29 PM
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are you seeking encouragement here, or asking for permission?!
do whatever gets your rocks off bud...
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tim
Jul 24, 2003, 1:36 PM
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Go do it, and then you should get a quick injection of pride.
Keep your systems straight. Best of luck, you surely have it in you.
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lambone
Jul 24, 2003, 6:37 PM
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why fuck around, just do the Captain...
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jughead
Jul 24, 2003, 7:02 PM
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was this meant to be a poem or summin?
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gideon
Jul 24, 2003, 8:22 PM
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Jughead, I'm a soldier and a climber... That is funny as hell!
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bsignorelli
Jul 24, 2003, 10:45 PM
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In reply to: I can drink two lettres a day and still be thirsty.
I drink more than this when I'm working in the office. You may want to increase your water intake.
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josher
Jul 24, 2003, 11:15 PM
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In reply to: I have the skills for success, but the self doubting is what is going to kill me.
Damn!, talk about fore-shadowing.
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supertopoz
Jul 25, 2003, 7:50 AM
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You know I am a mountaineer of great experience.
I have been at this game for years.
The older I get the more scared I get.
You know why? It's because I learn more about what could go wrong, and the problems I could run into.
But hell with my past experience and training 10 pitches of leaning tower should be a walk in the park. Is it part of being a big wall climber that you need to get a huge ego before you start? I have everything I need for this solo season, just my confidence is lacking.
Does any one have suggestions about my problem, I have the skill and the strength to climb up to A3 nailing, but don't seem to get my head around that I can solo big walls.
I solo almost everything else I climb.
It's not the loneliness that's a problem, I enjoy the solitude.
It's something else that I can't put my finger on.
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epic_ed
Jul 25, 2003, 3:41 PM
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In reply to: Does any one have suggestions about my problem, I have the skill and the strength to climb up to A3 nailing, but don't seem to get my head around that I can solo big walls. It's something else that I can't put my finger on.
For me, it's the committment. I have soloed quite a bit this year on grade III type stuff, but have yet to be able to commit to leaving the comfort and security of the ground for several days at a time. It happened in Yosemite and I really didn't anticipate it. It's something that I can't train for -- there aren't any grade IV or V routes in AZ that I can solo in a weekend (Granite Mt. and Baboquivari are seasonal...and now is NOT the season). So my crux wasn't anything technical. It was entirely mental. Mentally committing to exerting that much effort for a couple of days in a row while isolated up on a wall. Sounds fun sitting here, but I really had problems committing when it was time for the rubber to meet the road.
Sorry this doesn't offer much in the way of a solution, but I'm sure you understand that we all battle our individual demons when it comes time to rack up for a solo ascent.
Ed
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lambone
Jul 25, 2003, 5:36 PM
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In reply to: But hell with my past experience and training 10 pitches of leaning tower should be a walk in the park.
LT is really only 6 pitches. If you want to solo a real big wall, do the Captain.
Raping the haul line is tha scariest part of soloing, for me at least...
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russwalling
Jul 25, 2003, 5:41 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Does any one have suggestions about my problem, I have the skill and the strength to climb up to A3 nailing, but don't seem to get my head around that I can solo big walls. For me, it's the committment. I have soloed quite a bit this year on grade III type stuff, but have yet to be able to commit to leaving the comfort and security of the ground for several days at a time. It happened in Yosemite and I really didn't anticipate it. (snip) So my crux wasn't anything technical. It was entirely mental. Mentally committing to exerting that much effort for a couple of days in a row while isolated up on a wall. Sounds fun sitting here, but I really had problems committing when it was time for the rubber to meet the road. Ed
From an earlier post:
**Posted: 06 May 2003 11:56 Post subject: Re: Straight Forward Reply Needed
------------------------------------------------------------------------
simzboardr wrote:
What are the hardest parts of the Nose or big wall in general?
Russ writes:
Keeping your lid on. Most failures are mental breakdowns. Get hard, suck-it up and keep going.**
True in May, still true today. Been true for decades.
"It's all in your head Man!!!!"
