Easy Clean Aid at Index?

[fenderfour]

I want to get on some easy clean aid in the area. Index seems like a natural choice. I am looking for routes that would be good beginner practice areas. City Park comes to mind, but that's about all I know. Any other suggestions?

 

Clean only - no nailing, no heads

Some easy hooking is ok, but no long runouts

Cam hooks will be available

Largish free climbing rack will be used (2 sets of nuts, 1 full set of cams with doubles in the smaller sizes, full set of hexes)

 

-Thanks Y'all.

[DCramer]

What about:

Iron Horse (p1 to ringing flake) or 10%(p1) or Narrow Arrow Overhang (right variation)

[fenderfour]

Where do I find info on the aid routes?

 

I already have a guide to freeclimbing at Index from 1993.

[bigwalling]

If you don't have brass nuts... some stuff will maybe not even be possible. I'm not sure tho. City Park is the worst of them all IMHO. High on the list is the Narrow Arrow route mentioned above. Here is a list of good ones.

 

-Iron Horse ok

-Arachnid Arch ok

-10% ok

-Stern Farmer good

-City Park kinda lame

-Narrow Arrow variation good!

-Narrow Arrow Direct ok

-Shirley good!

[bigwalling]

that guide will work if it is the Cummins one

[DCramer]

All the routes mentioned, with the exception of 10% are free routes. You might want to look at the top of Shirley p1 just to make sure there is an anchor available so that you don't have to leave a piece, if that is all you want to climb. If there isn't an anchor, it is easy to swing over to NA Direct but if you are by yourself it would be a pain.

Edit: An anchor does exist.

Edited February 1, 2005 by DCramer

[fenderfour]

Coolness. It is the Cummins guide.

 

Single pitch stuff is cool. I am just working on the sequence of movement.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

[shapp]

I soloed city park, then two pitches to the top, up slow childern I think. I thought it was fun and easy. I think you should run out and get some cam hooks before you go. If you are really thinkin you might like to get into aiding you might as well get some cam hooks now and learn to use them right off the bat.

[COL._Von_Spanker]

City park is a good first solo because of the bolts.

[Farrgo]

town crier is really pretty easy. especially if you bail before the crux after the hanging belay. theres a tensions traverse/pendulum that is pretty fun. you really only need a couple sets of nuts and some cams for that climb.

[chirp]

IMHO all of those are awesome training routes, to call city park lame is foolish, especially for someone new to aiding. Just getting up on any of those routes is key to expanding your horizons, we all started there, so save the judgemental comments for pub clubs.

 

-Iron Horse ok

-Arachnid Arch ok

-10% ok

-Stern Farmer good

-City Park kinda lame

-Narrow Arrow variation good!

-Narrow Arrow Direct ok

-Shirley good!

 

[bigwalling]

City Park is the least fun of all those.

[chirp]

City Park is the least fun of all those.

You can make it fun. Run it out on camhooks, do it blindfolded...do it naked?

Spontaneity is the mother of improvisation.

[fenderfour]

I've heard that the first pitch of City Park is almost made for camhooks. That will probably be my first destination.

[bigwalling]

or take a 50 footer and almost deck... no it is good climb, i just think the others are better! Ya it is good on cam hooks... Good 3 easy ones are, Iron Horse, Stern Farmer and City Park. That is a good learning day for sure. My learning circut was always had Iron Horse in it.

[TimL]

10% is a really good short aid route that can introduce you to cam hooking and thin nutting.

[TimL]

Just be careful with Ironhorse. I've seen many people both free and aid zipper pieces on that route after not placing a directional piece at the bottom. Granted I've only done it once on aid, but I think its a spicer aid route then free.