El Cap - East Buttress Intel

Cole D wrote:

yea, you'll need to find folks with similar goals, trading pitches will simulate the pace a little more. I don't think you will find any of the 5.6 and 5.7 terrain restful. Im climbed a bit in yose, but not on this route so i'm only speaking from what my friends have told me. The 5.6/5.7 can be runout, strenuous, and or on bad rock, so it probably wont feel restful for you. One thing you can do with the crags you do have access to, is train by having big fun cragging days where you get loads of single pitch routes in. If you can do lots of 5.10 all day at your crag, you'll be a little more prepared to go get on some sketch 5.6 after getting up at 3am and being tired AF from a big ass approach, and then being on the side of the captain the first time 1000's of feet of the ground wondering how good that last placement was while you wish you had more water.

If the descriptions of the east ledges descent give you pause the actual descent will be much worse lol. Hiking is not an option. You'll be on the route for a long time. You cant carry enough water with you to make a massive hike off the back.

Awesome goal to have, by all means go get it done! but dont take it lightly by seeing the grades. Again as others have mentioned, you may want to try some other routes in Yose first, to get a feel for that place, the approaches, the descents, multi stage raps, etc. Middle cathedral is a great option for that.

Gonna get some time nearby first then yos in the spring. 

If youve never done a big multi pitch climb in the valley id def start with more manageable routes. Any of the five open books link up to sal is a good start. Nutcracker , After 7 and Royal Arches are all great routes to get your head in the game for East butt. My biggest advice for it would be move very fast thru the rock fall zone under the waterfall... Shits sketch AF

Ill be out there in May working on some walls

 

Stefhan Gibson wrote: If youve never done a big multi pitch climb in the valley id def start with more manageable routes. Any of the five open books link up to sal is a good start. Nutcracker , After 7 and Royal Arches are all great routes to get your head in the game for East butt. My biggest advice for it would be move very fast thru the rock fall zone under the waterfall... Shits sketch AF

Ill be out there in May working on some walls

 

I'm thinking of April/May to try a few of the routes suggested on this thread.

Something that i don’t think has been mentioned yet in this thread. And something i had to learn the hard way

-“If Horsetail is flowing, we’re not going.”

Nearly drowned on the 7th pitch and had to bail in a waterfall.

Max R wrote: Something that i don’t think has been mentioned yet in this thread. And something i had to learn the hard way

-“If Horsetail is flowing, we’re not going.”

Nearly drowned on the 7th pitch and had to bail in a waterfall.

Great advice. Is certain time of the year worst than others?

Joe S wrote:

Great advice. Is certain time of the year worst than others?

Spring is worse than fall (snowmelt). 

Joe S wrote:

Im 5’6” and for me the physical aspect is not as much of a challenge as my reach.

A bit of advice, since you’re asking. Do yourself a favor and throw this line of thinking out the window. Setting limitations on yourself in this manner will only set you up for failure. Don’t worry about the things you can’t change. On the vast majority of routes you will encounter in your life the limiting factor will be how fit you are and how hard you’re willing to try.

I can confirm 5'6" won't limit you here.

Have you considered talking about climbing less and climbing more?  No way to know what you can climb on granite unless you go climb on granite.  If you want to climb easy buttress, get after it.  Maybe a few more Gumby deaths would keep the gumbies away.

Christopher SmalingMaybe a few more Gumby deaths would keep the gumbies away.

Just when i thought the people on here couldn’t get any more dickish, you say some shit like this. 

Max R wrote:

Just when i thought the people on here couldn’t get any more dickish, you say some shit like this. 

Have you considered that you’re an asshole?

Actually, I think I've empirically proven I'm an asshole.

I still think he should go to Yosemite if he wants to climb in Yosemite.  Overstoke is frequently rewarded.

Christopher Smaling wrote:

Actually, I think I've empirically proven I'm an asshole.

I still think he should go to Yosemite if he wants to climb in Yosemite.  Overstoke is frequently rewarded.

Agree with that last bit, but given the info that was shared from the OP, East Butt El Cap didnt seem like the best choice to just hop on. That would be a textbook sandbag for this climber.

Cole D wrote:

Agree with that last bit, but given the info that was shared from the OP, East Butt El Cap didnt seem like the best choice to just hop on. That would be a textbook sandbag for this climber.

I mean, I agree, but he seems pretty fixated.  My first climb in Yosemite ended with a 30 foot upside down whipper on an "easy 5.9", and that was a good experience for me in the long run. 

Joe S wrote: Any training programs yall recommend?  More endurance vs strength?  How bout hangboarding routines?  Diet or even yoga, if they helped.  How to strengthen crack climbing muscles?

Look up Tom Randall (one of the widez boys) on Instagram.  He posted a short video a while back about doing pull up on a home-made hand jam box and reverse dumb bell curl.

ddriver wrote: I can confirm 5'6" won't limit you here.

Just for reference, what do you weigh and whats the V-scale you climb at bouldering gym?

Joe S wrote:

Just for reference, what do you weigh and whats the V-scale you climb at bouldering gym?

Troll?  Plastic bouldering isn't going to help you climb 5.9 granite.  Go climbing brah, I promise it's fun.

it is true, you'll get no sympathy on height challenges.
there are too many factors in climbing.
im 6'2 but sit starts destroy me and apparently I have to train core way more than most.
it is what it is. which is you and the rock.

check out this podcast
https://www.trainingbeta.com/media/tom-ollie/

or someone like Katie Lambert who is a bone crusher that has a negative ape index and im pretty sure is 5 inches shorter than you

Also: doesn't matter if you can do a one arm lock off on a quarter inch edge on east buttress.  All that matters is having your multipitch logistics down.  If you cant lead a pitch, build an anchor, and have your partner on belay in a timely manner, you're going to epic.  5.8 climbers have sent routes that shut down V14 boulderers because the 5.8 climbers had their logistics down and the "strong bros" did not.

Christopher Smaling wrote:

Troll?  Plastic bouldering isn't going to help you climb 5.9 granite.  Go climbing brah, I promise it's fun.

Couldnt agree more.  Just cant make it out as much as i like though so Im doing the next best thing, if for no other reason than just staying in climbing shape.

Joe S wrote:

Couldnt agree more.  Just cant make it out as much as i like though so Im doing the next best thing, if for no other reason than just staying in climbing shape.

Good attitude.  How often can you get out on real rock?  What's your local trad crag?  Does it have multipitches?