Peter_Puget Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 I am trying to get in shape (both physically and technique) for some big walls in Yosemite this fall. Any ideas for a list of training routes that will allow me to progress from flail to success? Quote
erik Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 thats kinda vague hoomeboy, whatca plan on doin??? Quote
Peter_Puget Posted March 20, 2002 Author Posted March 20, 2002 Well I actually meant it more as a hypothetical than specifically me, but let's say I wanted to go do the Salathe, Zodiac and West Face on El Cap. Plus some of the well known free climbs. Quote
erik Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 well in that case pete......for the salathe get good at free climbing, cause if you are like me all those 5.5+ pitches on that thing will work the 5.4- leader.....work your big wide stufff too..... zodiac just go clip up tc like 50 times.....fixed gear practice......... w face of el cap , i duno go climbing..... endurance, will be important for you, not only muscualr but cardio too, causei know us 5.4- climbers like to move fast and get the shit doNE QUICKLY SO we may have more time for beer and other valley recreations.....women, hiking, sleeping and beer........so remember to run like 20 miles a week....i have found that that keeps my fat ass hal way in shape.....though the beer is working hard to keep me slow..... free climbs..head to index and do as many pitches as possible.....lots of good 5.6- routes there to get you rerady for the valley.... basically ole' boy get the mileage and everything else will seem like college.....drunken fun in the sun!!!! see you in the fall down.....!!! [ 03-20-2002: Message edited by: erik ] Quote
Peter_Puget Posted March 20, 2002 Author Posted March 20, 2002 Well I thought this would prove to be an interesting topic. Guess not. Well here is my attempt at a basic aid list: Easy one pitch clean aid routes at Lower Wall @ Index. I guess some of these might best be done on a weekday or rainy day. City Park A1Iron Horse A2 The n Join Sag. for a second pitch. Easy semi hanging anchors to practice hauling set ups.Stern Farmer A1/210% first pitch A1/2Japanese Gardens first pitch: never done it on aid but as a mixed free and aid pitch it has wide cracks and thin cracks along with bomber pro. Upper Wall Routes:Town CrierGreen DragonIncision – nailing? SquamishUncle Ben’s Good hanging bivi, fun hook moves, several mixed pitches and a traverse as well. Wrist Twister? Is this route still a nailing route? Where is there a good place to practice pendulums? Quote
Matt_Anderson Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 Supertopos.com has a "rode to the nose" product which describ3es how someone with a lot of time in the valley should do to feel ready for it. For stuff to do around here: The two most important things in order to get up big walls are:1) Desire2) efficiency. Desire First. If BOTH of you don't want it alot, one will get scared, stop working hard, perceive the wall as bigger and badder than it really is. This will doom the trip. Desire is what makes you work hard enough to be ready for it and sacrifice the other parts of your life in order to get ready for it. Getting a partner who is equally amped will allow you both to feed off each other and to push whoever may be feeling lame on a given day. Efficiency: Climbing walls is about humping loads and moderately difficult pitches all day long and avoiding clusterfucks. Its best to practice with the partner you will be climbing with, but even if you don't, you need to get comfortable with the systems. Get fast at changing over at belays and hauling. Do a lot of multipitch, a fair amount with a haul bag. I'm not particularly into hauling heavy bags for no reason, but a day or two on town crier or green dragon with a pig is definitely in order. Regarding specific little things: While cardio vascular shape helps, running is very different from what you will be doing on the wall. The best conditioning starts, with, as a baseline, committing to getting at least 10 pitches in every day you go out. If you can't do that with different pitces at first, TR the pitches you lead to "pad" your numbers as you work up to that endurance. Make sure a lot of those pitches are multipitch. A day with 10 pitches off the ground is far more restful and easy on the body than a day with 10 hanging belays. Index ratings are dead-on Yosemite ratings, and the climbing is very similar. Make Index your home. Much better than Leavenworth, which is far to low angle. Squamish is nice to, but, again a day smoking at the base of the low angle smoke bluffs is very different than a day hanging in belays at Yosemite. Davis Holland a couple of times in a day is a great conditioner, or link it up with the Godzilla trilogy or Centerfold. The grand wall is a pleasant way to spend preparing for these routes, as is Free way (see below re: french freeing if these are to stiff for your free climbing ability.) On walls, speed is safety and comfort. Decide early what "style" you want to emulate. You will have a much better time if you tell yourself that you will yard on gear any time it gets tuff. Very few people climb as well on a wall as they do off the ground or just a few pitches up at their home crag. If you are going to french Free, then practice doing it. While it ain't rocket science, you will get better and faster the more you do it. Set a pact with your partner to push each other to be fast. Don't accept sitting around looking at things. It becomes really enjoyable learning how much ground you can cover. Really concentrate on being fast at aid. Too many people hang out in the bottom of their aiders, as if that's a fun place to be. Yard up and place that next piece. Aid doesn't have to be slow. Go push yourself on intimidating routes for you and realize you can get up them, the mental fortitude will pay off when faced with 3400 feet of granite. Quote
