Rack for easy routes in Yosemite Valley - doubles needed?

Interested in opinions on what level gear is needed for the low grade classic climbs in Yosemite - Sunnyside Bench, Swan Slab Gully, Munginella, Grack (I know there's a big rockfall hazard there but including it as an example of the type of route I have in mind).

I haven't climbed in the Valley before, and haven't climbed outside for a while, so I'd say I'm really no more than a 5.6 trad leader at this stage.

I see the guide books (Supertopo, Rock Climbing Yosemite Valley) seem to indicate doubles of cams up to about 3" even for these routes.

Is that overkill or actually is it a good idea to have doubles from say #0.3 to #2 or #3 (BD sizes)?

I have a full set of cams from 0.3-4 in BD sizes, and doubles in 0.4, 0.75, and 2. And a bunch of nuts. Enough?

Perhaps the more pertinent question is, will you eff yourself by carrying an extra rack? or will you eff yourself when you need a second .75 and dont have one (and don’t have an extra purple or red either). That said, if you and partner combined don’t have a double, then yes, some judicious nut placement can certainly be enough  and a single 2 & 3 is typically enough for easy routes - remember, you have a 2 and 3 on the end of each arm.

TL,DR: 5-6 more cams won’t derail your send probability, especially at mellow grades

Eric Craig wrote:

Hi Michael, so I haven't climbed there for a long time, but I have more than 20 years experience in the  Valley. I think you have plenty. The climbs you are talking about will really like medium to large stoppers and smallish to medium cams. Bring the small stoppers with you too, there's spots for them as well.  Slings will be useful, both for lessening rope drag, and sometimes for use on a tree or rock horn. If you start wondering if you have enough gear on a lead, you might find it just as easy to belay short. I recommend not even considering "linking" pitches, unless it's all feeling really easy peasy. Have fun!

Thank you, I'm actually recently arrived in the US from living in the UK, so I'm pretty comfortable with nuts and have a reasonable collection of stoppers and off-sets. 

Tend to carry a bunch of slings and alpine draws so all good there.

And yes, good point about the option to run shorter pitches - no plans to link pitches at this stage! 

Much appreciated, cheers.

Christian Hesch wrote:

Perhaps the more pertinent question is, will you eff yourself by carrying an extra rack? or will you eff yourself when you need a second .75 and dont have one (and don’t have an extra purple or red either). That said, if you and partner combined don’t have a double, then yes, some judicious nut placement can certainly be enough  and a single 2 & 3 is typically enough for easy routes - remember, you have a 2 and 3 on the end of each arm.

TL,DR: 5-6 more cams won’t derail your send probability, especially at mellow grades

Thanks, appreciate this. Sounds like we'll have more or less enough. I have doubles of green (0.75) and gold (2). Apart from those, it sounds like purple and red would be the most useful to have a second of if I wanted to be prudent?

I’ve climbed all those routes in the last 2 years and I would say what you have is fine. 

I think the bigger problem is that many of these routes require gear anchors. Sunnyside Bench you can use all trees. 

If you want I can lend you a rack of BD C4s from .3-3 for six months or so to help get ya going. I can show you a cool off the proj crag near me with short moderate multis and lend you the rack, or we could meet up at the leap or in the valley or something. Or you're certainly welcome to pick up the rack and go bugger off and climb with someone else. DM me if you're keen. 

Cheers

Michael Cawley wrote:

Is that overkill or actually is it a good idea to have doubles from say #0.3 to #2 or #3 (BD sizes)?

I have a full set of cams from 0.3-4 in BD sizes, and doubles in 0.4, 0.75, and 2. And a bunch of nuts. Enough?

As a 5.6 leader... full doubles is overkill for those climbs. I'd add doubles in 1 for sure, and maybe in 0.5 to what your have and it would be good. The next I'd add would be a double in 3, but since you have a #4 you are probably good for big pro.

1.5 rack is probably overkill for Sunnyside bench. It's a easy route and not a lot of places to put a LOT of pro. I'd just go with a single rack for that. Sunnyside bench is also easy after pitch 1. I'd prob go with a single rack for that as a 5.6 leader. You could stand at the base and see what you think. Munginella is a real 5.6, I bring the 1.5 rack for that. 

I'll throw in the opposite perspective - I'd call myself a 5.9 climber, but I'm a baby and love having a double or even a triple rack just so I have options, since I don't mind having carried up an extra 5-10 pieces and not use them, but liked that I could use 3 #1s if I needed to.

But agree with everyone else - yosemite cracks are wavy and take stoppers great. Ricky's offer is incredibly kind, and if you're visiting for more than a couple days, I'd take him up on it. You can be through Swan Slab Gully and Munginella in an afternoon, and (unless you go off and find Ricky's new crag, which sounds dope) you're gonna likely have to start hitting bigger/harder objectives like Bishop's Terrace, After 6/7, Royal Arches (if it's dry) etc, which in addition to being harder, are more involved / longer, and having more gear would be nice. (Mentioning again though, I'm a baby and like having more gear)

Awesome responses, thanks heaps everyone!

Fortuitously it transpires that backcountry.com have 25% off C4s at the moment so I've decided to go for the 1.5 rack compromise. Grabbed 0.5 and 1 (literally a 1.5 rack? Haha), which leaves with double cams for BD sizes 0.4, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, and singles of 0.3, 3, 4. Got about 1.5 set of wallnuts and offsets too... should be ample I think, and sounds like I won't need the whole lot on all routes. 

The plan is to start with all the easy (and I mean easy!) routes that I can find in the Valley and up in Tuolomne as a first step (once Tioga opens), also Lovers, Donner, etc. in order to get a bit of mileage at 5.5-5.6 and get used to the climbing before starting to try anything harder, so I think the 1.5 rack compromise is a good direction and gives some redundancy for gear anchors, etc.

@Ricky that is, as @Jacob says, incredibly kind! I think I'm set for gear, but I am very grateful for the offer and it would be great to meet up sometime if you're keen. I'll drop you a DM.

Really appreciate all of the input here, thanks again.