Snake Dike Conditions Mid May and other things

Are the conditions usually good for a mid-May climb of Snake Dike? I'll be driving through Yosemite on a West to East road trip and would love to do this route.

I will be travelling with a friend with very little climbing experience. So I'd be leading all the pitches. I have never climbed in the valley before, but I have done numerous sport climbs, a handful of trad climbs, and am 100% competent at multi pitch technique.

Is this a sandbagged route or should I be okay? My follower knows how to lead belay, clean, etc.

May'll probably be fine, especially this year. It is not sandbagged, but has substantial runnouts....like 1 bolt in a pitch. The runnouts are also on pretty easy pitches, so as long as you are confident on unprotected 5.6 and under slab, you'll be good. The true cruxes are the walk in/out, finding the base, and the first pitch (and maybe camping while in the Valley!).

Also, be aware that the cables are not typically up until the friday before Memorial day, so you'll need to descend with the cables laying against the rock. NBD, but something to keep in mind.

If I remember correctly the first two pitches are the most difficult, after that it's cruiser. It's a VERY runout climb, but on easy ground.

csproul wrote:May'll probably be fine, especially this year. It is not sandbagged, but has substantial runnouts....like 1 bolt in a pitch. The runnouts are also on pretty easy pitches, so as long as you are confident on unprotected 5.6 and under slab, you'll be good. The true cruxes are the walk in/out, finding the base, and the first pitch (and maybe camping while in the Valley!). Also, be aware that the cables are not typically up until the friday before Memorial day, so you'll need to descend with the cables laying against the rock. NBD, but something to keep in mind.

Do you just attach a prussik to the cables as you descend?

Trevor Burke wrote: Do you just attach a prussik to the cables as you descend?

I did.

If you've never been up there before, its a fairly involved endeavor for a day trip but totally doable if you're good at route-finding and tough. The polished 5.7 slab and the 90 foot run outs are no joke if you're not used to it. The cables decent was the scariest part for me and the cables were UP!

Go for it; its a wonderful area even if you have to bail..

Trevor Burke wrote: Do you just attach a prussik to the cables as you descend?

I've been up with the cables up and down. The first time I went up and down with the cables down. This was > 10 years ago and I didn't think anything of it. NDB.

Last year I did the RNWFHD and was worked. Really tired at the top. We went down with the cables up and I was a bit gripped. I thought it was way more polished and smooth than I had remembered and I had a tight grip on the cables. I'm sure being really tired and stumble had something to do with it, but I thought at the time that if the cables had been down I'd probably rap, or do some kind of biner/cord trickery to get down.

So YMMV. I think if you're confident then going own with the cables down is NDB. If not, do whatever you need to do to keep yourself safe.