If you had a year to train for Freerider...

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote:

2. You need a couple of seasons (ie spring and fall) on 5.12 trad for this overall goal to really be viable. Physicality of the Salathe is gonna be a test.

5. Hahahahahahaha? What could go wrong on the Monster?

6. I'd worry about this when you get there. Its "only" 12b.....

7. Bouldering V8 Granite would probably be useful. As well as being able to run 10 miles with Mark Hudon on your back.

8. Adam Ondra could not OS the Salathe, Free Rider OS/ground up would have been a proud send for him or anyone.

Mike Anderson basically OSd the Freerider when he had only climbed mid 5.13. He did however have a lot of experience on walls (had done some free Zion stuff IIRC)

Harrison Schutt wrote: Alright MP'ers here we go.

Amidst the adrenaline rush after buying a G7 pod a few weeks ago, my buddy and I set the lofty goal of climbing Freerider next May (after I graduate) ground-up, all free. Being located in Montana and not knowing many people who frequent (or have even gone to) the valley, I figured asking the internet would be a good place to start...well, because everything on the internet is true.

Do you go to school in MT? I think an obstacle to overcome will be getting enough climbing outside in after winter in MT. I know there's south facing stuff out there by Missoula, but I always feel like I am more comfortable and fit in the fall. Good luck!

IJMayer wrote:

Do you go to school in MT? I think an obstacle to overcome will be getting enough climbing outside in after winter in MT. I know there's south facing stuff out there by Missoula, but I always feel like I am more comfortable and fit in the fall. Good luck!

I do go to school here. That’s a great point, and another reason I think the next fall might make it more doable. We can get out in early spring but the constant freeze-thaw makes getting on the longer walls a challenge. Thanks man!

Learn to climb walls. Walls aren’t like long free climbs. When I hear people who’ve never climbed a wall tell me that they are going to free climb a route on El Cap I silently laugh and give them about a 0% chance of success. Years ago at Smith rock, one of the local stars, he used to run laps on Scarface, was telling me he was going to go to the Valley and do the Nose in a Day. I laughed and told him that he had no chance in hell of doing it. He went, tried and didn’t even get up the route.

Spend about 6 months in Yosemite and learn the rock.

A few years ago a Euro 5.13 sport climber team failed on Freerider because they couldn’t do the Hollow Flake with no pro, you know, like the way Chuck Pratt did it on the FA in 1964.

Don’t be like the Euro team.

Honestly, given your climbing resume, you need a few more years of climbing experience before even thinking of going up there.

I’m being a bit snarky here but Brad’s advice is very good. Get a lot of Yosemite experience.

Good luck

Sport 12's....  Probably not going to be applicable.   Cool to shoot for the moon but wow man, don't have an epic

If you can send @ a sport crag with hard routes that feature polished granite, you’ll easily have the movement for many big ditch free routes. The hauling & creature comforts aren’t rocket science.  Adam Ondra had never climbed a real big wall & came over the pond & hiked the dawn wall (essentially ruined the drama depicted in the dawn wall movie) He even learned to haul on the 1st few pitches. Never overlook sport climbing. I remember Edlinger never having trad climbed & then onsighting granite trad routes here that Bachar & later Croft had flailed on for years. Edlinger was the greatest climber of all time though. I remember watching him. He did Multi pitch soloing 5.13 in the 80’s (not ever done by honnold), winning pretty much every World Cup entered (not done by Ondra).

Mark Hudon wrote: Learn to climb walls. Walls aren’t like long free climbs. When I hear people who’ve never climbed a wall tell me that they are going to free climb a route on El Cap I silently laugh and give them about a 0% chance of success.
Spend about 6 months in Yosemite and learn the rock.

Honestly, given your climbing resume, you need a few more years of climbing experience before even thinking of going up there.

I’m being a bit snarky here but Brad’s advice is very good. Get a lot of Yosemite experience.

Good luck

I hear you man, and appreciate the advice. I know there's some key skills I need and experience on Yosemite granite before the goal is very realistic, but am psyched to have a big goal to put some real effort into. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. Good luck on your adventure up the route! 

Jens K. wrote: If you can send @ a sport crag with hard routes that feature polished granite, you’ll easily have the movement for many big ditch free routes. The hauling & creature comforts aren’t rocket science.  Adam Ondra had never climbed a real big wall & came over the pond & hiked the dawn wall (essentially ruined the drama depicted in the dawn wall movie) He even learned to haul on the 1st few pitches. Never overlook sport climbing. I remember Edlinger never having trad climbed & then onsighting granite trad routes here that Bachar & later Croft had flailed on for years. Edlinger was the greatest climber of all time though. I remember watching him. He did Multi pitch soloing 5.13 (not ever done by honnold), winning pretty much every World Cup entered (not done by Ondra).

