Easiest big wall climb reddit. Over 300 routes included.

Easiest big wall climb reddit. This article points to some big-wall climbing hints for begining and intermediate climbers. Big Wall climbers in YNP are currently the only group in any NP that do not need a permit to overnight. This is an article about unexplored granite big walls. trueQuick question- Looking for an indoor vine plant that can "grab" onto flat surfaces and climb walls. Upon exiting the gondola, you should be able to see this rock wall. I’ve been climbing for about 6 months. Honestly, I think "trad" harnesses are bulky and over rated. What are some pointers on route selection, camping, gear, costs, etc. I don't know anything about aid climbing except that I need to learn how to do it. g. Hey guys, I wanna get started with some big routes, but I don't want to go to Yosemite or America in general. Aug 14, 2021 · Start by buying the basic aid gear (aiders, jumars, etc). fundable Climbing Sports comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment. All brands fit differently as well so maybe offering to purchase one in your budget is a good idea. I am a climbing photographer and do this a lot, so let me say something very important to you: don't. Trad and sport harnesses can be different with the padding and gear loop layouts. Planning to buy my first Etrier. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. My nearest climbing gym is 2 hours away. I’m probably going to climb for another year before I get into it. And yes we are scared of falling. I printed it out while it was still in development and it has definitely proved it's value. Is there a summit hight, amount of 5th class, number of pitches, grade, overall angle? Just finished timewave zero in el potrero chico and my partner and I were disagreeing on the technical definition. For general multi-pitch free climbing, I wouldn't get one of the "big wall" harnesses. Oh, and feel free to share photos! A place to post bigwall-specific climbing discussions, videos, trip reports, and other obscurity. Big motivation is I live in a country where there are almost unlimited un-climbed Big walls. supertopo has a really good guide on aid climbing/big wall tactics that you can read for free online or you can buy the more polished book. Nov 13, 2015 · In reply to Somerville: Finding 'Big Walls' in Europe that are VS - hmm, instantly Alpine climbing springs to mind. Learn to multipitch climb, learn to build and evaluate gear anchors, learn rescue and self rescue techniques. The moves are shouldery so watch out for that. Interested in bigwall and aid climbing? Check our /r/bigwallclimbing and please help seed it with content! The RNWF of Half Dome had a large chunk of it fall off which changed the route. Important note: it is my first big wall aid climb, I have only crag aided but have practiced bolt ladders, gear leads, lower outs, jugging, and following. Maybe a 1-2 night, 5. A place to post bigwall-specific climbing discussions, videos, trip reports, and other obscurity. Build from there. " Big wall climbing " is a particular genre of climbing, usually meaning more than a day on the wall, and often involving haul bags, some aid climbing, and most commonly trad climbing. That makes it an obvious target for pros trying to flash the Big Stone (congrats Babsi Zangerl!), but it also makes it an obvious choice for mortals like me Howdy, I need opinions on a stove for all things climbing. Weight, packability, fuel efficiency, and performance in cold (say down to 0°F at the far end?), wind, and altitude are my biggest deciding factors. You create problems for each other or together and then just work on them. Practice, practice, practice. Mountaineering: freedom of the hills has a lot of info on Everything climbing. The home of Climbing on reddit. A friend of mine buys new daisies before every wall. I've read it, and I think it's really great. Everything you need to know about Big Wall climbing in Yosemite. Ask any experienced wall climber and they'll tell you that hauling is the main physical challenge on a wall, way more exhausting than the climbing itself. how to rig a complicated 3:1 hauling system, tyrolean traverses, etc. Ideas? I don't always climb big walls, but when I do it's with a brand new rack of unused color coordinated gear. Aside from the large number of people who climb walls, wall climbing is hard on your gear. Tall people have some things easy, but short people have some things easier than tall people too. ? Now, go climb south face of Washington Column! That is the choice big wall for most people- a nice ledge to camp on, easy free climbing, easy aiding. 