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First big wall, looking for tips. Regular Northwest Face, Half Dome?

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 Dan Hunt 13 Jun 2022

Heading to Yosemite for the first time and fully expecting to get schooled! We're considering trying the RNWF on Half Dome after a few days climbing in the Valley and refreshing big wall techniques etc. Does anyone have any tips or advice on this route beyond what's in the guide books or on first big walls generally? Cheers

 kevin stephens 13 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt: RNWF was great but its not a route suited to sack hauling because of the meandering line on the lower section. We climbed it in 2 days with one rucksack carried by the second on a tightish rope. The second only jumared two relatively short bolt ladders. Although its possible to do the route in a day , two days with a bivy on Big Sandy ledge was very enjoyable. Having said that your pace may be restricted by slower parties in front of you. Also i understand that one of the lower pitches is much harder following a recent rockfall.

RNWF was an outstanding adventure, but if you want to get into sack hauling, jumarimg, porta ledges etc then one of the shorter routes on El Cap may be more suitable?  

 Ian Parsons 13 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

Also - in case you're tempted - it's not a good idea to get an early start on Half Dome by sleeping at the base.

 Babika 13 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

It's a long walk carrying gear whether you go on the main trail or straight up the front. I've done both twice.  Water is a long way away and the "spring" at the base is a bit pitiful.

And yes, the lower pitches are a nightmare for hauling  

 Kemics 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

Don't be scared off by el cap. I cant really comment on half dome as I think I got a knee injury even thinking about carrying all the kit in. If you want to get the half dome tick, climb Snake Dike (5.7)

I would high recommend a "warm up wall" basically a 2 day route, ie 10-12 pitches. We did south face of washington column which was awesome. Good mix of free and aid. And dial in your aid faffing. West face of leaning tower is another good one I hear. 

Then just jump on something on the big stone. Lurking fear or zodiac make good first routes. Or just go join the hoards and get stuck in on the nose. 

All the classic routes are super well bolted so if you're having a bad time you can bail from pretty much anywhere without issue. Just takes half a day to get down. But really the commitment is actually kind of minimal. 

You can practice aid climbing and belay management stuff anywhere. Get loads of practice in before you go so you can make the most of your trip. 

Have a blast, it's a special place. 

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OP Dan Hunt 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Ian Parsons:

Hi Ian, interesting. why is that?

 ashtond6 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt

> Hi Ian, interesting. why is that?

Stuff falls off a lot 

 Ian Parsons 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

I've twice seen people sleeping there aroused by incoming stonefall. On the first occasion I was one of them; fortunately it missed. The second time, twenty-two years later [separate incident; I'm slow, but not that slow], I was just finishing the first pitch when something whirred past to distant shouts of "ROCK!". To be strictly accurate one of the recumbents in his sleeping bag below wasn't so much 'aroused' as 'poleaxed'; he departed sometime later attached to a helicopter.

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OP Dan Hunt 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Ian Parsons:

aye, well thanks, cautionary tale if ever i heard

In reply to Dan Hunt:

I can second the advice for something on Washington Column - SW Face or the Prow are good places to start. The prow is a bit harder but a good way of trying out A2 without too much commitment and it will be quieter - get up there and then El Cap is just a case of doing it 3 times stacked vertically

 timjones 14 Jun 2022
In reply to willworkforfoodjnr:

Surely The Prow is C2+?

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In reply to timjones:

Sorry yes, C not A! Other than the shortish cam hook bit on the second(?) pitch it didn't seem any worse than Leaning Tower though. We got up it and still failed on El Cap...

 timjones 14 Jun 2022
In reply to willworkforfoodjnr:

It's a great route in a lovely location.

IIRC the C2+ comes at the start of the 2nd pitch and feels quite commiting, if you blow it you are pretty much guaranteed to hit a ledge before your fall is arrested.

I don't remember any hooking but I did end up bailing from the top of P4 due to "stomach issues" leading to severe dehydration

 Climber_Bill 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

As others have said, RNWF is not an ideal route to do with a haul bag, or to sleep at the base of!

We went up the slabs a couple of days before our ascent and left small haul bag with our gear and some food in fixed a few metres off the ground to prevent bears getting to it. Went back down the slabs to make sure we knew the way up.

On the ascent day, left the campsite at about 3am, walked up the slabs, got the bag down and geared up. We both had small rucksacks with water and food and a warm down jacket. Started climbing about 6am, a mixture of free, aid and French free. Plan was to bivvy / doss at Big Sandy, and then try to free the next 3 hard pitches in the morning.