Awesome. Thanks for the encouragement!

Jens K. wrote: If you can send @ a sport crag with hard routes that feature polished granite, you’ll easily have the movement for many big ditch free routes. The hauling & creature comforts aren’t rocket science.  Adam Ondra had never climbed a real big wall & came over the pond & hiked the dawn wall (essentially ruined the drama depicted in the dawn wall movie) He even learned to haul on the 1st few pitches. Never overlook sport climbing. I remember Edlinger never having trad climbed & then onsighting granite trad routes here that Bachar & later Croft had flailed on for years. Edlinger was the greatest climber of all time though. I remember watching him. He did Multi pitch soloing 5.13 in the 80’s (not ever done by honnold), winning pretty much every World Cup entered (not done by Ondra).

The flaw in your thinking here is that you are comparing a couple of the best climbers in the world to two climbers who are completely average. 

Reformed Troll wrote:

You should just start posting "Tenaya's Tears" and maybe the link to the climb on every thread.  Twice on the accident threads.

Adam, dont you go and hurt the kings feelings, you should aim higher (like the dudes who want to free Freerider with minimal exp because they saw it in a movie)

Jens K. wrote: If you can send @ a sport crag with hard routes that feature polished granite, you’ll easily have the movement for many big ditch free routes. The hauling & creature comforts aren’t rocket science.  Adam Ondra had never climbed a real big wall & came over the pond & hiked the dawn wall (essentially ruined the drama depicted in the dawn wall movie) He even learned to haul on the 1st few pitches. Never overlook sport climbing. I remember Edlinger never having trad climbed & then onsighting granite trad routes here that Bachar & later Croft had flailed on for years. Edlinger was the greatest climber of all time though. I remember watching him. He did Multi pitch soloing 5.13 in the 80’s (not ever done by honnold), winning pretty much every World Cup entered (not done by Ondra).

This also neglects Ondra admitting he got his ass kicked on the Dawn Wall and it took him a month to project the route despite routinely onsighting up to 5.14d...and weird how he didn't onsight any 5.14 pitches on it...which is very telling as to the unique nature of Yosemite as compared to most sport climping.

Saw this thread and was interested as someone who has also set this as a long term goal, long before "Free Solo" came out (yeah yeah everyone says that). I can give you my experience with trying to prep for it so far.  I've gone about trying to piece together the different aspects, wall systems, hard free climbing etc, and have been making a trip to the valley each season for the last several years (about a week each time, hard to get a lot done, but life you know?).  Started out with the Nose and climbed it at a very average wall style pace of 3 days.  Then made some free climbing trips to get better at the style. Climbed classics like Astroman, Rostrum, Freeblast etc (not all clean).  This last year went to try Moonlight (2 days so quasi wall style) and was able to free most of the 5.12 pitches.  Just did a wall style run up to the Alcove last week (as a support mission with a much stronger partner who intended to try Golden Gate but an unfortunate medical mishap forced us to bail).  The 1 glaring thing that has stood out to me, and I suspect most unseasoned valley climbers, and what has shut me down on all of the routes I mentioned was the WIDE climbing.  Finger strength and head game can be trained, wall systems learned and dialed, but if you can't hike the wide sections you are screwed IMO.  I'd focus hard on that style of climbing, everything else can be somewhat trained in a gym or studied.  I intend to focus hard on that for a year and see where it gets me.  This is just my experience working toward a similar goal, if you're already cruising the wide stuff then I think you're well on your way...

BillS wrote:

This malarky has been going on long before the Free Solo movie.  

Nobody "aid climbs El Cap" anymore - instead you "had to hang a few times on a 5.12 pitch".  It appears exactly the same when you're watching it happen, it just gets noted differently on Instagram.

We need an "Aidrider" entry in the MP database.  I think it would help clear up some of the confusion. 

Also, not sure why this is such a bad thing?  I'd rather free as much as I can and hang a few times on a 5.12 than aid the whole thing in ladders and approach shoes. No cooler feeling than free climbing on el cap, sending or not.  "Free as can be" am I right?

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote:

This also neglects Ondra admitting he got his ass kicked on the Dawn Wall and it took him a month to project the route despite routinely onsighting up to 5.14d...and weird how he didn't onsight any 5.14 pitches on it...which is very telling as to the unique nature of Yosemite as compared to most sport climping.

Incorrect.

Jens K. wrote:

Incorrect.

Done with this thread. 

Thought it was like a 2 week preview.

1. 
   
2.  Never climbed an actual off-width

huh.

Jens K. wrote:

Incorrect.

Done with this thread. 

Ondra started fixing on Dawn Wall on Oct. 27th and topped out on Nov. 23rd.

ahparker wrote:

"Free as can be" am I right?