1. Figure out how to climb and self rescue on a 2 pitcher and then go climb a 8+ pitch sport/mixed route. Reddit's rock climbing training community. Apr 7, 2016 · Looking for a moderately easy big wall to tackle on the east coast, preferably the northeast or central areas. So I get to go 1-2 times a month. See also general practical information and hints on free-climbing. The main challenge when climbing a big wall is logistics and rope systems. So the question of if I should build my own climbing wall comes up. Thanks! How many years of big wall training would it take to free climb? If someone strictly trained bouldering could they hypothetically complete the climb in a few weeks sleeping on the wall? What bouldering grade would be equivalent to the hardest pitch and the average pitch? I’m just trying to get a sense of how hard the climb was in terms I understand. How many people are there who can currently climb 9B+ or even 9B? You need to climb really hard and have a ton of rope skill and gear knowledge to do a big wall climb like that safely. Check out our reviews of ascenders for big walls and rescue, our favorite aiders, haul bags, and more. This is difficult to pick up where you don't have glacier polished granite. You can wall climb with most bikes but that one is by far the easiest. Ive always climbed in gym shorts, but im looking into getting some climbing pants. After doing a 250m multi-pitch the other day, I realised how important a comfy harness is going to be. In the full video of this climb there are people watching them from different lower roofs of the building as they climb past. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment [deleted]• Additional comment actions Nov 2, 2024 · After all this hard work, this write-up offers our best recommendations to keep you comfortable while you climb, aid, and work your way up your next big wall. Im looking to devour as much information on the subject as possible. Primary area of use will be lower elevation alpine routes (up to 15k ft) and big wall climbs. Learn big wall techniques like hauling and aiding. 7 / C1 deal. I'm well aware that free climbing means climbing free of aid and using ropes only to catch your fall, but how is resting on ropes not considered aid? Follow a couple dozen pitches, learn how to build anchors, lead some stuff at swan slab and spend the next couple years getting proficient at trad climbing and comfortable climbing . The most I've done is climb devils tower which is multi pitch trad, I'm working towards big wall. ) but he relates a very compelling perspective on how to actually succeed on a really gnarly big wall. The Island has awesome scrambling, alpine climbing, and some of the best single pitch sport in Canada, but it does not have quality big wall climbing. I love climbing, but if I were obese I absolutely wouldn't see the risk/reward being there. It's difficult to practice crack climbing in the gym. Big wall climbing is the next step for those that are already very proficient at multipitch trad climbing. 8 C1 over 10 pitches. Melting water for How to Big Wall Climb is the first step-by-step aid climbing guide that takes you from your first step in an aider to the summit of El Capitan. Ask the gym if they use like the Stokt app or something similar. However the easiest climb on it is E3, and the rock is very soft and loose, not the place to be learning techniques. There is St John's Head, up in Orkney, which is almost a big wall. If your'e a fairly un-wealthy renter like me, your tired of seeing all these indoor home-wall posts that require a large garage to build. Best advice would be to see what he is planning on using it for. 9 free climbers spend 4 days slogging on (may have bolt ladders, may have run out aid on sketchy fifi hooks) and committed alpine faces with Climbing Big Wall in Yosemite Question for all who have been to Yosemite and have climbed before: My buddy and I are planning a trip in March over Spring Break to climb our first big wall climb. That's more complex than a lot of big wall hauling set-ups, but then again, most big wall climbers struggle more with hauling than anything else, so old-pros like Hudon come up with systems like this that they know how to use efficiently, and then proceed to crush hard walls faster than most people take to climb half-way up the Nose and then bail. Maybe not the clean looking walls in the Yosemite style, but there are loads of classic rock routes in the alps big enough to warrant at least a bivvy either at the bottom or at the top. I have been climbing for a while and I climb almost exclusively on boards. Read why Lani Chapko made this utopia of big walls and splitter cracks her home. I’d bagged a handful of long free routes but not the Nose or Salathé or any of the other trade routes up the 3,000-foot El Capitan, home to the most celebrated big-wall climbs on earth. That’s the easiest way to find problems that other users have made on the spray wall. I'm 16 years old teenager dreaming for those big walls and i want to prepare for the future. Or some big walls have multiple routes so if you go looking for the hardest route it will take you weeks possible (look at the final push for the Dawn Wall on El Cap) Im looking for the limit on if a climb "counts" if you will, as a big wall climb. Like anything worthwhile, big wall climbing requires hard work. My climbing partner and I are having no luck getting in touch with the Yosemite Mountaineering School. (in Himalayas). If you've never touched features like that it may be a struggle for you. A nice helping of crack climbing on the tower, including off-width cracks. 7ish but if you haven't ever climbed outside on real rock it could still be a real challenge for you. We picked an easy one after Lurking Jun 4, 2025 · The South Face of Washington Column is considered the easiest big wall style route in Yosemite at a grade of 5. They are comfortable when hanging, but they are hot as hell, bulky, and intrusive. