Learning Big Wall & Aid

My buddy and I made a pact to climb El Cap after our senior year of college. We go to Sewanee (note: we're both freshman so we've got plenty of time) so we'll get plenty of climbing experience between now and then, both sport and trad.

My questions are:

1.What else do we need to learn to be confident in doing one of the easier routes like Lurking Fear or NA wall? Or are there easier free routes (5.10 or less)
2. How should we go about learning aid climbing techniques/safety? 3. Are there spots in the southeast that we could practice some of these techniques safely?
4. What kind of physical condition should would be in?
5. What gear should we start accumulating past a standard trad/sport rack?
6. What else should we know?

If anybody has specific trip reports or plans that'd be awesome as well.

Thanks, Will

will, be sure to pick up the falcon big walls book and read it a few times, it will not only help you out a lot as far as aid and wall technique, your trad climbing will get a lot better with all of the little tricks it teaches you

There are no easy routes on el cap. It may seem like anyone can get up it but many people bail before they even start.

You can learn the techniques for big walling but you can't "learn" confidence for big walling.

Climb some long grade IV free routes and do some grade IV/V walls in the valley or zion. These experiences will give you an idea of how much suffering to expect on Le Cap.

The basic techniques are covered well in the various texts on the subject as well as online tutorials (www.bigwalls.net).

Find a steep continuous crack, aid it, clean it, and haul it. C1/C2 aid is straightforward and rarely dangerous if you avoid backcleaning. Free climbing is hard. Easy aid is childsplay. The trick is fast and efficient movement. So practice a bit, but not too much, because you will begin to lose interest in free climbing...

The hard part about big walling is not the techniques but staying psyched despite unforseen difficulties and failures.

Lastly, remember that YER GUNNA DIE!!! So get out there and enjoy yourself :)

Will Copeland wrote:My buddy and I made a pact to climb El Cap after our senior year of college. We go to Sewanee (note: we're both freshman so we've got plenty of time) so we'll get plenty of climbing experience between now and then, both sport and trad. My questions are: 1.What else do we need to learn to be confident in doing one of the easier routes like Lurking Fear or NA wall? Or are there easier free routes (5.10 or less) 2. How should we go about learning aid climbing techniques/safety? 3. Are there spots in the southeast that we could practice some of these techniques safely? 4. What kind of physical condition should would be in? 5. What gear should we start accumulating past a standard trad/sport rack? 6. What else should we know? If anybody has specific trip reports or plans that'd be awesome as well. Thanks, Will

1. Alot
2. Practice
3. Looking Glass, NC.
4. Optimal
5. Depends
6. Alot

...fwiw, I didn't think the NA Wall was "easier" due to the traverses, pendulums, crappy rock in the Black Dihedral, very poor fixed gear...plus it was wet and slimy for several of the "easY" A2 pitches but others might find it a walk in the park. A "straightforward" route like the Zodiac, or Nose, even Triple Direct all seemed "easier" ime...

You might also refer to

supertopo.com/packs/road2no…

The hard part about big walling is not the techniques but staying psyched despite unforseen difficulties and failures. Yeah, what he said.

2) Any of several good books and the video guide to aid climbing are a good start. You'll want to hook up with an experienced aid climber after you've studied those. Being a solid trad leader is, of course, a prerequisite.

3) Looking Glass. Glass Menagerie in particular is good training.

4) very good

5) if you're doing aid, a hell of a lot.

6) a lot

How long do you have in the Valley? You should probably consider at least one smaller wall (i.e. Washington Column S. Face or W. Face Leaning Tower) before jumping on the Captain. Try to make it to Looking Glass, but what you learn on smaller Yose Valley walls will be invaluable to you in your quest to climb the Captain.