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el_capitan
Oct 20, 2003, 3:18 PM
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I'm sure someone has asked this in some form of other but I couldn't find it.
I would really appreciate any advice/help on helping me achieve my goal of climbing El Cap (notice my screen name). I have decent (in my opinion of myself) trad experience (up to 5.8 multipitch) but absolutely no aid. I know that I need to become a stronger climber and gain more experience but what would you do if you were in my shoes to prepare to climb El Cap? Its my goal to climb it in the next few years and I have the time next summer to spend about 2 months climbing and was thinking of camping out at Camp 4 but to be honest I'm not really sure about the weather there in the summer (hot I'm assuming). Any ideas?
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lambone
Oct 20, 2003, 5:07 PM
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Summer can be a great time to be on El Cap. I soled Zodiac in mid July this summer and as far as I could tell I was the ONLY person on the whole damn cliff...it was awsome! But you need to be very carefull with you water supply and not over exert yourself in the heat. Both of these things are bound to happen (running out of water and overexerting yourself) on your first time up El Cap, so it may be wise to shoot for cooler temps.
For now, focus on building up your aid gear supply. There is plenty of info on this board on good gear to buy, do some searches. Start aiding on something easy. Even a bolt ladder in the gym is fine for your first time in aiders, just figure out how to use the aider/daisy/fifi hook combination. Then move up to aiding cracks in the 5.10-5.11 range that take good pro. Try not to aid popular crack climbs on a weekend though...
Proficiency in placing protection and organization of your rack and rope systems is crucial on a big wall. Work on that every time you go climbing. think simple/effcient/organized and SAFE.
The most important thing, and possibly the most difficult is to find a good partner to practice aid with. Try to find somebody with experience and patients to teach you and belay you as you slowly thrash your way up your first few aid climbs. Or if not, find another friend to learn with and take it slow, don't get in over your heads...work your way up. I would'nt recomend soloing at first. Go out with someone who is experienced that can obseve and give you the go ahead to start soloing.
Finnaly, plan on doing a Grade V like Leaning Tower of Wa. Column before El Cap. In fact, when you get to the valley, do a bunch of long grade IV free climbs before commiting for a night. Wall climbing is just an extention of looong days out on a cliff, so it's good to get comfortable with epics before trying to epic with a 100lb haulbag. Get your feet wet with less gear, easier climbing, and less commitment before charging the captain. And when you do charge the Captain, be ready to give her every ounce that you've got, cause that's what it takes.
Good Luck, Have fun! El Cap is the motherstone.
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brutusofwyde
Oct 22, 2003, 6:55 PM
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There's a book you might be interested in by Chris Mac... "The Road to El Cap."
Get a motivated partner.
Climb long routes... up to Grade III
Climb longer routes. Lots of Grade IVs.
Climb hard routes.
Climb harder routes.
Play around with aid and hauling systems on very short (1-2 pitch) climbs.
Climb Grade Vs requiring some aid and hauling. You may have to make a few attempts before success.
Climb Grade Vs requiring extensive aid and hauling.
Move on to Grade VIs.
Climb El Cap.
hth,
Brutus
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passthepitonspete
Nov 12, 2003, 7:16 PM
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You should go practise solo aiding, too. It's the easiest way to solo because you are moving slowly. If you don't know what you're doing, however, you may well end up dead.
And ending up dead is emphatically not cool.
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malabarista
Nov 14, 2003, 12:37 AM
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I managed to get up Zodiac on El Cap this season after only learning to aid this summer. I did not have the luxury of staying 2 months in Camp 4. I work full time and could get to the valley only on weekends. I was there almost every weekend -mostly free climbing, but also practicing aid pitches. During the week, I trained in a local gym. I'm an average free climber if that, my hardest trad lead is only 5.10b and much more typically I lead 5.9 or less. Total, I've been leading less than 2 years -I started on ice.
I learned the fundamentals on the Le Conte boulder in Yosemite from an experienced wall climber. Then I read everything I could. Partial list: Big Walls, Road to the Nose -supertopo, everything in TFOTH and scoured the forums here and on supertopo.com for answers to questions I had where I was unclear.
Of course, if you don't have to work or you have a mentor and commit yourself full time you will learn faster.
Once you have the fundamentals of aid down, work on speed... Then the hardest part is getting used to setting up the hauling systems and dealing with the complexity of the belays. I think that was the hardest part for me to learn, and you really only learn by experience and by making mistakes (hopefully small ones). It's a good idea to do a smaller grade V wals(s) before jumping on el cap.
Climbing El Cap was one of the most incredible and challenging experiences of my life. It was well worth the effort and I'll be back next year.
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poohbear
Nov 14, 2003, 2:10 AM
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do be careful with the weather in mid summer. it can get quite hot and uncomfortable. not necessarily ruling out climbing, but could make an ascent of the big stone a drag. of course, you have the wonderful haven of tuolomne meadows nearby. actually, fall, and to a lesser extent spring (water run off) is a great time to spend in the valley.
