portaledge on the nose

I was wondering besides the bivy locations noted on the supertopo where one can put a ledge? Technically at any belay station, I would believe. But it seems unethical/bothersome to put one on route. Maybe not?-If it was the end of the day and everyone was done you could just bivy anywhere.

Chris Mcnamara says to 'ledge on the nose can be good if it's crowded' because you can "bivy anywere". Is my reasoning correct that you just set up your ledge wherever you end up at a belay?

No need to tell me why/why not I need a ledge, just want thoughts on locations/ethics of bivying on-route. Thanks

This would be far from the strangest thing one might encounter on the Nose. Go for it.

anyone?

Just be prepared for NIAD parties giving you an early morning wake up, or late night wake up by climbing over your ledge while you try to sleep.

Are there specific stations that are good to bivy at, or is Mcnamara correct in that you can truly "bivy anywhere"? Thanks.

If you have to ask...

Iv only been up to the top of boot but i can tell you up to there!

you can do it at top of 2

you can do it at top of 7 with 1 bolt and gear but i would recomend going up 15 more feet to the rap route anchors so it is more sheer and 3 bolts

there are high bolts on dolt tower that would be perfect

that is just the "perfect" spots that I encounterd, a lot of the bolts are bay to close to the ledge for a portaledge. I would defentily not say "anywhere" but gives you good options! I also would be weary on anchor quality because when we went up there the typical was just 2 rusty bolts with 1 quick link on each hanger:(

Thanks for the info Mickey. This is exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. Anyone else? Much appreciated.

Brassmonkey wrote: Then you are simply trying to inform yourself so you don't make a mistake in the first place. Everyone has to have a first time on everything. Damn elitists, how quickly people forget where they came from.

One, it appeared to be a troll. Two, you get butt hurt really easily for being a metallic object.

To get to the OP's question, people don't really bring ledges on the Nose. Like what's been posted up thread, it can be a zoo and ledges would just contribute to that, despite giving you some flexibility if some Euros decide they want to bivy on the same two person ledge as yo and your partner. It happens.

But the question of 'where to hang it' seems so fundamental that I assumed the OP didn't have the requisite knowledge of how to do the route in the first place. The internet prompts people to publicly ask questions that they probably could have answered themselves with a little investigation or forethought. Specifically, if you are belaying on a wall, are tied into your anchor which your partner is jugging from and you're hauling a bag, you'd assume the anchor is pretty solid (particularly on a trade route like the Nose). What makes you think you couldn't hang a ledge or build an independent one to hang one from?

^^ you seem like a douche

"people don't really bring ledges on the Nose"

Except the ones that do.

Given that the Nose is one of those rare creatures- a route that sees constant traffic of the full range of ability/experience- 'people' do just about everything up there. You might say that 'people' don't really free solo on the Nose, but that's not true. And you might say that 'people' don't really take a week to climb the thing, but some do.

I think what FatDad means to convey is that competent climbers don't really bring ledges on the Nose, and in this he is somewhat accurate. The route has adequate bivy ledges at intervals sufficient for just about any reasonable rate of travel, and so portaledges are deemed unnecessary. But that's not what you asked.

I doubt that the decision to bring or not bring a ledge is often made out of some idea of courtesy. The fact is (and this is what I meant by' far from strangest etc.') that people climbing the Nose should expect a fair amount of traffic, including but not limited to ledges set up any- and everywhere. No one climbing between May and November can reasonably expect to have this route to themselves, and your ledge spanning the corner is just one of the conditions that might define their climb. Fixed gear, the constant smell of piss, passing, being passed, gumby clusterfucks, bailers...if these are things that bother you, pick a different route. This is understood.

Even in the middle of a pitch...stranger things have happened.

Go for it.

Or more succinctly:

unethical? not exactly.

bothersome? perhaps, but it's OK.

Rob Dillon wrote:"people don't really bring ledges on the Nose" Except the ones that do. Given that the Nose is one of those rare creatures- a route that sees constant traffic of the full range of ability/experience- 'people' do just about everything up there. You might say that 'people' don't really free solo on the Nose, but that's not true. ....

Really...which people have free soloed the Nose?

Clay.... you seem like one too....

Bring a ledge, that way you can have that French Dude, who didn't bring anything, sleep down below you.

csproul wrote: Really...which people have free soloed the Nose?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvmzhyAygdE

People free solo "on" the nose, but even that vid is not a true
"free" solo. A solo yes, but not entirely free

Zac Robinson wrote: youtube.com/watch?v=dvmzhyA…

Is that how you "free" climb?

clay meier wrote:^^ you seem like a douche

Fat Dad is duche

For what it is worth, I have climbed nine walls in Yosemite, including the Nose, and if I went up the Nose again I would bring a ledge. This is why:

1. It provides enhanced weather protection (with a fly). The weather in Yosemite can turn to shit very quickly and if it does your situation can become quite serious quite fast. With a ledge and fly it will be a bit less serious.

2. It allows you to bivy anywhere. There are ledges on the Nose, but the upper ledges (Camp VI if I recall) kind of suck, and the ledges can be crowded at times leaving you little room.

3. A portaledge allows you to make your own schedule. Many parties stroll up to El Cap Tower at midnight because they were moving too slow but had no ledge and thus no place to sleep. Well, if you get stuck climbing in the dark not only will it suck ass but moreover you might get stuck in a cycle where you are used to staying up at night and thus you sleep in too much in the morning and loose day time, or you get up early but you are slow and inefficient because you did not have enough sleep. In short, climb during the day and not at night.

4. If you are counterbalance space hauling, which you should be, and your total pig weight is less than you weigh, the difference in weight between a ledge and no ledge won’t be overly huge unless you are bringing the 20 lb. BD ledge.

5. I would only bring a ledge if I was planing on spending a full three nights on the route. If you were trying to do it in two days, then obviously a ledge would not be the way to go.

Regarding the statement of sleeping anywhere, you absolutely cannot sleep anywhere (without a ledge). The route is near-vertical or dead-vertical the entire way. If I recall right, there are about four pitches with ledges large enough to reasonably sleep on. Without a ledge you are forced to make those ledges which is where the statement about hitting El Cap Tower at midnight came from.

that was a great movie, I've never seen it.
Who was the climber?

bergbryce wrote:that was a great movie, I've never seen it. Who was the climber?

Dean Potter