UKC

So it is looking likely that I will be heading to Yosemite for the first time next September. My friend and I are both super keen to start training asap to ensure that we are both as fit as can be once we get out there. The main aim for the trip is to tick the Nose with a few other lesser routes beforehand as warmups/to hone our big wall techniques and to generally get used to everything.

Unfortunately we are both London-based and so getting out loads over the Winter will be tricky. Generally the aim is to train hard over the Winter indoors, getting out when we can, learning/refining the best big wall/aid techniques we can and then doing as much crack climbing as we can over Spring and Summer.

So my question is.... what is the best/most effective way to start training right now? Other than general cardio fitness and building up as much stamina as possible? What areas should we be focusing on the most? What sort of training will see us the biggest gains etc?

I am fully aware that chances are once we get out there for the first week we will get shut down on everything we try until we get used to the rock/style of climbing, but hopefully the stronger we are, the more of the pitches on the big routes we can free and the faster/more likely we will be to succeed!

Cheers

In reply to maybe_si:

Take a look at some of the Wideboyz videos, they built a crack dungeon (not what it sounds like) when training for I think cobra crack. Might give you some inspiration.

In reply to maybe_si:

Be as fit as you can both in a climbing sense and a general fitness sense. Someone posted on here a few years ago, that the best training for Yosemite big walls would be to work on a building site labouring for a few months. I didn't do that, but just made sure I was quite fit.

Doing some technical work such as getting your jumaring and hauling process as slick as possible is good in an indoor climbing wall.

Whatever you do, if is is your first big wall trip, you may well find it quite hard but just persevere, starting on some easier long trad routes and enjoy whatever you manage to do.

I can honestly say that my first trip to Yosemite in 2010 was one of the best climbing experiences ever.

Cheers,

Rich

In reply to Richard White:

Hi Rich, thanks for that, it is our first proper big wall trip. Have done a fair bit of long multipitching both trad and sport and a fair bit of alpine stuff too so we are both used to a healthy dose of suffering!

Just trying to get the best head start we can!

Cheers

Simon

In reply to maybe_si:

There is an ebook by Chris McNamara called "Road to The Nose", which sounds like really good advice. (He recommends climbing 14 other routes to build the necessary skills, speed and endurance!). There is also a video called "Climb The Nose" by Hans Florine, which gives detailed beta on the route itself. He should know what he is talking about - he has done The Nose 76 times and the NIAD 46 times!

In reply to maybe_si:

Hi Simon,

If you can suffer in the Alps you will be ok with the endurance side of things then and have a good "stick at it" attitude.

Use the walls to sort out your jumaring and hauling. They are both really important and can make it a lot more pleasant if you have all the techniques sorted. It is little things like knowing what adjustment you need on your slings for different angles of rock when jumaring. Saves time and hastle.

Hauling is something that slows a lot of teams down if they haven't got that sorted. Conversation on our ascent somewhere in Stove Legs section went something like;

Partner "I think your hauling is a bit slow Rich, let me show you how to improve it"
Me "It's fine, I'll sort it"
Partner "No, you are slowing us down we will not get to El Cap Tower by night at this rate."
Me "F*** you, you supercilious tw*t"
Partner "F***ing stubborn Yorkshire dick"

At this point we burst out laughing at the absurdity of it and let go a lot of the pressure we had been putting ourselves under for the preceding months leading up to the trip. My partner demonstrated a better hauling technique (he had been to Yosemite 3 times already), which I took on board and from that moment on the pitches came and went much easier.

Also practice, as the second, lowering out from traverses with a back rope for safety. That is quite useful for a few sections on the nose, such as the pitch into Dolt Hole and from the top of Boot flake.

Rich.

P.S My partner is still a good mate and yes we still climb together a lot!

In reply to Richard White:

Thankfully I have a 'tame' climbing wall where I should be able to spend the winter jumaring and hauling etc.

I can definitely relate to your 'conversation'...... sounds like a perfect partnership if you ask me!

Cheers

Simon

In reply to maybe_si:

Training for crack climbing in London would be tricky. The only one I know of (unless it's been removed in recent months) is a hands / wide-hands crack at the Westway. If you could do this several times in succession with no resting, it would be a useful start. It's graded a ludicrous F7a but it's more like Yokshire 5b ot Yosemite 5.9. Tape up!