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poohbear
Nov 14, 2003, 2:13 AM
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don't be daunted by the jaded ones telling you that if you're asking this question, perhaps you shouldn't be going for it in the first place. we all started at the beginning, whether we like it or not. go for it.
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malabarista
Nov 14, 2003, 3:12 AM
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In reply to: But you need to be very carefull with you water supply and not over exert yourself in the heat. Both of these things are bound to happen (running out of water and overexerting yourself) on your first time up El Cap, so it may be wise to shoot for cooler temps.
How true that is! Next time I will carry "extra" water.
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bigwalling
Nov 14, 2003, 3:48 AM
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Asking questions just makes things easier! It speeds up everything, same goes for someone good showing you it.
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elcapinyoazz
Nov 14, 2003, 8:56 PM
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You wanna climb El Cap? You sure? Let me ask again...are you SURE?
Ok, two ways:
1. Get alot of practice on shorter stuff. Start with single pitch stuff and start adding in hauling after you get the movement down. Add some traverses and pendulums, which you should practice both leading and cleaning. Start practicing your pin, head, and hooking skills on the ground on some chossy small boulders (where no one would actually boulder) or small worthless cliff where folks don't climb (this assumes you're going to do a nailing route, and not the Nose or Salathe' or something else clean... even if it's Lurking Fear you should practice with a few heads on the ground in case you need to place one.) Hang out around some experienced wall climbers. Grill them with questions, go practice some more. Come back after the practice and grill them again. They might offer to take you up something short, or teach you on some practice routes, or they might decline that honor, but most will answer your questions. Be persistent. Then up the ante with short aid routes you can do in a day without hauling or bivying. Then go tackle a Grade V. Do lots of long free routes at the same time...you'll get in shape, know how you handle the exposure, and be able to pick the right size off the rack on the first try. After two or three increasingly more difficult Grade Vs in good style, pick a partner, then a route. Take extra water and send it.
2. Do a pitch or two of practice. Take a hammer and a bunch of pins. Substitute force for ingenuity and skill. It's your DREAM, so nailing C1 is ok. (Note: poking fun at some pissing contest that went on previously)
You can figure out all the skills you need with books and diligent practice, with a mentor, by hanging around C4 and asking lots of folks, with a guide, private instruction, video instruction...pick your poision.
Summer in Yosemite is hot, take plenty of water. Six liters per person per day is not overkill.
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bwnco
Nov 14, 2003, 10:07 PM
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" if you want to climb something bad enough,you will. So.....why bother?" :lol:
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roadguy
Nov 15, 2003, 12:04 AM
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you should take every piece of advice that has been given to you so far in this thread with the added bit that no matter how technically proficent you are El Cap is one very big piece of stone and your mental perserverence is, I think the most important thing to keep about you.
Over the years I noticed that if a party was going to bail on it, they usually did it in the first day or so. You need to be mentally prepared for how big and steep it is. The first day your pig is always the heaviest, your hands always the sorest and your mindset always the most fragile to thoughts of bar and flatground and to weak moments of doubt.
Half Dome...the Column...(whatever you choose to do as warm-ups are less of a challenge then El Cap...but you will learn more in those warm ups then you can imagine for multi day routes where hauling and bivys are a necessity. Things you don't want to have to learn when you're on the big stone. Learning your systems is critical to a fun and relatively stress-free climb. Having to learn about unsticking haul bags etc. is something you should learn elsewhere...
But good luck, its something that will stay with you the rest of your life.
cheers
Pat
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njbourne
Nov 18, 2003, 8:32 PM
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In reply to: I would really appreciate any advice/help on helping me achieve my goal of climbing El Cap.
He who dares wins.
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iceclimbingguy
Nov 18, 2003, 8:37 PM
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Registered: Jul 22, 2003
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Great and sound advice.....butonly 100 pounds in the haul bag...that's traveling too light... :D
The hardest part of doing big walls for me has always been waking up my first morning in a portledge. It takes me at least 2 cup of coffee to adjust to being able to look down and not have my nerves bug out on me.
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rockprodigy
Nov 19, 2003, 1:07 AM
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You need to get better than 5.8.
Wait 'till you can lead 5.10, then the 5.8 2000' off the deck won't feel so bad.
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mesomorf
Nov 19, 2003, 2:35 AM
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Go to Yosemite. Climb some shorter climbs. Maybe E. Butt. of El Cap.
Or...
Go to El Cap Meadow. Stand at base of El Cap. Reconsider planned climb of El Cap.
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karlbaba
Nov 19, 2003, 3:37 AM
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The secret to sucess on El Cap is: Never give up!
The secret to safety on El Cap is: Knowing when to give up!
Peace
karl
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