Just a couple quick questions to any Yosemite veterans who might be out there reading this...

It's been my lifelong dream to climb a big wall in Yosemite and I've decided to quit work early this summer (no matter how badly needed it is) and go for it. The problem is, I've been climbing for quite a few years now, but on Rockies limestone, not granite. First question -- if I give myself a month of hard training on granite crack climbs beforehand, would that on average be enough before I could consider tackling Salathe or the Nose?

This second question is the one I'm more apprehensive about. Because of the recent surge in climbing's popularity, combined with many others like myself who view Yosemite as their Mecca, are the climbs really crowded? Is it like in Europe now where you have to line up to get on a route? And if these routes do see so much traffic, is the rock polished in a lot of areas?

Thanks to any and all who could inform me on these topics...

-- Luc Bouchet-Bert (lbouchet@acs.ucalgary.ca), February 21, 1998

Answers

Response to Yosemite climbing

On the nose it's not a problem. Be sure to practice a bit of chemneys, and for the smaller cracks you can always aid. On the salathe i believe there is more free climbing, in particular an infamous offwidth, but within one month you can probably master that too. don't forget to practice a bit the logistics too.

The nose can be very crowded. See George Bell trip report. On popular short climbs (like the central pillar of frenzy) lines are common, but i've done that one 4 times and never had to wait. the rock is naturally polished (by glaciers) anyway :-)

-- Quang-Tuan Luong (luong@ai.sri.com), February 22, 1998.

Response to Yosemite climbing

the nose and the salathe can be stacked with parties one week, and free and clear the next. it is somewhat the luck of the draw. you could opt for a different route. i did the muir last june as my first el cap route....we had it all to ourselves while the nose and the salathe were jammed...plus it is a killer route, with just a touch of nailing.

dave

-- david hill (dfhill@ecn.purdue.edu), February 23, 1998.