UKC

Hey,

I finish uni in a month and half and have trips to font, Orkney and Switzerland planned with various people from uni and school which should be awesome an I am really excited about!

However, my big plan is to get to Yosemite at the start of September for two months. These trips planned before hand should be good training and whilst the people I am travelling in Europe and UK with to go climbing are keen, I havent convinced anyone to come out with me to California due to money and time restraints.

My question therefore, is to anyone who has gone to Yosemite before by themselves.

How easy was it get partners to climb with out there?
Do quite a few people do this?
Or do people tend to climb with the people they know and have travelled with?

Cheers guys,
matt

In reply to Matt Maynard:

didn't go by myself, but met many people there who did, and noone had a problem finding partners. there is even a board in camp 4 you can put a message on asking for partners if you need.

Out of curiosity, how dod you plan on staying in the park for 2 months with all the restrictions?

In reply to DaveR:

There are less restrictions later in the season.

We pre booked a campsite for a 4 week stint last Sept/Oct.

In reply to Matt Maynard:

End of October weather might be a bit dodgy no?

Anyway we where there last month and the restrictions are easy to by pass. If you come late (ie after 8pm, might be later in summer) there is no record of you entering the park. Then just keep switching campsite once inside. Then leave again after 8pm and wont need to pay park entrance fee. Well, worked for us anyways.

In reply to Matt Maynard: Great time to go. Do you run a bit. Trail running fantastic. Don't miss out on a bit of exploring for the sake of non stop climbing. Tuolomne Meadows is well worth a trip too, early on. You can then run down hill via Half Dome, perhaps taking in a summit trip en route back to the valley, catching a shower and then the free bus back to camp 4. You'll get someone between now and then or when your there if your keen enough. The pounds getting really strong against the dollar as well.

In reply to Matt Maynard:

Discerning if someone would be trustworthy as a partner isn't that difficult. If you're lucky finding a person or party to climb with might be very easy.
Recommend posting your search at Supertopo.
You'll very likely have a partner waiting for ya when you arrive.

In reply to Matt Maynard:

Also, notice board in camp 4 has lots of notes asking for partners. No problems on that score!

In reply to Adam Lincoln: Adam, how much kit would you take, assuming you were going to try and climb with locals?

In reply to Matt Maynard: Thanks guys for all the advice so far. Has confrimed a few things that I was wondering about. The advice about moving around from campsite to campsite is helpful and am checking out super topo

Regards to gear, thinking of taking a slim rack with 1-10, 5 cams and a single 60. If I can manage a bouldering mat is it worth having?

Thanks againg guys

In reply to Matt Maynard:

On rack it depends what you want to do.

I'm not a boulderer, but most of the social bouldering crowds seem to have enough mats to share. Certainly Midnight Lightning is stacked so you can almost reach the top!

If you're just cragging then a normal UK trad rack is fine...and should also do for many of the mountain routes up at Tuolumne (which should be a definite visit as you've got a lot of time). Remember though that on the multi-pitch routes the pitches tend to be long - at least 40m - and so can use a lot of gear.

Some of the classic routes start to need some non standard gear. Several cracks are very uniform - so having duplicate cams is a real help. Another feature of valley climbing is that many routes are protected in old peg scars and these suit offest nuts (like Peenuts) and, of course, Aliens.

If you want to set sail on some bigger walls then more gear is needed - but there is a good shop in the village and prices are cheaper than UK.

Finally, and please take this in the spirit intended, three points of caution:
1. Drop your grade a couple of notches until you get used to climbing cracks on smooth granite
2. Descents kill more people than ascents - and there are some horrors in the valley (like finding the right descent into North Dome gully) - be *really* careful on 3rd and 4th class terrain, *especially* descending.
3. You have a good chance of seeing nothing but blue skies for a month. But when it changes it changes fast - and savagely. 2 people froze to death on the nose as we walked back down form lost arrow. It had been 80 degrees the day before.

Yosemite select has some great routes, get Tuolumne superclassics too...and read the sobering analysis of 20 years' accidents in the foreword.

Have a brilliant time.

John

In reply to Matt Maynard:

Sorry, just to add...

Your proposed rack soundds like single-pitch valley floor stuff. It'd be fine for that, but you'd waste a huge chance to see what yosemite is really all about.

Two ropes are important for many abseil descents (or retreats).

J

In reply to Moacs: Thanks John. You obviously know your stuff!

Heard all about the need to drop your grade and fully expect to be humiliated the first few weeks! Cant really see myself on any seriously big wall stuff with very limited aid experience and lack of gear and knowledge, but as you imply, it would be a great shame to miss out on the multi pitch action, and have my eye on some nice climbs that arent on the the main walls neccessarily.

With my rack assumptions I was taking into account that I was to meet partners out there, and we could combine equipment?
matt

In reply to Matt Maynard:

Then I'd definitely take 2 ropes and as many cams as you own

J

In reply to Matt Maynard:

I've climbed out there quite a few different years just relying on climbing with locals - works pretty well, although you will end up with the odd dodgy partner and a few days of frustration when you can't find anyone to climb with.

Also, you will struggle if you want to find partners for routes of above 5.11a and it's really hard trying to find someone if you want to do anything like Astroman, The Rostrum or Freestone. 5.9s and 5.10s no probs.

Take a single rope, 1 set nuts, double set of cams and if you want to appear very attractive to prospective partners, get yourself a few aliens! The americans love 'em.

In reply to Matt Maynard: Yosemite valley is at 5000 feet and starts to get cold at that time of year. I have been there in snow at the beginning of October. You should be able to collar someone to climb with in the Meadows, but trusting them may be a different matter! Many there can talk the talk and talk the walk, but can't walk the walk unfortunately.
If in doubt, start small (you will need some time to acclimatise anyway).
Good luck

In reply to Matt Maynard: I'd head out there about the 10th Sept, the camping is easier to work around from then on.

Partners aren't too bad, walk round the campfires on a night, you'll feel like a dick the first few times but then you'll make some awesome firneds too. I took people on their forst wall after meeting them in camp, so its definately not impossible!

Take a double rack of cams, if you can, and as little else as possible, so that you've nothing to get robbed in camp!! Double ropes or a trail line is vital.

You should learn to aid solo, you have loads of time! Then if theres no one to climb with for a few days you can just go do a wall!

Cheers

Pete

In reply to Matt Maynard: Hi matt. I'm thinking of going climbing out there myself this september for a couple of months. currently climbing grit E3 comfortably with multi-pitch experience. do you still need a partner? Are you available to do a few climbs in the UK?