Vedauwoo is not known as an aid climbing mecca, but I would like to do some aid practice for this summer. Any good ideas on where to practice aid around here? Areas where I could place pins would be best, which definitely rules out the main crags.
I've only tinkered in aid here and there, and not at Vedauwoo... just enough so I have a few basic skills to get up some trade wall-routes.
With the advancement of gear and increased traffic, most trade routes are going 'clean' these days to prevent piton scaring, etc. I'm really not sure about your aid experience or goals, but if it includes trade routes, then practicing clean aid (i.e. normal trad gear, hooks, etc), and going hammerless might be a good place to start? Also, it'd provide 90% of the same knowledge... and, as a bonus -- you can practice clean aid on normal (steep) routes during off-prime hours, without damaging the rock.
Then again, if you are shooting for less-frequented routes that require hammering some iron -- that's a different story.
Thanks Avery, but I am not really thinking about trade routes, more about new mountaineering routes that might require a pitch of aid here and there between easier terrain. I can go out and aid some of the steeper cracks clean, but given the nature of vedauwoo crack lines, that will be pretty easy.
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