Rnwf half dome

Me and climbing partners are planning to do rnwf of half dome next year. We are Keen to start practicing Techniques needed. We will probs do the big bag method with bivy on Sandy ledge.

We are all accomplished trad Climbers with plenty of gear. 0 air experience though. Anyone have any advice on the climb in general or specific aid techniques to practice/ gear to get. 

My partner and I completed the RNWF on Half Dome 2 years ago.  We completed in  less than 24 hours.  I would not recommend hauling on this route. If you bivy on Big Sandy, you should be able to finish the next day with ease. Hauling would be a nightmare on this route.

Also, make sure you and your partner know how to do "Lower Outs" and that your "Jugging" is dialed in.  This critical to being efficient on the route.

tlacny wrote: My partner and I completed the RNWF on Half Dome 2 years ago.  We completed in  less than 24 hours.  I would not recommend hauling on this route. If you bivy on Big Sandy, you should be able to finish the next day with ease. Hauling would be a nightmare on this route.

Also, make sure you and your partner know how to do "Lower Outs" and that your "Jugging" is dialed in.  This critical to being efficient on the route.

Yeah we don't plan on hauling. 2nd will just jug with a bigger pack. I'm familiar with the lowering out technique. Will be sure to practice though.

How was the aid on zig zags? Did you just use a cam hook? 

Jugging with a pack for a multi-day Route absolutely sucks. It always ends up being heavier than you expect it to be. Make it easier on yourselves and prepare to do it in a day instead.

We followed the outline in SuperTopo's "Road to the Nose" when getting ready for Half Dome.  Lots of jugging and lowering out practice.  Get a good newer topo.  The aiding through the Robbins Traverse hung up a party in front of us (be sure to go as high as possible before the pendulum!) and we got unexpectedly delayed.  In our 1-day attempt, despite fixing the first two pitches and starting at 3am, we got benighted on Big Sandy in temps just above freezing.  A haul bag group showed up at 3am and loaned us their jackets, thankfully.

A number of people do the big backpack strategy, instead of hauling.  I don't think it's wrong, especially if you've practiced a lot of jugging with a pack.  There's a fun video on YouTube about it for the Regular HD route.  If you do decide to take the above advice and gun for it in a day, be sure to bring an emergency bivy sack and other overnight essentials, just in case.

Zig Zags is mostly easy aiding on cams.

I think for first attempt we will play it safe and just haul or big bag. It's gunna be our first big wall so don't want to have the pressure of trying to do it in a day and being under supplied if we can't make it.

I'll def check out that video. It's hard to find good videos post rock slide. If you know any post em up! 

Jack Pain wrote: I think for first attempt we will play it safe and just haul or big bag. It's gunna be our first big wall so don't want to have the pressure of trying to do it in a day and being under supplied if we can't make it.

I'll def check out that video. It's hard to find good videos post rock slide. If you know any post em up! 

Dont make it your first wall but do some grade 5s first with that heavy pack strat. HD is a long way to hike to find out you dont have the nuts.

If you can climb 5.9 then rnwfhd is not hard but you need cardio cardio cardio as most people bail after an ass kicking on the approach with heavy packs though they might not realize it at first. Like most walls success is in your legs. If your legs are strong your head will follow and success is more assured as you can just stick with it.

Ps. Leave the wankolette at home and get confident building a "Yosemite anchor".

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote:

Dont make it your first wall but do some grade 5s first with that heavy pack strat. HD is a long way to hike to find out you dont have the nuts.

If you can climb 5.9 then rnwfhd is not hard but you need cardio cardio cardio as most people bail after an ass kicking on the approach with heavy packs though they might not realize it at first. Like most walls success is in your legs. If your legs are strong your head will follow and success is more assured as you can just stick with it.

Ps. Leave the wankolette at home and get confident building a "Yosemite anchor".

Yosemite anchor as in clove hitching your climbing rope to each point of the anchor? I have pretty good cardio but def will keep up on it. We aren't planning to do the climb until next year so will try get in some big wall practice. Biggest we have done so far is 6 pitch 700' climb as it's local to us. Going to Frisco next weekend for an 8 piitch 1500' climb. 