Got to Big Sandy early evening but the weather didn't agree with our plan and a mixture of rain, hail, sleet and snow and low temperatures meant bivvying was not feasible. A monumental aid session then took place on snow and sleet covered rock getting to the top after midnight and crawling, sliding down the ice covered cables saw us back at the base about dawn.

I was hoping for type 1. Got type 2/3.

 Offwidth 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

That's pretty ambitious for a first visit and first big wall, best of luck.

http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/route_beta.php?r=ybharegu

Post edited at 08:47
 Mowglee 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

Another vote for something with a shorter walk-in. We did the nose as our first big wall - I figured if I was going to fly that far and spend so much money on a trip, I wanted it to be on something good! We spent a lot of time in the UK figuring out how to do it rather than trying to learn on the trip, so we had stuff fairly well dialled depsite having never done a big wall before. We got lucky and somehow had perfect weather in September and not a single party ahead or behind us - got passed by two NIAD teams at dawn on the second day but other than that, had the whole route to ourselves.

Post edited at 08:48
 arose 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

West face of leaning tower.  Nice bolt ladder to start and a big ledge halfway.  The "easy" big walls have awkward hauling and are really busy.  We climbed the West face of leaning tower and then straight onto the nose the next day.  The West face of leaning is steeper and slightly harder so meant we definitely had the skills for the nose and were not so wigged out by the exposure.  The S face of washington column doesnt really teach you much if you're going onto bigger walls

 Mattdevaal 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

Did this Route 3 weeks ago. 

So much Beta if you want it?

Give me a bell at Needle Sports

Matt

 steveej 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

My first trip was for three weeks were we did 4 or 5 days of warming up cragging, then the snake dike, then had a crack at Washington Column and bailed on the second day as was taking too long with all the traffic, had a rest then went back and did the prow on washington column which we were glad we did as it served us well for a trip up the nose (in 3 nights)

Have also done leaving Tower as a warm up to Mescalito and that was ok too, but I would say the Prow is better for a first wall and easier to get to.

 dominic o 14 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

No comments on RNWF as I haven't done it, but I have climbed 8 different routes on El Cap. I'd agree with a number of posters above - if you want to progress your general Big Walling skills you'd be better off with either something short like the South Face of Washington Column, or just jumping on the Big Stone and "learning on the job". The Nose, Lurking Fear and Zodiac would each have pros and cons.

I've helped a few teams get their heads around the Big Wall Basics in an afternoon at Hobson Moor Quarry, if you are anywhere near Manchester and want to get some faffing out of the way before your trip - always happy to pass on the knowledge.

Meanwhile, a couple of pics from Washington Column https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2015/09/11/tashys-first-bigwall/

... and a TR from North America Wall (probably not a great first wall) https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2018/08/27/north-america-wall-trip-report/

Cheers, Dom 

 Dave Rumney 15 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

Did RNWF on my only visit to Yosemite in 2004, it was our main objective. We were both climbing E2/3 at the time. Our plan was to practice big wall climbing in week 1, climb it week 2. But it was too hot in the valley so after we done a couple of routes (east buttress of middle cathedral was one) we went for it. Walked up death slabs in the afternoon (shady), led the first pitch (so we could top rope it in the dark the following morning, bivvied underneath (the spring still had just enough water in September that year). We got to big sandy ledge by 4pm, but got lost finding the right groove which wasted an hour and so decided to bivvy the night there - it was cold as we had gone quite light (1 small rucksack each, 2.5l water), but not dangerously cold. Topped out by lunchtime the following day and returned down the South side (missed the main track on the shoulder as we hadn't walked up that way!).

We were followed up the route by another team that has just done the nose. We were faster on the free pitches and they on the aid. We also climbed it on 2 half ropes, which I wouldn't recommend - we thought the 2nd could just pull on the gear on the aid pitches but that means the leader can't recycle it.

I remember we were well practiced at fast change overs before we went (there's lots of info to research on this). Every extra minute at the belay on a 24+ pitch route is another half an hour in total. We also made a conscious decision not to take anything bigger than a friend 2.5 based on the Topo info which we just about go away with.

Anyway, it's a fantastic route and place to be.

