My first US big wall (aid-solo) – recommendations please?

Looking for recommendations for my first big solo when I come over to the US next week. Will warm up with a mate by climbing a route together on El Cap (C3ish) and then I'm gonna do a couple of routes on my own – either in Yosemite or Zion... or elsewhere if you guys have any suggestions for spots where the weather will likely be more stable?

I've aid-soloed the biggest A2+ route in Australia (1000ft/granite) and looking for something of similar difficulty over there. Would be good to do something a bit longer too...

My key criteria/preferences are...
– relative solitude (Not keen on crowds)
– easy and minimal free-climbing (I only lead 5.7-5.9)
– mainly clean aid, I have minimal nailing experience

I have a ledge with fly and am not scared of some wind and rain although trying to free climb wet slabs is not my idea of fun!

The Prow? Lost Arrow Spire Direct? Moonlight Buttress? Tangerine Trip?

I've been reading so much online my head hurts. Just want to hear some personal recommendations to get me psyched!

Huw wrote:Looking for recommendations for my first big solo when I come over to the US next week. Will warm up with a mate by climbing a route together on El Cap (C3ish) and then I'm gonna do a couple of routes on my own – either in Yosemite or Zion... or elsewhere if you guys have any suggestions for spots where the weather will likely be more stable? I've aid-soloed the biggest A2+ route in Australia (1000ft/granite) and looking for something of similar difficulty over there. Would be good to do something a bit longer too... My key criteria/preferences are... – relative solitude (Not keen on crowds) – easy and minimal free-climbing (I only lead 5.7-5.9) – mainly clean aid, I have minimal nailing experience I have a ledge with fly and am not scared of some wind and rain although trying to free climb wet slabs is not my idea of fun! The Prow? Lost Arrow Spire Direct? Moonlight Buttress? Tangerine Trip? I've been reading so much online my head hurts. Just want to hear some personal recommendations to get me psyched!

Moonlight buttress meets all your requirements except for the crowds...

Super straightforward aid climbing - little mandatory free climbing at a relatively easy grade. The bottom couple pitches traverse, which might made make rope soloing it a little difficult.

Haven't tried any of the others. Made an attempt on W. Face Leaning Tower. You might look at that. It might meet your requirements (except for maybe the crowds).

I'm no expert, but I really enjoyed soloing the Prow. Easy and all round pleasant.

West Face of Leaning Tower is exactly what you are looking for minus the crowds, but if you hop on midweek it shouldn't be an issue.

Also no expert, but I'll throw out Spaceshot in Zion. It has a couple of tricky sections (C2?), almost no approach, easy free climbing, a cool natural ledge to sleep on (don't haul), straightforward raps, all with the spectacular backdrop of the canyon. It is a "trade" route, but I had it all to myself on a sweet weekend. Have fun!

Liberty Cap is less crowded.

+1 for west face of leaning tower!

I think it depends on how big you're looking for. Moonlight Buttress is a terrific route, but relatively short. Space Shot is also fun, but also rather short. Still, Zion is such a beautiful place in the fall it'd be a shame to pass up.

If you're an experienced soloist though, I think you should try the Captain. The Prow and WFLT are both fun routes, and good ones to cut your teeth. But if you know what you're doing, I'd prefer hopping on Zodiac. If you're up for a seven or eight day adventure, Mescalito would be rad. It goes clean with the standard bag of tricks (offset cams, cam hooks, etc.), but if you had to pound or pin or two, it'd be A2 at the most.

I would highly recommend wet denim daydream on leaning tower. Leave behind most of the crowd on the west face, and the climbing is incredible.

Wet Denim is incredible and a step up from West Face, the crux is short and thin with some chicken bolts from Todd Skinners free variation if you end up in over your head. Bring a decent amount of medium beaks so you don't end up back cleaning the whole dame thing, it scared the shit outta me having to do that.

Solitude, minimal free, minimal nails.

Solitude is hard to come by on El Cap. The SE face has some contenders of which you're doubtless aware (the Trip, Zodiac) but as that whole side of the cliff is a big concavity you're probably not gonna feel unobserved or alone unless there doesn't happen to be anyone else climbing- later in the season, or right after a storm you sat out. Over near the W. Buttress things get quieter: Octopussy, Never Never Land, etc. Those routes are taller however (~20p) and may have some mandatory free climbing; can't say as I haven't done 'em. Nailing is not exactly rocket science so I wouldn't let the threat of this possibility factor too heavily in your prioritizing. If a couple pins here and there helps you achieve the other two goals I'd be good with it.

