UKC

Hi, I’m heading to Yosemite next may on my honeymoon (hopefully with my partner!!). We would love to try big walling and portaledging but have no experience of hauling/aiding. We are confident trad climbers in the uk but wondering if anyone is someone/knows someone who would be able to help us out?

Any help would be ace!

In reply to richardsavill:
I know there's yosemite guides but the ones I saw people on routes were leading people up trad routes not aid. They might offer it?

Though to be honest, if you're a competent trad leader, learning big wall rope work isn't that challenging. Chris Macnamara from Supertopo is the man to go to. He's got loads of online and book resources that show you the few techniques you need to know

http://www.supertopo.com/a/How-To-Big-Wall-Climb-Table-of-Contents/a139n.ht...

http://www.supertopo.com/packs/howtobigwall.html - I found this book very helpful.

Plus there's loads of stuff on youtube. Once you buy the kit, you can just go to your local crag and practice the big wall techniques on single pitch.

Also Andy Kirkpatrik has some good stuff out there too. Blogs and books wise.

From his article on ukc (which is well worth a read - https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=6505) "Also, some really good climbers can't deal with fatigue, and just get beasted by the heat, the hauling, and just the general faff involved in a wall (like a ballerina asked to tarmac a road on a hot day, they're rubbish).
How tough do you need to be? The idea of being 'tough' is probably odd, as most people simply focus on 'how hard can you climb', but a route like The Nose (and many other world class routes) require much more of you than how well your muscles can contract."

I underestimated just how physically hard big walling would be. Like you hear a lot of stuff about how tough various things are. I.e Toughmudder which I found to be a pleasant jog round a park with some fun obstacles. Even though I was warned, I didn't fully appreciate how tough big walling is on the body. Believe the hype. You have to really want to do it. It's not fun and sleeping on a portaledge isn't glamping. It's 16 hours of day labouring and then shitting in a bag....But once you're doing a rope length pendulum across the face of el cap, or climbing a splitter hand crack with 700 meters of air underneath you... somehow it's all worth it!

In reply to richardsavill:

For some reason I always thought guiding on El Cap wasn't allowed, but maybe I just totally made that up.

If it is allowed though surprised guides aren't charging at the base to haul up rich chubster Californians.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
Guiding El Cap is allowed, it's just that Yosemite Mountaineering School & Guide Service has the monopoly and any other guides, qualified or not would be operating illegally, and would be in serious trouble if caught. Most other national parks have the same monopoly system, not just Yosemite. So to the OP, there's your answer.

In reply to jon:

A few useful links:

http://www.yosemitebigwall.com/guides : how people can 'donate'

http://www.travelyosemite.com/things-to-do/rock-climbing/ : the official service

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/445892/Tipping-Guides

http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB3/guide-for-el-cap-t52843-15.html


... discussions on the situation showing the sensitivities

cheers everyone, some really good advice!!! My fiancé is of the idea we will be able to find someone who could just lead us up, I am of a different option and am trying to explain how “tough” it’s gonna be, guide or no. Was just finding it hard to find any info, but these links are all ace! Not necessarily going for the climbing par se, more the experience of a big wall, and do the climbing stuff ourselves.

Thanks team!