Jack Pain wrote:

Yosemite anchor as in clove hitching your climbing rope to each point of the anchor? I have pretty good cardio but def will keep up on it. We aren't planning to do the climb until next year so will try get in some big wall practice. Biggest we have done so far is 6 pitch 700' climb as it's local to us. Going to Frisco next weekend for an 8 piitch 1500' climb. 

Yea. Throw in 3 cams, clove off to them and have the second start jugging. You just saved hour(s) right there.

Short fixing is another great strategy to practice ahead of time.  There is some places where it really isn't worth it to wait for the partner to jug up. It really speeds things up.

dindolino32 wrote: Short fixing is another great strategy to practice ahead of time.  There is some places where it really isn't worth it to wait for the partner to jug up. It really speeds things up.

I'm not familiar with short fixing. Could you explain? 

Jack Pain wrote:

I'm not familiar with short fixing. Could you explain? 

It's more a technique for aid walls or speed ascents. Not so much to worry about on HD, imo.

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote:

It's more a technique for aid walls or speed ascents. Not so much to worry about on HD, imo.

Just googled it. Looks a bit advanced and scary for my level :D 

If you were thinking royal flush in Frisco, it’s pretty bad for wall practice.  The black or big alpine objectives are better, but Zion or the valley proper are best. My 2 cents

Edit - maybe try royal flush and at least one other climb on my royal for a bigger training run. You can definitely do two in a day, probably three if you are moving fast.

Matt Castelli wrote: If you were thinking royal flush in Frisco, it’s pretty bad for wall practice.  The black or big alpine objectives are better, but Zion or the valley proper are best. My 2 cents

Yeh royal flush is the one. If anything will get some exposure out of it. It's just a climb we have wanted to do for a while. Black canyon is def on our list as it's only an hour or 2 from us. Any climbs you can recommend there? 

If you can get to where you're confidently leading 5.10 on the granite in Unaweep, you'll be able to actually enjoy HD.  That's a pretty good home base.  The rock in the Black is pretty much the same so once you're not taking 60 min. to lead pitches in Unaweep, head over there.  One trip up the Scenic Cruise with an overnight pack should cure you of any desire to lug one up the Reg.

The 'big backpack' strategy kinda sucks, but it'll get you there.  I personally would recommend 1) getting better and 2) carrying an extra headlamp, and maybe climbing in June (long days) over jugging 2,000' with a piglet.  It's not that far from Big Sandy to the top, unless you're too trashed from playing the 'get the pack up there' game.   Gumbies with too much crap getting in over their heads on trade routes is the #1 cause of unnecessary clusterage in Yosemite so ask yourself real hard if you really wanna be that party. We've all been there but hey, you asked.  

Royal Flush is not a "big" climb in any sense.  Very easy, short pitches, big terraces in between technical climbing, easy walk off.  It's more like a fun morning outing.  It will not prepare you for Half Dome.  It's really fun, don't get me wrong, but it's not a real training day for something like the regular route.  (Other than your legs will get tired from hiking in between the climbing sections and from walking down a steep trail to get back to your car.)

Zig zags are a sport climb usually with all that fixed great

Jack Pain wrote:

Yeh royal flush is the one. If anything will get some exposure out of it. It's just a climb we have wanted to do for a while. Black canyon is def on our list as it's only an hour or 2 from us. Any climbs you can recommend there? 

Doing Royal Flush twice in a day will prepare you for the approach to HD....nothing more.

Running 4 laps on it is the cardio equivalent of the RNWFHD.

If you aren’t able to short fix the easy traversing pitches, then maybe you should be on an easier walk. I’ve seen people on their first big wall that shouldn’t be there. They cause clusters and end up bailing anyway. I think this route should not be your first route.

dindolino32 wrote: If you aren’t able to short fix the easy traversing pitches, then maybe you should be on an easier walk. I’ve seen people on their first big wall that shouldn’t be there. They cause clusters and end up bailing anyway. I think this route should not be your first route.

See initial post. Doing it next year so purpose of this forum. Post is to get tips and informationon techniques we need to learn and practice from people who have climbed it before. We dont plan on practicing on a hang board In our garage. So it's not gunna be our first big wall. Just our first Yosemite big wall.