UKC

hi guys

myself and a couple of mates are interested in doing a big wall together. we all climb around E1/E2 when going well. we want to go somewhere that's a bit isolated hence not El Cap etc. we want to spend a few nights on the wall so need to be challenging enough that we wouldn't do it in a day or two but not so hard we have to aid it all.

we will have a portaledge so wont need big ledges just good spots to hang the porta.

look forward to hearing of people with any good suggestions or topo's

many thanx

jon

In reply to jon_gill1:

My first experience was in Zion - it feels a bit more isolated and quieter than Yosemite but if you're going well most of the easier lines can be done in a long day especially if you fix the day before which is what we did.

My first route was The Touchstone Wall, then Moonlight Buttress and then Spaceshot.

A 2 day ascent of Moonlight would be good. In fact we passed a team kipping in Portaledges just above the crux groove on the headwall.

I'd love to go back to do Prodigal sun and Desert storm.

On the same trip we also did The Rainbow Wall at Redrocks. Easy done in 2 days with a bivvy on the Rainbow ledge (no portaledge needed) and there's some good freeclimbing too.

E

In reply to jon_gill1:

Desert shield looks awesome: http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/Zion-National-Desert-Shield-Area-Des...

I can't think of anything that will take more than 2 days though and will involve free climbing at E1/E2 (ish) Other than Yosemite.

Maybe someone with experience in the greater ranges could give you some pointers.

E

In reply to jon_gill1:

Zion is a good shout.

Lotus Flower Tower is 2 days for most for solid E2 leaders and it is very remote. People don't normally take a ledge as there's one perfectly positioned alf way up. You could spend three days on it if you had to aid a load of pitches maybe.

In reply to jon_gill1: Changabang West face is what you need...

In reply to Siward:

+1

In reply to jon_gill1: Blamann on Kvaloya in arctic norway might fit the bill. Not as big as the US ones (1-2 day), but very big-wall ambience (continuously steep), good mix of grades and very accessible while feeling very remote see http://www.blixt.no/KvaloyaArchives/ for some info

In reply to jon_gill1:
There´s a few in Arco and the Dolomites.

In reply to Siward:
if i was 10 times more experienced than i am now and had no fear then perhaps....haha

In reply to jon_gill1:


< myself and a couple of mates.... we will have a portaledge >

Is it a big one?

My vaguely serious question is whether you will be equipped for full-on portaledge bivvies - ie at hanging belays where there's nothing else? I'm not sure anyone makes a 3-person ledge, and three-up in a double would be pretty cramped. Or am I missing the obvious - that you'll simply have more than one (ledge)?!

In reply to Ian Parsons:
well we will have a double ledge and if a third definitely comes then we will have another ledge for him. Sorry i didn't go into that much detail as i didnt think i would need to to ask about routes/venues.

In reply to jon_gill1:

Quite understand - I thought at first that it might be a silly point to raise, but it has the potential to become relevant as soon as people start suggesting specific routes.

You're asking across a very broad range - more isolated than Yosemite but less challenging than Changabang! How isolated/remote are you prepared to go? What sort of time parameters would you have - ie are you able to consider objectives that might take several days to get to, or are you thinking more in terms of several hours from civilisation? Would the prospect of getting there and then spending three weeks in a tent in heavy rain put you off - particularly if the whole thing was costing a lot more than a plane ticket to the US? (Cost aside, that's possibly a reason why, despite its potential, Norway is a less popular bigwall venue than Yosemite!) Narrowing the search area a bit would give people slightly more to go on.

In reply to jon_gill1:
What about the Qualido wall in the Val di Mello area?

In reply to jon_gill1:

Try Cochamo in Chile. I don't think it's too hard to get to and is pretty quiet. Some tourists hang out there but there are quite a few ditbag climbers too! The people that own the refugio are very friendly and helpful. i think they have the only guidebook too, which is a folder full of hand drawn tops and photos.
http://www.cochamo.com/climbing/