The Nose in May / June? Too hot?

I am trying to plan my first trip to Yosemite to give The Nose a try. I am not an aid expert so I am aiming to do it in 3 - 4 days. Super Topo guide books state that May 15 - June is the best possible time to climb on El Cap so I aimed to climb The Nose in the beginning of June. However most experienced valley climbers I am talking to say the beginning of June is too hot. So what’s the deal? Also, how hot is it in June? Super Topo says it’s an average of 80 in June which I don’t find to be that serious.

It's definitely not too hot at the beginning of June. It can often be too wet depending on the weather that year. I've usually climbed El Cap in the middle of July or beginning of August because there are less people. Early June can be insanely perfect or it can kind of be cool and wet...just depends on the weather. No matter when you go be flexible as June is one of the most popular months to do the Nose and there will literally be a line on it much of the time. Your best bet rolling into the Valley blind is to pick 2 or 3 possible routes to climb so your hopes aren't dashed when there are 9 parties on the route or fixing lines.

Greg DeMatteo wrote:It's definitely not too hot at the beginning of June. It can often be too wet depending on the weather that year. I've usually climbed El Cap in the middle of July or beginning of August because there are less people. Early June can be insanely perfect or it can kind of be cool and wet...just depends on the weather. No matter when you go be flexible as June is one of the most popular months to do the Nose and there will literally be a line on it much of the time. Your best bet rolling into the Valley blind is to pick 2 or 3 possible routes to climb so your hopes aren't dashed when there are 9 parties on the route or fixing lines.

When you say a line, how long of a wait is there? Hows it in May?

It's a conga line of fucking gumbies from here to eternity- Take a number.

There's what, a hundred routes on El Cap?

You can't control everything. You're coming from Hawaii. Have you already bought your ticket? If so, having bought the ticket, now take the ride. If you want perfect weather AND no crowds AND guaranteed success, spend the winter here and hire a guide.

Relax and enjoy the process. It's gonna be OK. And if you don't know how to climb walls yet, take the time to develop those skills on a different cliff before you join the tidal clusterfuck of incompetence that washes up and down the base of that thing every day. You'll have a better time, and so will everyone else.

Don't take this personally, sir. There's just too much of this, it's hard to take sometimes.

Fondly

rob

According to Tom's elcapreport there have been numerous days in June the last couple of years when El Cap has been virtually empty which I find surprising but I'm sure is accurate. Sounds like May might be the month of choice for the masses these days.

• there WILL be other people on the route, most likely a conga line up the first 4 pitches. Climb with them, through them, at night after they've gone to bed, whatever it takes. Make it to el cap tower in 1.5 days and you'll be golden.
• It will be both incredibly hot and incredibly cold. T-shirts to jackets depending on sun / shade to morning / night.
• Set realistic times per pitch and have a destination that you MUST reach each day.
• do it in 2-3 days after fixing to sickle. Any more and you're hauling to much
• Have 1:1 hauling down! Don't waste your Valley Time trying to figure it out on the route. Don't haul 3:1. Don't bring 3 bags, just one, and pack light. Almost all your weight should be water. Don't bring a portaledge.
• You should be able to aid any pitch in < 1.5 hours MAX and be french freeing and hauling most pitches in around 1 hour
• Don't feel bad about pulling on gear, do it often, practice it before you get to the valley.
• Time everything and figure out how to move quicker. Don't sit around as a belay, but get stuff done.
• Have jugging down where you can RUN up pitches in 5-10 minutes to clean everything
• Practice lower outs, which are easy. See C-macs instructional videos on youtube youtube.com/watch?v=QyVtbmu…
• **** It's 90% mental. Don't second guess yourself, just get out there and do it. Always go up and keep going up. If you can climb 30 pitches in 3 days you can easily climb the Nose.

And if you don't know how to climb walls yet, take the time to develop those skills on a different cliff before you join the tidal clusterfuck of incompetence that washes up and down the base of that thing every day.

Haa haaa, nicely put! Love the image this evokes. You've betrayed the mind of a writer.

Edit:

We climbed El Cap in mid-August and had a blast, no heat suffering. We started the Freeblast in the morning dark, and found that after getting 500 ft up the breeze and temp dif make everything ok. Had the whole SW face to ourselves under a full moon - sweet!