First big wall
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My friend and i are gathering gear to do some big wall climbs this upcomming fall! We are wondering what all gear we would need? # of cams and things like that. Thanks!! |
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Where are you climbing a big wall? |
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Yes we were thinking yosemite! Thanks for the tips! Do we need any offset cams ? Generally speaking. Also what the heck is a pig hahaha sorry im unfamiliar with that lingo |
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Also how much water would you reccomend each day per person? |
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Brennanlytle wrote:Also how much water would you reccomend each day per person?pig=haul bag. as for water, depends on season/temp Yosemite summer, probably minimum 3-4 liters /person /day. |
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They call it a pig, cus about same weight as an adult pig. |
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Ahhh i see i see!! Thank you so much! This was very helpful |
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Brennanlytle wrote:Yes we were thinking yosemite! Thanks for the tips! Do we need any offset cams ? Generally speaking. Also what the heck is a pig hahaha sorry im unfamiliar with that lingoYou don't "need" offset cams, but good god they are helpful. I would have at least one set. I have a set of mastercams from purple/blue through yellow/orange and a set of aliens from blue/green through yellow/gray. Both sets come with me every time. You'll also want at least a minimum number of hooks (a grappling hook and a cliffhanger) and a pair of medium camhooks. A range of offset nuts is also nice to have, though I use them less and less these days. |
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Look at the Supertopo "how to bigwall" posts and consider buying the book. It's a great start and has most of the information you are looking for. I personally think the book is lacking a lot of information, but in reality, there is nothing better out there that I've seen. |
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I will! Thanks |
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climb with these guys. you'll learn all you need to know. |
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Brennanlytle wrote:My friend and i are gathering gear to do some big wall climbs this upcomming fall! We are wondering what all gear we would need? # of cams and things like that. Thanks!!as far gear needs, there are 2 main guidebooks for Yosemite bigwalls. There's a supertopo book. And then another one that was released last years. I can't speak to the new one, but the Supertopo book has a recommended rack for every climb. I would probably start there and then read a bunch of trip reports and see if you glean anything about what gear to bring from there. |
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Stagg54 wrote: as far gear needs, there are 2 main guidebooks for Yosemite bigwalls. There's a supertopo book. And then another one that was released last years. I can't speak to the new one, but the Supertopo book has a recommended rack for every climb. I would probably start there and then read a bunch of trip reports and see if you glean anything about what gear to bring from there.The new one (Yosemite Bigwalls) is awesome and at $10 for the E-book (yosemitebigwalls.com), it is one hell of a bargain. If you are at all serious about doing a bigwall in the Valley, I highly recommend the book. Truthfully, I find owning both guidebooks valuable. |
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I recommend Chris McNameras Big wall book. A buddy and I read it and practiced hauling/leading on a single pitch, 4 days later we rented a ledge and did Moonlight buttress in zion! Couldn't have done it without chris |
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csproul wrote: The new one (Yosemite Bigwalls) is awesome and at $10 for the E-book (yosemitebigwalls.com), it is one hell of a bargain. If you are at all serious about doing a bigwall in the Valley, I highly recommend the book. Truthfully, I find owning both guidebooks valuable.I looked at the new one and it seemed to have a lot more depth of routes, and plenty of detail for each route, but not quite as detailed as the Supertopo. If you are sticking to the classics, I think the supertopo is probably a little better. it has some "better" info on strategy as far as where to haul, where to bivy, etc. that is probably invaluable especially to a beginner. Although you probably can't go wrong with either. |
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Nick Mattson wrote:I recommend Chris McNameras Big wall book. A buddy and I read it and practiced hauling/leading on a single pitch, 4 days later we rented a ledge and did Moonlight buttress in zion! Couldn't have done it without chrisI also think the Chris Mac book is great. another good one is the Jared Ogden book (Mountaineers Red series). Both are awesome. There's also the John Long Big walls book which is also good, but a little dated. Another good reference is the Hans Florine speed climbing book. A lot of his practices are not necessarily recommended for beginners, but at least it will get you thinking. |
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I agree with Stagg - the McNamara Big Wall book is better for new big wall climbers than the new Yosemite Big Walls by Eric Sloan. Perhaps you should also purchase his instructional book on big wall climbing, too. He posts a few of the chapters on supertopo.com - very informative. |
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Arlo F Niederer wrote: The key to success on a big wall is not ability - it is efficiency, logistics, and composure. I think the failure rate is well over 60% - mainly because of the three items I just listed.I'm 4 for 7 on 100 mile races, but 1 for 6 on big walls... |
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Christopher Gibson wrote:Game On.So you have zero wall experience but are going to climb one of the harder and more obscure aid lines on El Cap? I assume you've been forthright with Steve about your level of experience? Not trying to hate but holy shit man, you've got your work cut out for you. If you thought Dark Shadows was an adventure... I hope you are training at this very moment. No matter what happens make up a TR and let us know how it went. Godspeed! |
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Stagg54 wrote: I looked at the new one and it seemed to have a lot more depth of routes, and plenty of detail for each route, but not quite as detailed as the Supertopo. If you are sticking to the classics, I think the supertopo is probably a little better. it has some "better" info on strategy as far as where to haul, where to bivy, etc. that is probably invaluable especially to a beginner. Although you probably can't go wrong with either.I think that for $10 it is fully worth it buy both. I have been using both books and cross referencing them with the Supertopo website and the Yosemitebigwalls website. When you factor in the costs of preparing for and doing bigwalls, an extra $10 guidebook is nothing. Especially considering that I have found subtle differences between the two and having both topos has proven valuable. The yosemitebigwalls website also has very good strategy info. It's a small price to pay for bettering your odds via better logistical planning. Plus you can always drool over the other routes that you'll do in the future! |