Dru Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 From what i hear about Wrist Twister (some friends did it on saturday), this is now a hooking and clipping route. you do need to take a hammer in case some of the head ladders are blown out. oh, and 2 talons or a talon and a leeper, for a double bat hook sequence near the top. Quote
Peter_Puget Posted March 20, 2002 Author Posted March 20, 2002 I remember looking at my partner's shoes thinking that I would have "Vibram" embossed on my forehead soon. WT was a good route to learn how to hammer stuff. I bet it still is fun just different. Quote
Yos Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 Specific Training for the Salathe and Zodiac: Zodiac: Dodgeball will prepare you for the gear/haulbags that are dropped on this route along with the rare mud falcons. Salathe: Lead solid 5.10 and you'll still get pumped on the hollow flake (5.9) and ear (5.7). Practice offwidth suffering. Practice transitioning between aid and free. Quote
Dru Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 If you wanna haamer stuff atSquamish, think fast, cause just about everythinghas gone clean. But some of that depends on presence of fixed gear so always a good idea to take the hammer along with the cam hooks and ball nuts and RPs and so on. Lots of routes went clean on hand placed pins so dont forget to try that. For real nailing practice, try Well Hung Roof area at the base of Angels Crest; the upper pitches (3-6) of Mayday in the Bulletheads [first two are hammerless and free at 10c and 11d]; or real obscurities like Forked Flume, Snot, Zodiac Wall etc. Not for learning, but Sherrifs Badge, Cowboys & Indians, Skullfuck, The Raven, Bald Egos, I Sot The Sherriff, Under the Gun, Holy Ghosts and Talk Show Hosts, Breakfast Run, Zorro's and Up from the Skies all have not gone clean. Best easy (a2/a2+) long route you are guaranteed nailing on is Edge of Pan. Long approach so no crowds. Or you could go to Powell River and do a first ascent... Quote
Peter_Puget Posted March 20, 2002 Author Posted March 20, 2002 I suggested an aid "Curriculum." Any suggestions for a free route training guide? Quote
Dru Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 Actually, if you were to go to PR, why the hell would you want to go to Yosemite afterwards anyways? Quote
jordop Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 There's this spot between your index knuckle and your thumb knuckle, a pad of muscle forward from the bone joint. Find it. Push hard with other thumb. Repeat over and over until you have scar tissue. That and pull ups. Quote
Peter_Puget Posted March 20, 2002 Author Posted March 20, 2002 Good question Dru! So do I need to bring along one of the gun toting CCers to deal with those pesky bears? Quote
rayborbon Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 Try haning out at the pub in Curry Village. There are plenty of chicks to climb. Quote
Dru Posted March 20, 2002 Posted March 20, 2002 i heard the bears in yoesmite are smarter than the average ranger...oh duh that was jellystone. well in PR wall country there aint no deli stocked with OE 800. but the bears are not so clever they can break into your car, steal your food, then drive laps on the loop road, either. Quote
fern Posted March 21, 2002 Posted March 21, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Dru: Best easy (a2/a2+) long route you are guaranteed nailing on is Edge of Pan. Long approach so no crowds. Bladerunner, overhanging A2 nailing, shorter with less objective danger than Pan Wall, same approach (Kashmir Wall), stays dry in wet weather. Quote
Dru Posted March 21, 2002 Posted March 21, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Dru: Or you could go to Powell River and do a first ascent... Quote
Dru Posted March 21, 2002 Posted March 21, 2002 quote: Originally posted by fern: Bladerunner, overhanging A2 nailing, shorter with less objective danger than Pan Wall, same approach (Kashmir Wall), stays dry in wet weather. but its only 2 pitches right? Quote
jordop Posted March 21, 2002 Posted March 21, 2002 If planning on doing some of the well known free climbs - Cathedrals &c., be prepared for:1. Big run outs.2. Really bad 1/4" bolts on even popular routes.3. The "neat" grading system that has all chimneys about 5.7 or so, regardless of gear.4. Bombays : don't know? don't ask!5. Line ups for all trade routes.6. Crap, TP, feminine hygiene products in cracks at base of El Cap.7. Smooth as glass cracks that have no friction: jamming is the rule!8. When the topo says gear to 3.5", that doesn't mean the crack only gets to be that wide. It just means that after 3.5", its really only a nine and you don't need gear! Truly: look at Reeds Direct: 4" vertical crack that's 5.9! Translation: 5.9s in the Valley are 5.10s everywhere else. Sound like fun? It is; can't wait to get back there in May! [ 03-20-2002: Message edited by: jordop ] Quote
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