🚀 go-pugleaf

> 
> I'm about to go out there on a climbing trip (Sept 6) and I was wondering
> if anyone reading this stuff has been on any of the big wall (or even
> small wall :-) ) climbs in Yosemite.
> 
> I'm planning to try the North Buttress of Middle Cathedral, the South Face
> of Washingtom Column, and some smaller routes. Does anyone have any
> suggestions
> or recommendations on routes, equipment, etc? I would like to do long routes
> with mostly free climbing at 5.7 to 5.9 difficulty. I have some aid
> experience,
> but only with nuts & friends - no iron. I feel like I can handle up to an A3
> pitch OK, but I'd rather avoid nailing.
> -- 
> Bill Putnam

If you have never been climbing before, [readers], Yosemite is not
the place to go.  The climbs tend to be long, steep and smooth.
If you climb, but have never been to Yosemite, you have to get used
to these things.  You especially have to refine your crack climbing.
I've done two Vs, not VIs [but I want to do the Lotus Flower Tower which was
a VI].  I did most short hard free.

1) it will be crowded.
2) register for longer climbs.  Do some 5.9 IIs and IIIs before
going up on longer Vs and VIs.  Nutcracker is very popular (1-5.8 move
with lots of laybacking, I suspect Robbins like laybacking, I'll ask
him).  For an easy long climb, everybody does Royal Arches [50 classics,
III,5.9] and Column Direct [III,5.7].  Get used to the smoothness and get used
to long lead outs [one partner took a 100 footer on me because he couldn't
put any pro in on a friction climb, and it was only 100 feet because I hauled
in a lot of rope: only abrasions, by the way].
Half Dome, Snake dike [1-5.7,III] is this way, 150 feet of 5.4 face
with no proo on one pitch.  Easy, but...  If you want a `weekend' VI,
there is the orignal route on Halfdome, but you have the slow guys
and the one-day all freers passing you or in front of you.
3) Aid climbing [after thought]  is frowned on unless you are doing
a V or VI.  The emphasis is to push the free.  Don't aid climbs which
now go free, push your abilities: Let us raise our level, not lower the
climb as Joe Brown said.  There a paradox in the Valley.  Anyway, you
typically don't need much iron except for Rurps and Knifeblades on walls.
Copperheads are popular, too.  Second, thought, just go and see for yourself.
Take a bicycle.  Nice way to see Yosemite Valley at 7 am before people
get up and not be surrounded by metal.

Summary, there's lots of routes.  If you want to get away from Yosemite
consider Tuolumne Meadows [lots of harder things, and in some cases, less
pro], Lover's Leap hear Tahoe, Robbins teachs school here. Tahquitz
near Los Angeles [I did one route, 10 pitches there!, lots of 8 pitch,
mostly 4-5 pitch], Suicide Rock across from Tahquitz.  If you want more
Alpine, let me suggest the Area around Mt. Whitney Portal and the Palisade
region of the Sierra: 14,000 foot elevation.  Piper at the Gates of Dawn
is good [III,5.8].  Even the East Face of Whitney is a pretty nice climb
[III,5.4-5.7].  Oh, outside L.A. is Joshua Tree.  Short, very rough rock,
taping hands helps.  There is only stuff, but I feel obliged not to
mention other places to visitors as locals get pisted.  I would
suggest places in Colorado and Utah, but I am only a semi-local due to
relatives.  Lastly, there are the Tetons and Winds in Wyoming, D.T., too.

Avoid a book named the Climber's Guide to N.A.  It's not very good.
I went to school with the author and did several of these climbs with
Harlan, but I think the tact of the book is wrong.  Get a local
Climbers Guide.

If anybody is interested, I'm always trying to find decent climbing
partners: one who likes to have fun, but swing their butt into free air.

--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Research Center
  {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,decwrl,allegra}!ames!aurora!eugene
  emiya@ames-vmsb
Good partners are hard to find.
Have fun. :-)