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. It seems that nobody sells the decent big wall harnesses in Europe. I'm a glutton for punishment and I have a knack for aid. Any Jun 5, 2025 · We found the best climbing harnesses of 2025. When this permitting system leads a team to just go for it in a bad weather window because that's when they got their permit, they're going to be at much higher risk than a crew of backpackers. Jul 27, 2012 · You might want to head up to Tuolumne Meadows instead of climbing down in the valley. Are there any good books that talks about how to big wall climb? Looking for experiences of those who built a home climbing wall. I'm sure there are several other climbers currently capable of sending it as well. The best way to the RNWF is in one New comprehensive guidebook on Yosemite Big Wall Climbing for $20 needs funding support. It is by far the easiest location to find. Also having the option to cook while hanging would be extremely nice. I plan to start with aiding Trad routes (French Free) and also to practice a lot of aiding, ascending and hauling. While 122 votes, 198 comments. I started by setting top rope trad anchors at Devils lake to learn the gear well. I think I was 18. My best advice for otherwise is the spray wall is best done with a crew. Hello, I am a Trad climber for the last 1 year and would like to start doing big walls. If you have to ask on the internet, it means you don't know how to do it properly, which means there is a big chance you will mess it up and end up unclipped from the rope (since you are not tied in at all times like with normal climbing). 775 votes, 78 comments. . Climbing for 8-16 hours every day, for several days in a row puts more wear and tear on your equipment than many climbers do in a year or more. Sep 14, 2023 · Do you siege? Do you sprint? Or do you aim for something in between? Here big wall veteran James Lucas ranks pros and cons for each strategy. If you're doing climbing for fitness, climbing is extremely taxing on small muscles that don't burn very many calories, and relatively easy on large muscle groups compared to other activities. Even after 7 years of climbing its still where i refer back to for new tecniques. Together we've got 20+ years experience with multi-pitch trad. If you're planning on aiding a big wall obviously you want something like a Cadillac, but if you're just doing a couple pitches or single pitch, just buy a cheap sport harness. What are some of your favorite pants to climb in? Share Add a Comment Sort by: Best Open comment sort options Best 863key • Hello, I want to climb a big wall, maybe half dome (I'm open to other walls, but I dont know of many others). When I look online there are so many options it’s overwhelming, I was leaning towards Marmot or black diamond only because I used their products in the past with good results. If you’re a free climber, the Free Rider (VI 5. Like many climbers before and after, I considered El Cap’s East Buttress a stepping-stone to the big time. I have read TFTNA If you are single pitch climbing, it's probably fine, but multipitch climbing with a full double rack, draws, anchor material, atc/grigri, and water bottle/packable jacket gets really tight without a lot of gear loop space. The same can’t really be said for mixed climbing… the easiest mixed alpine routes are still relatively dangerous…. There is no "big wall" climbing there that I am aware of, but there are tons of moderate routes you can do without aid. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. Do you see yourself multi-pitch climbing? Buy a harness with with 4 gear loops. Remember, when aid climbing, every single piece of equipment you I really want to climb a big wall. Do you have any recommendations where it would be possible to do some Big Walls in Europe? And do you have any useful tips or tricks? A place to post bigwall-specific climbing discussions, videos, trip reports, and other obscurity. When you say "versatile" do you see yourself mountaineering or ice climbing in near future? If so, go with a harness with adjustable leg loops. It's been up for two years and has already seen a repeat, done in excellent style in barely any time. Dec 16, 2013 · Depending on the type of pulling down you’re doing, climbing can vary from minimalist to “everything but the kitchen sink,” and big wall climbing is very much the latter. I really don't know how it has increased the difficulty of the route so you should do some research. My most proud climbing accomplishments are all big wall routes. SuperTopo offers the world's best big wall rock climbing and mountaineering route information for Yosemite National Park in both online downloadable format and in printed books I want to start with big wall climbing in the far future and would want to learn more about it. Aug 1, 2011 · Traditionally, big wall climbing involved very long (1,000-plus feet) routes, on consistently steep rock, with sustained difficulty (almost certainly requiring aid climbing techniques), and typically requiring haul bags and a portaledge (to spend one or more nights hanging from the wall). Dec 13, 2024 · El Capitan, the world’s most accessible big wall, sits just a thousand feet from the road in sunny California and begs to be climbed. Reply reply Big wall climbing refers to the specific techniques required to climb anything that necessitates more than one day to complete (generally anything greater than like 15-20 pitches). It's very important that your shoes What level of difficulty was the route that you took? Do you have a general sense of the difficulty range for different possible routes up the tower? I'm just curious, started climbing last fall and am aspiring to eventually do multi-pitch and big wall climbing in the next few years. Doing this on TR is nice at the start. