willstrickland Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Doggie Do is really kind of a shitty route in a way and isn't good for training at all. I mean, it's a clean crack on pristine granite and worth doing once, but it's really really easy climbing to a 2 move crux that is frustrating and arm-length dependent. I led it twice and followed it once in a 3 month span when I was living there a couple years ago. Some people TR it since you can walk to the top, but you can put gear anywhere you want it and it's short so you only need a few pieces, just lead it...pro at your face at the crux. For training, probably better to put something like Chingando on the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaidman Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 Bonus points if you do it in your kilt ... with the bagpipes and a caber on your rack! Might be easier to just bring Ivan along... He can sing loud enough to scare everyone out of the valley! I don't think I can afford to feed him or supply him with enough beer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaidman Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 Doggie Do is really kind of a shitty route in a way and isn't good for training at all. I mean, it's a clean crack on pristine granite and worth doing once, but it's really really easy climbing to a 2 move crux that is frustrating and arm-length dependent. I led it twice and followed it once in a 3 month span when I was living there a couple years ago. Some people TR it since you can walk to the top, but you can put gear anywhere you want it and it's short so you only need a few pieces, just lead it...pro at your face at the crux. For training, probably better to put something like Chingando on the list. I put Doggie Do on the list as it is close to camp 4, where we will be camping. Where is Chingando? Plaidman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaidman Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 Doggie Do is really kind of a shitty route in a way and isn't good for training at all. I mean, it's a clean crack on pristine granite and worth doing once, but it's really really easy climbing to a 2 move crux that is frustrating and arm-length dependent. I led it twice and followed it once in a 3 month span when I was living there a couple years ago. Some people TR it since you can walk to the top, but you can put gear anywhere you want it and it's short so you only need a few pieces, just lead it...pro at your face at the crux. For training, probably better to put something like Chingando on the list. I put Doggie Do on the list as it is close to camp 4, where we will be camping. Where is Chingando? Plaidman Found it. Chingando Is it left of the Regular Route and the Direct Route? Plaidman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I don't think I can afford to feed him or supply him with enough beer. hey, i've been giving up beer lately, otherwise my flatulence alone would be enough to clear out the valley good luck down there doode! take a buncha pix of the start of snake hike too, eh? i'd like to see that, sans saharan-heat of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denalidave Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I don't think I can afford to feed him or supply him with enough beer. hey, i've been giving up beer lately, otherwise my flatulence alone would be enough to clear out the valley good luck down there doode! take a buncha pix of the start of snake hike too, eh? i'd like to see that, sans saharan-heat of course. Don't forget the hours of high-def video, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 ...and spin the camera around a few times and shake it too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rad Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Snake Dike is fun - easy runout climbing in a great setting. Both times I've done it we've been quite dehydrated by the time we got down and back to the river. I've also descended when the boards were down on the cables. It's pretty scary smooth up there. Put the cable over your leg and its weight increases your friction and makes it feel safer. I did a three day trip to the valley once that involved the approach to Snake Dike by moonlight the night we arrived, climb Snake Dike and back down to the valley the next day, short nap followed by cragging at the Church Bowl in the afternoon, snarf food in the Yos lodge cafeteria, then pre-dawn start to go up NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral the next day, finishing the last pitches by headlamp and having to crab crawl down the spires gully after headlamp batteries died in order to drive to the Bay Area for a job interview on Monday. Twas quite a weekend. It was my partner's first time in the valley! She did great. I've never done Steck Salathe, so I can't comment on training for it, but I was surprised to hear NE Buttress of Higher as a training route. It has lots of crack climbing but only one 'slot' and a chimney up high that's pretty easy. Very doable grade IV provided you don't get off route up high as we did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 i don't understand how we fucked snake dike up - i still dont' understand if we were at the right start or what - whatever the hell we tried to get off the ground doing sure as hell dind't feel right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rad Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 i don't understand how we fucked snake dike up - i still dont' understand if we were at the right start or what - whatever the hell we tried to get off the ground doing sure as hell dind't feel right Unless you're there midweek in winter there's likely to be a line of people. The first few pitches weave back and forth before you get to the dike, but it's pretty clear in the Yos Free Climbs book. Anyway, it's worth going back to do someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 'twas the middle of fry'n'hot july and there was not a soul in sight, but drunken google'n' last night plainly showed we were not at the proper start - unfortunately we blew the short window of time we had to get on route before the solar-destructor forced us to flee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevetimetravlr Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Hey Ivan, when you get up to the base of Half Dome approximately where the climb starts, walk all the way to the right, crossing over a small gully and then it becomes obvious where the climb starts as there is a good belay platform there and you can see the dike and the first little overhang and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaidman Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 Snake Dike is fun - easy runout climbing in a great setting. Both times I've done it we've been quite dehydrated by the time we got down and back to the river. I've also descended when the boards were down on the cables. It's pretty scary smooth up there. Put the cable over your leg and its weight increases your friction and makes it feel safer. I have done the Dike before. The plan we have is to start at 4:00 am and take the short cut between Liberty Cap and Broderick. We will stash water and treking poles off the trail there and then head up the short cut. Then on the decent of the cables we will have gloves and loop webbing around the cable. Last time I used a prusik. I think that was a little much. But we were tired and wanted to get down safely. Plaidman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaidman Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 Ivan just come with us. I't show you where it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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