1st Big Wall with Guide or Buy a Portaledge?

I think it's terrific you have a goal of doing a wall or two, but unless you really like buying gear, stop buying gear and get out and climb more. You wrote in your original post that you are just learning to trad climb. So here's my question: if you're just starting trad, it's unclear whether or not you've even lead a mellow multi-pitch. In light of that, what makes you think you even want to do a wall, which is basically trad multi-pitch on steroids?

Get out and climb more. Get solid at leading 5.9 trad or so (though you don't really need to climb anywhere near that hard for something like Space Shot or WFLT). But still, see if you like it; if you're efficient; if it's something you want to keep doing (since, let's face it, alot of folks nowadays are happy to stick with sport) and if so, then start buying gear. Ars long; vita brevis. (which means "Life is short; the craft so long to learn."). Enjoy the journey.

I agree with fat dad on this one , having climbed el cap 49 times including some A5 shit the best advice I can give is more multi pitch trad ! And throw in some top rope/lead aid practice , personally I don't believe a three day guided aid clinic is anything more than a total waste of money period !!!! And as far as a 4 hour lead on c1 or a1 well if it takes you that long to climb at those grades maybe aid is not your gig ! Hell I'll bet Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles could lead c1 faster then 4 hours !!!!
Even if you have to set up a practice jugging in a tree in your back yard do it ! Then get your systems dialed to the max ! Belays , changeovers , hauling and lowering , pendulums , traverses ect ect ect !

Get used to hanging on small marginal gear, in fact embrace the idea cus bud your going to be doing a lot if it !

If your serious about aid climbing then take that 1300 and invest in some aliens including offsets and some iron esp sawed off angles , also look into some hooks and I'd double or triple up on those .5-3 C4s that will be money better spent !

Cheers

Hi Leonard,I also have big wall aspirations and have been practicing on /off for years. I live in Phoenix and sounds like I have more(longer) experience and am more in the 5.10 trad range when I'm climbing alot. Lately I have been getting out to the sierras in summer and locally in the winter/spring. I have practiced solo leading as well as alot of aid systems and would love to do more and plan/execute a big wall. I have been thinking of doing the Spring Route on Baboquivari old school A4,probably more like A3 now , there is some hooking involved, just every time its nice weather I get really busy with work. I've been up a few routes down there and it's nice, much closer than the valley for a big wall, plus all to yourself. I am really wanting to do spaceshot in Zion as a first or second wall also because it's fairly close and not super long, beautiful area.
So anyway, I have the whole rack , live locally , lots of multi-pitch experience on rock and ice, interested in the same thing. Headed up to Idaho for a week or so but you can call me at 602-757-four5four5 if you want to talk about it. Or email azsorenson@yahoo.com. Thanks and good luck, I vote for learn it on your own and just go climb, read and practice and then go try an easier one. PS. where is that bolt ladder, your first aid lead photo from? Looks like Queen creek.

I agree with the recos that the OP should hold off on buying more gear and starting leading more multi-pitch and aid. Learning how to climb fast & light is the most important. A good guide or mentor can help immensely there.

To dramatically increase the success of the OP's first big wall I'd recommend finding a partner who can lead solid 5.10 and ideally has done big walls before.

I'd also ditch the tri-cams and hexes and wouldn't buy any pitons/hammer, etc. unless I was doing a route that specifically called for them.

Finally get on a training program that increases your strength & endurance -- that will give you an extra margin of safety as well.

Good luck! We look forward to hear about your first big wall adventure!

Update: Summer is full on here in the Phoenix area so even early morning climbing is getting a bit toasty.
- Made a couple of good buddies here on Mountain Project with much more experience than I, including some Zion wall routes under their belts
- Learned to Aid Solo and have been working several local routes early in the morning...1 bolt ladder with a bit of traverse and overhang.
- Worked with a friend to put up a new route that is 2/3rds bolt ladder and 1/3 trad.
- Climbing 2-3 days a week early morning aid and working to get out town for some cooler weather and multi-pitch trad
- Working on setting up and tearing down anchors and hauling rachets
- Picked up a lightly used Metolius Double Ledge on Craigs List...couldn't pass it up.
- Set the ledge up 10-20 times in the garage and then have had it out on routes several times for practice
- Solo-Aid a route in the evening and spend the night on the ledge.
- Working on a weight lifting and nutrition program to get stronger and drop a few pounds
- Road biking and hiking to build endurance

• ** Long ways to go to finally get on a Wall but definitely closer than a few months ago. Thanks for the advice here...mucho appreciated!

ledge

With that level of dedication, you're going to to do just fine.

Amen buddy - What Kevin said! Woot!

Hit me up when you go to the valley. If I'm not on a wall when that happens, I'll head up there and get done pictures of you on the wall.

Yup, what Kevin said.

kevin deweese wrote:Hit me up when you go to the valley. If I'm not on a wall when that happens, I'll head up there and get done pictures of you on the wall.

Thanks Kevin! Definitely will.

BIG WALL #1 = DONE!! - Working on a trip report with fellow Mountain Projector Todd K - Have been working all summer on Aid, Trad, Hauling, and reading everything I can on Big Walling and finally decided to go for it...hot weather or not....got a great deal on a portaledge.

This past weekend, we AID climbed Moonlight Buttress. Took 2 and 1/2 days...was loads of type2 fun! Was definitely one of the coolest things I have ever done...on day 2 of recovery now and already thinking about the next route! Thanks for all the input and advice here on MP!!!

4th Pitch - 180 feet of incredible splitter

Ascending pitch 6 in the early AM...fixed lines the previous evening.

Finished...almost

Nice work man. Way to get it done!

Can't wait for a TR. I'm heading to Zion next month to do either Lunar Ecstasy or Moonlight or both. Can't wait.

Righteous - very cool to read through the thread and follow your trajectory. Kevin nailed it - once you laid out that list of stuff you'd been doing, it was clear you were going to send. Nice!

What's next?

Great job Leonard! Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress.

Solid work!!! Can't wait to get the full download from Todd. Hopefully we can get out and do some trad climbing some day. Cheers!!!

Nice work LZ. Thanks for letting us know. As you climb more and get your system more refined, your time on routes will drop considerably. Less cluster, more fun.

That's awesome, good work gentlemen!

Also, well played on a wall with the best decent ever. How was getting the bags across the river to start though?

SteveZ wrote:That's awesome, good work gentlemen! Also, well played on a wall with the best decent ever. How was getting the bags across the river to start though?

I'd have to argue that the black has the best "descent" ever.

Well done! I have been following the thread since the beginning. You got really generous and helpful advices here.. but in the end it's you that made it happen.

ps: I'm heading that way pretty soon. I'm curious about your rack. What you brought and what you wish you should have brought (or left behind:)