beginner trad lead yosemite

yes. you do have to trust your rubber, although there should be many places in the crack that offer perfect footjams, and pods that should be like little ledges. one foot in crack and one foot smeared on granite features outside of crack. and yea the center grack route is 3 pitches and like 500 ft total, so it makes sense that the first pitch is about 165 ft. Better luck next time!

cellige wrote: Swan slab gully went well despite me going left on the top of the final pitch, doable with a tiny microcam but I wouldn't recommend. Of course the topo had I remembered would have told me that :D Descent was easy to find and wasn't right on the edge of a big drop, thanks for the details Cole.

Another easy one recommended from another climber was sunnyside bench - regular route, anyone have an opinion on the descent as compared to the swan slab gully descent?

The Sunnyside Bench walk off is rather straight forward. You do need to scramble approximately 1 pitch of 3rd - 4th class with some loose pebbles to get to the trail. Depending on your partner's abilities or nervousness, you may want to belay them up this section. It's a bit late in the season but also watch for rattlesnakes up there - I've seen them twice just before you hit the trail. The trail picks up pretty clearly and heads right. There's one section through the trees that looks a little sketch with some lose dirt above a cliff. I also distinctly remember a simple traverse move at one point as you head downhill above the scree field. Past that the trail winds downhill a few hundred yards on the skier's left side of the boulder field, then cuts right into the boulder field about 100 feet above the main trail in the valley floor below. Sounds complicated but the trail is rather well worn. 

When you hit the trail at the top of the climb, you can take the trail left to see Yosemite Falls from above and cool views of Fern Gully. Definitely worth checking out before your descent.

+1 Sunnyside Bench Regular Route

Jam crack.  Do the first pitch and decide if you wanna do the second and even if you dont want to do the second, you probably should anyway.

Eric Duncan wrote:...yea the center grack route is 3 pitches and like 500 ft total, so it makes sense that the first pitch is about 165 ft...

500 would be difficult to believe, as I've taken a couple of noobs up it on an 80m, and only required about 60-75ft of simuling until I hit the top (climbing it in a single pitch), which would put it about 325ft, max.

That said, the grack is a perfect beginner lead, TONS of gear all the way up, and only thins up where you don't really need gear anyway.

Christian Hesch wrote:

500 would be difficult to believe, as I've taken a couple of noobs up it on an 80m, and only required about 60-75ft of simuling until I hit the top (climbing it in a single pitch), which would put it about 325ft, max.

That said, the grack is a perfect beginner lead, TONS of gear all the way up, and only thins up where you don't really need gear anyway.

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105862623/the-grack-center 

just sharing the details from MP. perhaps you didn't climb all three pitches? or did a different variation.

My first multi-pitch climb was Super Slide on the Royal Arches wall. Cruiser terrain up until the crux final pitch, but still very doable. All bolted anchors, minimal route finding, bomber placements the whole way up. The fourth pitch is some of the most amazing climbing I've done. 

Eric Duncan wrote:

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105862623/the-grack-center 

just sharing the details from MP. perhaps you didn't climb all three pitches? or did a different variation.

over time you'll learn to take MP details with a grain of salt. I've taken either 3 or 4 newby friends up it, on two different 80's, and each time run to the end of the rope, then simul'd approx 60-75ft. There's only one set of anchors at the top. The top is the top, there's no variation to the top of the center route, that would be another route. Thus, if you took a tape measure, it would measure no *more* than 325ft. Also, if it's 4 raps, and you have plenty of tail as you arrive at each rap station, then that's automatically far less than 400ft, right? Not trying to be a wanker, but it's just simple math. Just because "it says so* on an MP page does not automatically make it true.

For example, there's several rap routes in the valley that are "two rope rappels." No, they can be done with single (long, i.e., 80m) ropes. you just have to learn this from trial and error, or word of mouth. Best to learn from trial and error (as I did) before you take someone's word for it and end up in a tough spot. For example, next time you do the grack center, do it on an 80 and run it to the anchors. Then you'll know exactly how long it actually is.  :)

The only bolted belay on Grack is at the top.  Others take gear and slings.  When rapping, keep to rappers LEFT.  I use a single 70m.  There are a number of other anchors as you rap, some of then are set for a double rope rappel, so keep to the LEFT.
A number of the climbs mentioned above are classics.  The start may be heavily polished.  If you run into a really cold morning, head down out of the valley to Pat and Jacks.  Sport and trad climbs there are fun, not polished.