UKC

Hi all,
hoping to go to yosemite next autumn. Just wondering how much roughly a round trip from the uk costs? I can fly from scotland or london. Any advice from folks that have been before would be greatly appreciated. Hoping to go for a month or two and climb mostly in the valley with the odd attempt at the shorter big wall free climbs.

Thanks everyone!

In reply to Patrick mcbride:

No frills or a bit of comfort?

2010 I flew with AA - 390 quid with a change in Chicago but it was like being on an easyjet flight for 8 hours. Horrendous.

Last year I decided to go direct with Virgin - Heathrow to San Fran, 10 hours, 590 quid but if felt like my holiday had started as soon as I got on the plane.

E

In reply to Patrick mcbride: have a look at www.kayak.com or www.skyscanner.net for the best flight prices.

In reply to Enty:

Don't forget the hassle of moving those heavy bags around in your first US airport as they don't check them through and luggage trolleys can't go through the check-areas. We did an internal stop once; never again.

In reply to Patrick mcbride:

Thanks for all the info so far folks. So around 2-3 grand for a round trip?

In reply to Patrick mcbride:
get hold of the dmm offsets and the offset mastercams - they seemed to fit better than anything else in Valley routes. I wished i'd left most of my normal uk rack at home and taken two sets of each instead

In reply to Alan100:

dmm offets and offset aliens??

In reply to Patrick mcbride: I checked the cost of flights to Las Vegas for November and they were just over £700 return.

In reply to Patrick mcbride:

Get good crack climbing shoes.

In reply to Patrick mcbride: My trip in 2003 involving £500 return air tickets was a lot less than that - probably about £1400.

Plan how you are going to get to Yosemite from SF or wherever you fly to. We arrived in SF at about midnight with no taxis available. We therefore kipped on the airport floor, having somehow visited the employees cafe, twice!! Cracking fry up.

We then got a 6am taxi to emeryville from where we trained to Merced (I think).

In reply to BenTiffin:

Flight taxes have gone up loads since 2003.

In reply to GridNorth:

We got our Vegas flights this December for under £700 in a short sale period...not cheap still, but it helps. Red Rocks and JT never tire.

In reply to Patrick mcbride:
if you need to take more than one bag then i would recommend flying with virgin direct from london. it isn't very well advertised but you get a 23kg 'sports allowance' which covers a bag of climbing gear (as long as it doesn't have anything else like clothes etc in it). it means you have to get yourself to london, but if you get an advance train ticket this isn't too expensive. be flexible on dates and keep checking the price of flights, i actually got a cheaper ticket by waiting a few weeks!!
O

In reply to oliwarlow:

Virgin fly from Manchester to Vegas as well. The spots baggage allowance is important as some airlines would charge loads for our extra bag with heavy gear.

In reply to Patrick mcbride: think flights are covered now. Good tips on the sports allowance with virgin! And avoid internal changes, can be such a hassle when your bag doesn't turn up :-s

IME Staying out there is cheap if you're staying at camp 4. There is a 14-day per annum camp 4 limit in high season, you should check the National park service website if this applies to you and you wanted to stay longer. There is a kind of black-market for staying longer by a few days if needed.

In april/may this year, loads of lifts to/from san francisco were being advertised so you may not need a hire car. I can't speak for Sept/Oct, but there's always a hook up somewhere!

Food is priceier in the valley compared to outside the valley (stock up enroute!!).

Take very comfy crack climbing shoes. DMM offsets and metolius mastercams fit in almost everything mortals can climb, brass offsets for hard aiders

Savour the moment you first see the captain. It will be with you forever!

In reply to saz_b: just got back from Yosemite and all in for a three week trip cost roughly 1400 pounds.

In reply to Patrick mcbride: the current deal is that there is a 7 night limit in camp4 in the summer season which runs until september 15th. after that it goes to 30days. you can spend time in Toulumne to save nights (easy to hitch or get a bus to), but be aware that the campsite and store shut down at the same time that the camp4 limit changes. getting round the limit is tricky if you are on your own and don't have a car, as you cant do the old one person signing in trick, or escape up to crane flat for a few days.
you can get to Yosemite on public transport for less than $50 on Amtrak and Yarts, and you'll have no problem finding a lift back once you are in the valley.
most people climb on double sets of cams here, if you do need some more gear it is much cheaper to buy black diamond and metolius stuff over here in the states. You can mail order from places such as mountaintools.com, or mountaingear.com and they will post to the valley postoffice, then when you arrive you just pick it up! this is much cheaper than buying from the climbing store here in the valley.
hope this helps!
O

In reply to Patrick mcbride:

I'd recommend getting a hire car if you can afford it. You can escape to other areas if the Valley is too hot/cold, or just to see something else. It's an incredibly beautiful place, but it's not the America of wide open spaces.