Washington Column has some nice steep mid-length routes that don't see a lot of traffic: Reanimator, Electric Ladyland, Mideast Crisis. The Prow can be a gumbified junkshow. A few nails and you can climb the Afroman.

Later in the season, when sun is more tolerable, the Ribbon Falls area becomes plausible. Laughing At The Void mets your criteria.

I've only soloed one wall; it was on Half Dome up the tears of the maiden and the route met all your criteria. This route's aging fixed anchors have recently seen an upgrade. 22 guidebook pitches.

Supertopo is gonna have a lot more beta for this valley in the form of trip reports and general conversation.

The LA Direct has ledges all over it and is not real popular. It's also the windiest place in the Valley between sundown and about 0800, so you'll get lots of rest. And you can leave the ledge and just bring a tent, no joke.

Have fun, be safe, don't forget to eat and drink.

Fantastic solo tips from those who have lived it here;msg=167511#msg167511 : 

"My best advice is this: Take an extra days worth of food and water, and on the day you wake up saying to yourself "this f*#kin' sucks, I'm bailing", it'll be about the second or third day maybe, just take the entire day off, chill in your ledge, watch the swallows and falcons and other climbers and just generally enjoy the peace and the view. Maybe fix a pitch or two above the ledge if you get bored. " "Never bail. Never. Don't bail. If you are thinking about bailing, don't do it. " This is fantastic beta. 

My 2 cents: Get some pants with big pockets,so you can carry food with you at all times. The biggest crux for me has been self-care, the largest component of which was nutrition; ie stopping to eat. You will go more slowly than you think, and skipping out on meal breaks will feel like an easy way to make up time. Don't do this. Gu/power-spooge nice for bonky moments, to get you through a tough hour. Protein and fat in the morning for all-day go power. Sippable water (camelbak/lead minibottle) is more efficient than the periodic guzzle/piss cycle.

Find a camera that will fit into one of those pockets, lest all your documentation take place at bivies. Boring. 

Don't skimp on gloves. 

Do not go up under constraints of time. 

Highly specific rack beta for each pitch is nice, if it doesn't spoil the adventure for ya- carrying a giant rack is kind of a bummer. 

Stick to the plan. Most clever technical improvisations end up wasting time unless very carefully thought through. 

Lightweight nylon butt seat is nice for sorting/stacking intervals at anchors, will save wear and tear on hips & legs. 

Comfort ingestibles make the whole thing go down a lot smoother. Pick your pleasure, and don't skimp on it. 

Steep is good! Avoid haulbag nightmares with good route selection. 

"Ah, how interesting! My _____ is twisted about my *(^*(, thus preventing me from @@#$#$@." Enjoy the inevitable problem-solving.

I don't think you need to worry about crowding on El Cap that much this time of year. If the weather is good, there may be a few more folks than usual. With the warm winters (the new normal?) there are definitely more people doing walls later in the season, but it's not crowded like it is in June, etc. Given that, I don't think you need to do an obscure route to get away from folks. Less popular routes like Never Never Land and Horse Chute have always looked nice, but they always have a sewer pitch or two that could be a problem if you get a fall storm. Plus, even if there are other people on the route or nearby ones, as long as they're not parked a pitch above or a pitch below you, there can be a nice comaraderie up there. The morning wake up calls, checking out others climbing something interesting, etc. To me, that's part of the experience.

Rob Dillon wrote:Fantastic solo tips from those who have lived it here : "My best advice is this: Take an extra days worth of food and water, and on the day you wake up saying to yourself "this f*#kin' sucks, I'm bailing", it'll be about the second or third day maybe, just take the entire day off, chill in your ledge, watch the swallows and falcons and other climbers and just generally enjoy the peace and the view. Maybe fix a pitch or two above the ledge if you get bored. " "Never bail. Never. Don't bail. If you are thinking about bailing, don't do it. "

Best bigwall climbing advice ever (even with a partner). 99% of it is mental...