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boulderinguy
Dec 25, 2003, 3:25 AM
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Registered: May 6, 2003
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well im going to yosemite this summer and was wondering if washington collum would be a good first big wall aid. what would i need to do to prepare for it. i live in North carolina and there are lots of routes, witch routes should i do in prep for washington collum. thanks
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moabbeth
Dec 25, 2003, 3:43 AM
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Just fyi it's Washington's "column". Might make it easier for web searches with the right spelling. :wink:
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copperhead
Dec 25, 2003, 4:18 AM
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Yes, the South Face or the Prow (on Washington Column) would be a good first wall. Do a bunch of clean aid and get your hauling systems down. Once you feel confident and can move efficiently, hike your stuff up there and go for it. You can find a rack list in any guidebook. Have fun.
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flamer
Dec 25, 2003, 4:26 AM
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In reply to: Yes, the South Face or the Prow (on Washington Column) would be a good first wall. Do a bunch of clean aid and get your hauling systems down. Once you feel confident and can move efficiently, hike your stuff up there and go for it. You can find a rack list in any guidebook. Have fun.
You will not get any better advice than this!!
josh
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diesel___smoke
Dec 25, 2003, 4:58 AM
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Very good advice so far. It's my opinion that hauling is easier on the Prow than the South Face. I bailed P7 soloing the South Face in a bad snow storm so I never actually finished the route :?. I did, however, see a summit on the Prow.
(I know, pretty shameless to bail on the 'easiest big wall in Yosemite'...)
Jp
Merry Christmas everyone!
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flamer
Dec 26, 2003, 8:13 AM
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In reply to: (I know, pretty shameless to bail on the 'easiest big wall in Yosemite'...) Jp Merry Christmas everyone!
Don't sweat it...better climbers have bailed off easier routes!
josh
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zetedog
Dec 26, 2003, 3:20 PM
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If you can do any of the aid routes at Looking Glass cleanly, you'll be fine for the column (or so I hear). I did the SF column solo 3 years ago (first and only long aid climb), and recently bailed from Glass Managerie due to weather. The aid climbing was very similar. If you are doing the column late in the season, you won't even need to think about brining a hammer as all the heads will have been replaced by then. You can also apply similar strategy by fixing several pitches and sleeping on *solid* ground (actual ground at LG, dinner ledge on the column), which will be good practice for jugging.
Todd
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no_limit
Dec 28, 2003, 1:50 AM
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My first aid route would be a band aid :D
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ncclimber
Dec 28, 2003, 3:08 AM
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West Face of the Leaning Tower is also recommended as a good first one. It was mine, but if you have to bail your in trouble. Send me a PM if you need any help or advice about The North Face of Looking Glass I am out their almost every weekend.
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iamthewallress
Dec 28, 2003, 4:02 AM
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In reply to: West Face of the Leaning Tower is also recommended as a good first one.It was mine, but if you have to bail your in trouble.
I think that bailing solo w/ a pig off the LT was one of the burliest things I've done. If you get up there and get cold feet, go UP! The summit is the easier option.
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ncclimber
Dec 28, 2003, 4:12 AM
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You bet that was all I could think while on it. Get get off we go up.
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diesel___smoke
Dec 28, 2003, 5:14 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: (I know, pretty shameless to bail on the 'easiest big wall in Yosemite'...) Jp Merry Christmas everyone! Don't sweat it...better climbers have bailed off easier routes! josh
No worries Josh... It built some confidence, I'm going to try to solo it in a day next spring.
In reply to: ...If you are doing the column late in the season, you won't even need to think about brining a hammer as all the heads will have been replaced by then...
No offence, but this isn't very good advice. All the fixed stuff I encountered on the Prow and the SF was a time bomb. I took a fall near the Kor roof when a fixed head ripped - This was late in the season. I got past the section without placing another head, but heads should still be taken. My friend also took a fall while on the Prow via a fixed head. Moreover, a hammer should always be taken on any aid route regardless if it goes clean or not(how do you expect to clean?). Take a hammer, 2 or 3 heads and have fun.
Jp
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iamthewallress
Dec 28, 2003, 5:27 AM
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In reply to: I took a fall near the Kor roof when a fixed head ripped
You can aid past the former fixed head without leaving a new one. You don't need heads on that route.
Otherwise, I agree w/ your advise. Don't count on the fixed heads being there.
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diesel___smoke
Dec 28, 2003, 5:32 AM
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I got past the section without placing another head, but it isn't always true that you can pass a head placement without a head. It happened to be true in this case, but not all others. Mainly because the head placement wasn't necessary. Otherwise, good luck trying to reuse the POS that ripped.
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