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment blacksun_redux • Additional comment actions As others have said, Chris Mac's "how to big wall climb" is bad ads, I've been studying the crao out of that. Low-medium maintenance preferred. We are thinking a route on Half Dome or El Cap. (Here is a sample of the route info / beta available in Yosemite Bigwalls: The Ultimate Guide!) Beginner Routes (easier to harder) Click the route name to read more about that route. Then read this book to learn how to big wall climb. If you're looking for other big wall climbing gear, our experts can help. Then find a mentor to take you out trad climbing, at the mean time read this book back-to-back to learn proper gear placement and anchor building. Really, being light is the big advantage. ” Share Sort by: Best Open comment sort options Best Top New Controversial Old Q&A Add a Comment hrtachetosing • Jan 11, 2022 · Discover the best climbing shoes in 2025 with our analysis to pick the most suitable model. I buy a new wall harness every other year. Whether you're sport climbing or mountaineering, we have you covered. Medium Rock Climbing Wall Location 1 Medium Rock Climbing Wall Location 2 Large/Hard Rock Wall - found once again in the Yukimatsu neighbourhood. I live regionally but there's no established outdoor climbing spots here & I'm not experienced enough to go find my own. That's a Shinobi. Its well out of reach at this point and I expect it to be quite difficultwhich is the point. We've got the McNamara books and have been practicing all his advice, but we want one day of training with a Yosemite big wall expert before we do the climb. 13a; 3,000ft ) is the “easiest” true El Cap route. I'm not sure about proper 'Big Walls' though at VS. How do you learn how to aid climb? I don't know how much big wall you can do without aid climbing knowledge (at least for setting up for the night, if nothing else), and really aid climbing builds off of trad climbing. Is it the climbing itself the biggest factor for this type of climbing. I'm talking for free climbing. Most people would struggle to climb it in a day. Over 300 routes included. As ridiculous as it sounds, it's actually true. We asked Colorado climber Paul Gagner—who has done more than 50 wall routes around the world, including first ascents on Baffin Island and in Utah’s Fisher Towers—to detail his packing list and the experience Can't stop re-reading this article about big wall climbing in Antarctica 3 comments Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment ultra_muffin • 11 yr. You need to have somebody experienced show you the A question comes to mind: how do big wall climbers warm up? Tommy & Kevin were up there without the ability to walk/jog, in the middle of winter, and they have to wake up and get right onto a 5. Full stop. Absolutely Classic climb with free climbing, hand jamming, and some exciting placements. May 1, 2025 · In an effort to find the best available, we put a range of climbing harnesses—from fast-and-light alpine options to feature-heavy big wall offerings—to the test this year, taking them on trips from the cold Canadian alpine to the steep walls of Devil’s Tower to overhung sport routes at The Red. Also, proficiency in Valley climbing is proficiency in all crack sizes and slick slab/face climbing. 10+. 14d?? Would love to hear some insights from you big wall beasts. But from my experience with other hobbies I wouldn't be surprised What do you guys think is most needed for big wall alpine climbing. The route is supposed to be a cluster of humans since its the easiest Yosemite aid wall climb. Reply justclimb • Feb 16, 2022 · Editor’s note: This article appeared in Rock and Ice’s print edition. Also, you said part of it is going to be finding someone to lead everything? That is not really climbing it if someone is doing it all for you and pulling you up, is it? Try climbing first and see if this is realistic for you. Because of the type of rock and size of these walls the weathering creates minute features and/or large sustained crack features. I've seen some tall, lanky, stick-people out there with super strength climbing really hard problems, and their height had less to do with that than their weight/strength ratio. It's relatively easy to survive a sudden storm on a backpacking trip, but big wall climbers are operating on much thinner safety margins. You're right the the easiest route up the tower is 5. Also, the supplementary videos are rad, and I've watched them hundreds of times now it seems. The closest you got is Greyback peak, and that's a dome, not a big wall. But, I think they can prepare you well for pulling hard, big moves on bad holds and so that should be what you're trying to improve when you climb on a training board. Unless you buy a high end sport oriented harness, they are all versatile, so buy what fits you well BTW, there is a thread for beginner's questions. When they get to the top where the police are obviously waiting, they all stand on the narrow ledge at the