How to fix your lid:
a) Go up and spend one night.... just one, and come down. Zero commitment.
b) Go up and spend one night without a ledge.... just one night in slings. You know you will live through it and it will set a nice groundwork for climbing fast in the future.
c) Go up and spend one night with ropes fixed above. Don't plan on doing anything but retrieving your ropes the next day. If you feel all froggy.... go to the top of your lines and spend another night. Then come down.
d) Re-evalutae your life.... just what are you living for? What is the worst that could happen? You die? Phooey! Get on up there.
e) Pump up the pressure. Decide "If I snail-eye out on this wall, I'm selling all my gear at .25 cents on the dollar." So if you fail you will know that you are really not cut out for it and there is more than just some mental pain as a result. You no longer have a rack. By the time you get a new rack you might be over the whole silly deal.
f) Skip the solo thing and go with a partner who has very limited experience. It will be like soloing, but more of a confidence booster (if you top out) knowing that the life of your shaking and freaked partner completely depended on you keeping your lid screwed on tight.
g) Sedatives in pill form, and plenty of them.
Hope this helps,
Russ
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dsafanda
Jul 25, 2003, 5:43 PM
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I think you can do it in 5 pitches can't you Lambone? My partner and I climbed it in 6 but only because I balked at linking 9 and 10. Maybe you're including the last 4th class bit as a pitch.
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epic_ed
Jul 25, 2003, 5:50 PM
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The voice of experience speaks the loudest, as usual. Much thanks, Russ.
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iamthewallress
Jul 25, 2003, 6:11 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: But hell with my past experience and training 10 pitches of leaning tower should be a walk in the park. LT is really only 6 pitches. If you want to solo a real big wall, do the Captain. Raping the haul line is tha scariest part of soloing, for me at least...
Consider that this is coming from someone who just soloed El Cap for the first time just one or two weeks ago after soloing smaller things first...It's so funny how we dismiss what once seemed so hard once we do ourselves one better.
Supertopoz...the LT is a "real wall", and it's cool as hell. Have a blast up there!
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epic_ed
Jul 25, 2003, 6:15 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: But hell with my past experience and training 10 pitches of leaning tower should be a walk in the park. LT is really only 6 pitches. If you want to solo a real big wall, do the Captain. Raping the haul line is tha scariest part of soloing, for me at least...
And stop raping the haul line! That what the pig is for. ;-)
:P
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supertopoz
Jul 25, 2003, 10:48 PM
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Wow!
Thank you very much every one, I was surprised to get so much surport and ideas from a bunch of strangers.
I will follow russes Ideas and try for more mental conditioning.
What I do want to know though is I plan for being in the Valley at the start of October, when can I expect the first big storm to roll in?
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iamthewallress
Jul 25, 2003, 11:31 PM
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Usually it's nice in October, but my boyfriend once got to spend 4 days straight laying in his bivy sack whilst getting pounded by a waterfall on the Salathe. Be prepared for all manner of acts of god in October.
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freeclmr
Jul 27, 2003, 5:54 PM
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I just got back from my first successful solo on South Face Washington Column. Although I felt a bit scared a couple of times (i.e. rapping the roof in gale force winds) I was never terrified. Here's what I did to keep my lid on...
1) knowing that properly placed cams do not come out...they are bomber!
2) "ropes don't break, ropes don't break, ropes don't break...."
3) Always be aware of what will happen if you fall and be proactive to minimize or eliminate the fall potential (if that means zippering up the pitch with 3x the gear, do it!)
4) Focus on the next move. What you do 5 feet off the ground (when you are feeling safe) is the same thing you're doing 500 feet off the ground.
5) Be redundant with everything. Avoid relying on one thing to keep you safe. (It's not uncommon for me to rap/jugg two fixed lines [haul line and main line]...if one DOES break ["ropes don't break..."] I will still be safe. If for nothing else, it makes me feel better.
Although it may be overkill, it allows me to enjoy the experience instead of thinking that I'm about to die.........
Brian
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passthepitonspete
Jul 27, 2003, 8:35 PM
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Gads. Had to fix that. How can someone make two spelling mistakes in one word? Sheesh.
Brian! You're The Sh*t! Good comments, mate.
Please be sure to sign the register, eh?
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