UK crack climbing in general gives you some of the right techniques but does not prepare you adequately for US style long crack pitches, though being super-fit (which I'm not) would help.

In reply to Rob Davies:

disappointed that London walls have only one crack! Sadly as others have noted you need technique and a sort of fitness not readily gained indoors.

long sessions would be beneficial maybe run or bike to wall ?

do say 6 weeks of 20 to 40 min hanging on the wall at whatever grade is possible. then switch to 4 X 4 s for 6 weeks.

peak grit routes are still ok for some of the winter all millstone is very sheltered and far better for real aid practise tbh you don't need masses of it.

early season damp multi pitch in Wales is boots or approach shoes would be good too and a change from quarried grit!

In reply to maybe_si:

half dome IAD should be on your radar too.

In reply to maybe_si:

The Nose is very, very easy. There is a ton of HVS on it and the aid is super simple.
Your profile says you can on-sight E3. This is more than enough.

What will matter is your speed and how hard you end up working. So, get Chris Mac's how to big wall climb. This is a nice small book. The main message of which is: train with a stopwatch. At the wall record all your timings and keep working on everything until you can't shave any more time off. Also work on not using any effort - stand on, don't pull up.

Start with only learning one skill - but learn it well. Jumaring is not strenuous, if you know how to jumar. Hauling isn't that bad, if you know how to haul.

Once you have each skill sorted, and only then, start putting it together. Practice the whole cycle of lead, clean, haul etc at the wall with all the ropes and all the rack. Again, time it and repeat until it is super smooth. It is worth remembering that, assuming you have climbed for a few years, you will have gone through the normal trad climbing cycle of lead, clean, belay etc. a thousand times. Practicing a big wall skill 6 times then hitting Yosemite isn't the best way to ensure success. Get so you can do everything in your sleep.

One more thing. Chris Mac suggests that on routes like the Nose that one might like to consider not using daisies. You may or may not be willing to do this, but I suggest you practice aiding using the aiders as big foot holds and the rock/plastic as the handholds. Much of the Nose is one long crack which is climbed by hand jamming whilst having your feet in the aiders.

In reply to maybe_si:

Give up your jobs and move out there for the summer.

In reply to David Coley:


Is it really that simple though? It's not hard to imagine a climber being able to onsight Pembroke E3, who would struggle with a lot of valley 5.9.

indeed.

The main barrier is psyche it's awfully big. All you have to do is 8-10 pitch a day for 4 days. and haul close to the weight of a dead body up behind you.

bring big paper bags to sh*t in.

In reply to maybe_si:

This is all great advice thanks! Particularly interesting is the idea of hands on rock and feet in aiders, I can imagine that saving a fair bit of time/faff?!

So as far as I can see so far it is the following.....

Get super fit, both cardio and climbing
Learn how to haul/aid/all the systems
Practise them lots
Practise them again
.....and again
Climb all the cracks I can find.... then climb them again
Get ready to suffer for a few days

.....learn how to poo in a bag/tube


How does that all look for a training schedule so far?

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:


Possibly true of many of the valley free climbs, but then on the Nose you don't need to free almost anything. A totally solid HVS (i.e. think the harder grit HVSs) should have no trouble on the Nose - if they have the systems/aid thing dialled: really dialled.

In reply to maybe_si:


Not really needed.




Yep.




No really needed, but will help - just aid them until you can do them very, very quickly. You have a limited number of dry days, so use them in the most effective way. Don't waste time belaying. Top rope solo, but aiding. Then you can double the milage. Once quick, do them again but on the lead. You are about to do a 32 pitch aid route. I suggest you therefore have done more than 32 aid pitches before you set out. I think you live in Surrey. The closest place to practice is therefore subliminal at swanage on solo top rope - don't use any hooks as you will damage the rock.




Learn, so you don't need to suffer. It is meant to be fun.

Finally get some cam hooks. You might have to leave practicing with them until you get out there.

In reply to David Coley:

Be wary about using a weight belt to replicate a huge rack - it could lead to elbow injury (speaking from experience!)