top holding hands as the audience they've drawn erupts into applause. The kilter board is useful and different from a moon board in that there are easier problems with big holds which can be beneficial. Do i need to push those grades in sport climbing or i should try to work on my endurance (running, hiking etc. My go-to is a 4-gear loop harness with a gear sling. You can look for past I've mostly decided to stop climbing aid walls in hopes that I'll put that effort into bigger free routes (<5. Currently looking at Chris Mac's How to Big Wall Climb but wanted other opinions before committing. There are a handful of other parks that require permits for climbing. From rock to big wall to ice climbing. Hey I’m a new climber and I was wondering if people had some wisdom to share and what you wish you knew when you started… “Big wall climbing is one of my interests. The beta is to climb the first 4/5 pitches and fix back down to the ledge at the top of pitch 3. That said, it's not that difficult to get to the top of Yosemite's El Capitan, the top prize of the world's rock climbers. Can anyone here recommend resources, share tips, knowledge, experience, etc? 516 votes, 47 comments. How might I work towards climbing a big wall? I have learned the basics of climbing and mountaineering mostly through friends so far, but I don't know anyone who does this sort of thing. At the base of the wall, gear up for leading or following in a similar way. Also there is a big difference between how long it takes to free climb a route vs aid climb the same route. Technical tips Useful Tips for First Timers Solo Tips Climbing in a 3 person team Easy aid speed tips 9/00 Hauling with a mechanical advantage 9/00 Suggested routes Jan 16, 2013 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. We're doing our first big wall in May (South Face, Washington). Big wall is a spectrum from bolted 8 pitchers to trad ''trade routes'' with easily accessible clear beta and maybe even fixed anchors, aid climbs that 5. The LeConte Memorial has a practice bolt ladder for the Kor Roof pitch. Whats the best big wall harness available in the UK? Hi All, Got a trip planned to do the nose in a couple of months. Let him try them on and purchase the he likes the most. At this point, you should be comfortable with exposure, hanging belays, etc. Another day, another big wall. For one, the friendly competition and having people around to work through beta is a big Take the TR and lead climbing classes from your gym if they are available. His book doesn't go into tremendous detail about all the esoteric minutiae of big wall climbing (e. Keep sport and trad climbing as much as possible. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. best: paying a guide to teach you. Then try a few three- to five-pitch routes where you can practice all the necessary wall skills and transitions. Feb 23, 2022 · Practice basic aid by clean-aiding (no pitons!) short cracks. There's nothing like that on the Island. Hey does anyone know where I can find a climbing partner to hit up some big walls in Yosemite?? Considering all the background and climbing preferences OP provided, I'm going to assume this legendary climb to be the best fit. great: reading up on it in a book or on the web and going with someone experienced. A must-have for anyone who wants to learn about aiding or the big wall sequence in general. Find some untrafficked finger crack at the local crag and do (clean) aid practice laps on it to learn to move in your aiders. ago You have much higher injury risk. For just a selection of totally awesome Alright, r/climbing, who here has climbed El Capitan? What was your experience like? Preparation? Are there sport routes all the way up? How difficult was it, and what was the hardest part of the climb? I've never done any big wall multi-pitch stuff, but am interested as a long-term goal. Get something light, reasonably comfortable, and able to hold some gear - no need for 19 gear loops if you aren't spending 6 hours on some A4 pitch. Mixed alpine climbing in the greater ranges is prob the most dangerous form of climbing overall… aid climbing/big wall can be as safe or as dangerous as you want to make it…. But if somebody asked me to do a wall, it'd be pretty hard to say no. 11 though, I suck). ). (Srsly some of you appear to have a warehouse in the backyard). Also cursing, fear of death, beer and whiskey, and occasionally some hallucinogens. Given you live in Texas this will be challenging. Two Valley climbers recently ran a lap and released some footage. I make sure to have a minimum of two days off after a board session. This time you will be travelling with your sim up the hill via the gondola. Index is the best trad climbing in Washington that you haven’t heard about. The article explains how the climb took 19 days and how the climbers would return to a base camp perched on The wall to rest at the end of the days. Think Yosemite is all about big wall climbing? Think again. The Dawn Wall may be the hardest big wall in the world but I think it's a bit of a stretch to say it's the hardest route in the world. RMNP and Zion and some others require them for overnight climbing trips, with Zion being the most similar in character to YNP. There are plenty of easy/moderate multipitch climbs out there for you. wqrtf jgc wytkbl ziaeh zowyx zgksmxx chkxm wwlm teqtse yymo