Yosemite for a month what Ropes to bring? Also some Aid gear questions...

I'm going to be in Yosemite Valley for the month of September and want to get an idea of what ropes I should have on hand. I'm hoping on doing a number of different climbs from free (Royal Arches, Matthes Crest, Nut Cracker etc) to first big wall aid climbs, (Washington Column, Leaning Tower etc)  I'm hoping to get to Whitney Portal near the end as well. I want to be ready for everything basically.

I'm planning on packing a 60m 10.5 and a static 65 hual line for the aid but I'm not quite sure what the free set up should be. I own a 60m 8.9 and a 70m 9.5. Would it be good to have both of those or to get another 8.9 60 for weight when two ropes are needed for raps? Should I entertain a tagline?

Also can I get away without a portaledge or g7pod on the following aid climbs, Leaning Tower West Face, Skull Queen, The Prow? Do I need #6 cam? Any advice on cheater sticks? Let me know your thoughts thanks. 

Bb Cc wrote:

If you decide to get another new rope I saw quite a few in the Mountain Shop last week. If you are driving bring an extra? What will your partners have?

My partner also owns a 70m 9.5 so not much difference there. Does the Mountain Shop usually have in stock most extra aid gear like beaks, hooks, rivets etc? Are the mark ups a lot higher than outside the valley? 

Consider not bringing the static and using one of your dynamic ropes as a haul line. It's fine, lots of people use dynamic ropes to haul. Then you can lead on it if something goes haywire with your lead line.

If you're going to buy a new rope, consider getting an 80. It opens up some options for only bringing one rope. And you can sport climb more of the lines at Tioga Wall.

Do you have a logistics plan for staying in the valley for a month?

Nkane 1 wrote:

Consider not bringing the static and using one of your dynamic ropes as a haul line. It's fine, lots of people use dynamic ropes to haul. Then you can lead on it if something goes haywire with your lead line.

If you're going to buy a new rope, consider getting an 80. It opens up some options for only bringing one rope. And you can sport climb more of the lines at Tioga Wall.

What's your logistics plan for staying in the valley for a month?

Good advice thanks! I actually managed to book campsites in the valley for the entire month we just have to move every few days sometimes every day lol

I actually managed to book campsites in the valley for the entire month we just have to move every few days sometimes every day lol

How'd you manage to book campsites with the 7-day limit per year in Yosemite Valley between May and Sep 15?

Your ropes seem fine, I would definitely bring the 70m. Given that you're planning to haul, you shouldn't need a tagline. You shouldn't need a #6 on the climbs you have listed, although a cheater stick could be nice to bypass any blown heads if you don't want to carry a heading kit and hammer. The two bivy spots on the prow aren't flat at all, so you'll want a portaledge unless you plan on doing it in a day. Leaning tower and skull queen have good bivy ledges. If you bivy on dinner ledge, you'll have a long day to finish up skull queen though. 

When i was there in May, the store had a plethora of aid gear. For the climbs listed, you’ll need a cam hook, and maybe a few offset cams, but definitely no hammer/pitons. Good Bivy ledges on all of those routes except The Prow. You’ll also need some rivet hangers for that route. I’ve also used a #6 very few times in the valley. 

Yosemite is 70 meter rope defacto standard

re Cheater Sticks: buy a Madrock trigger wire biner. Put it on a long dyneema dogbone or 60cm sling. Tape that to a piece of wire sturdy enough to support the weight swinging around, but bendable enough to be folded in half. You can tape the whole thing up so it's not so pokey, or cover it in tubular webbing. Just make sure  the biner is secured in place.  

Cheater sticks are the opposite of dicks: I tell everyone mine is way shorter than it really is. 

Jake Messner wrote:

How'd you manage to book campsites with the 7-day limit per year in Yosemite Valley between May and Sep 15?

Your ropes seem fine, I would definitely bring the 70m. Given that you're planning to haul, you shouldn't need a tagline. You shouldn't need a #6 on the climbs you have listed, although a cheater stick could be nice to bypass any blown heads if you don't want to carry a heading kit and hammer. The two bivy spots on the prow aren't flat at all, so you'll want a portaledge unless you plan on doing it in a day. Leaning tower and skull queen have good bivy ledges. If you bivy on dinner ledge, you'll have a long day to finish up skull queen though. 

Good question. The recreation.gov site didn't have an issue letting me book the sites as long as none exceeded the 7 day limit I guess. I didn't realize there was one, I was only aware of the 14 day limit. I want to head up to the Meadows at some point anyways so I'll do that to break up my days. I wonder how they check to see if you're exceeding the 7 days when your camp site permits update? For a good lol check out the madness that is our campsite Itinerary below.

There’s very few routes at the grades you’re looking at where a 70m is of much use. A 60m and the occasional use of a tagline will cover just about anything, cragging or multi. 

Jacob Ireland wrote:

I wonder how they check to see if you're exceeding the 7 days when your camp site permits update?

I think the 7 day limit is something they trust people to follow and not something actually enforced in software. 

Jacob Ireland wrote:

Thanks for the campsites. Gonna be a big party this Fall, courtesy of Jacob

TaylorP wrote:

Thanks for the campsites. Gonna be a big party this Fall, courtesy of Jacob

Most of the time they're will only be two of us so we're willing to trade tent spots for rope guns on climbs we're too weak and afraid to climb.

+1 for a 70m. I don’t know about y’all, but there’ve been several times where I was thankful to have that extra 30 feet climbing in the valley and the meadows. Also gives you more freedom to link pitches and move faster, just manage the drag!