Good luck

In reply to kevin stephens:

I’m sorry, I don’t really understand how people can feel that they should jump from the grit to a big wall. 
 

i would get some grade 3,4,and 5’s under my belt before clogging up a popular route before you are ready. 
my recommendations…

east buttress of el cap

east buttress of middle catedral

braille book-higher cathedral rock

nw butress- higher cathedral rock

north butress of middle cathedral (not the dnb, which is the direct north buttress, although you could give that a go,

beggars buttress-lower cathedral rock

steck salathe- the sentinel 

chaunard herbert-sentinal

absolutely free to hawkman’s escape

royal arches to crest jewel

serenity crack to sons of yesterday 


when you can climb a few of those proficiently, then start looking to the big stones.  There are so many people in the valley these days.  I know that I have at times been the one to hold people up, but I have also been bummed when there are people on route that aren’t ready to be there.  It seems disrespectful to the other climbers, but more importantly disrespectful to the rock.  When thinking about a route, think about your enjoyment, experience, capabilities rather than what you are going to tell the bro’s at the wall when you get back.  Yosemite is a humbling place.  Stay alive.  Stay hydrated. Climb in the shade whenever possible. Don’t start a fire (don’t flick cigarettes out the window, don’t have a fire at all really, the air pollution is sooo bad in the campgrounds, it’s not good for plants or animals).  Spend an afternoon laying in el cap meadow looking up at the big stone.  Jump in the river after every big route.  
Weed is legal in California, but Yosemite is on federal land, so is thus illegal.  There are still some rangers who want to bust you.  Take a walk to a beautiful isolated place, don’t smoke in camp 4.

have fun 

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 kevin stephens 19 Jun 2022
In reply to Stoner’s wife: For our first (and my only) wall RNWF our background was lots of multi pitch on North Wales and Lakes so climbing efficiently we did the route in a day and a half. The OP doesn't give any info on their background so it may not only be grit. We were two teams of two. In September heat wasnt a problem, in fact the opposite. Me and my mate had sleeping bags, i remember watching snowflakes settle on my bag on Big Sandy against the twinkling lights in the valley. It was a cold night but we managed a prompt start. My other 2 mates adopted a more lightweight approach with down jackets and feet in rucksacks and had a much slower start. We topped out before the bad weather but they were caught and spent a lot longer. For all if us our UK mountain multi pitch experience served us well. As i said, big wall aid climbing with hauling etc is a whole different game so start with short routes

In reply to kevin stephens:

A few points…

i think today’s standard is the regular route on half dome in a day. It’s a crappy route to haul on, and hauling adds to the danger that other climbers on the route experience. I climbed it twenty years ago, and there were six parties climbing it in a day that day. There weren’t any parties hauling. I personally think that folks should wait until they can climb a route in good style before getting on it. Particularly when it will affect other people’s experience.

it is true that you can get any type of weather in September in Yosemite, but statistically it is hot and smokey at that time of year. Half dome is pretty high above the valley floor, which does make it significantly cooler.  

in another thread the op asked what crack lines to climb in the peak to get ready for Yosemite. Thus my peak assumption. i agree go get some multi-multi pitch route experience in before heading to Yosemite. The rock quality is much better in Yosemite, so the routes aren’t as mentally taxing as climbing the same distance in Wales, but twelve to twenty pitches in a day is still a mental and physical challenge. 
 

 kevin stephens 24 Jun 2022
In reply to Stoner’s wife:

One point:

My 1.5 day ascent was 30 years ago, would that have been acceptable back then, particularly as there weren’t  any other parties on the wall?

Post edited at 17:42
In reply to kevin stephens:

Yeah, the standards have evolved over time. There were a lot fewer climbers in the valley thirty years ago. Gear was heavier. People didn’t climb as hard. You couldn’t get away with warren hardings tactics on the nose today. The standard evolved.

That explains the weather as well. There can still be snow in September, but less likely now. A lot more hot days. A lot more fires. This season is shaping up to be an uber fire year. After twenty years of spending the autumn in the valley I moved to Washington to get out of the constant heat and fires. 

it is amazing how those experiences were so incredible that they remain embedded in our memory as if they were yesterday. All the details we can remember. 

 kevin stephens 25 Jun 2022
In reply to Stoner’s wife: Yes hearing of the crowds these days I’ve no desire to return to Yosemite 

 Enty 25 Jun 2022
In reply to Dan Hunt:

I've heard Zodiac mentioned a few times.
Zodiac has gone clean for years now and I'm not sure how cool it is to use a hammer on Zodiac any more.
Be prepared for some fairly gnarly C3+

E

 Dave Cundy 25 Jun 2022
In reply to kevin stephens:

Kev, was that the '88 trip?  Who was with you?  I went on the next trip, two years later when Andy Blaylock and his mate did Freeblast (I remember whooping at them from the meadow, one evening!).

 kevin stephens 25 Jun 2022
In reply to Dave Cundy:it may have been then. Andy B, Roger B, Stan (mate of Andy’s) on the route, also Phil Morris, Martin, woodsy and maybe others?


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