Hello there.. ..I'm planning to go to Yosemite this September and would really appreciate any advice that anybody has for first time Yosemite goers. Any info on Snake Dike on the SW shoulder of Half Dome would also be greatly appreciated...gear needed? length of the climb? the best route to get to it? and roughly what grade is it equivelant to in English outdoor grades? Cheers Lucy B x

-- Lucy Bell (lkb104@york.ac.uk), February 21, 2001

Answers

Hi Lucy, The English grade of Snake Dike is equal to 5C. The days are short in Yosemite at that time of year so get an early start. Many people hike the approach, bivy, then climb fresh. A decent guide book is essential. Don Reids "Rock Climbing Yosemite free climbs" is a good choice. Bring plenty of water. Enjoy!

-- wayne (climbharder@hotmail.com), February 21, 2001.

Cheers Wayne...... L x

-- Lucy B (lkb104@york.ac.uk), February 21, 2001.

I believe English 5c is hard 5.10. Snake Dike is 5.7 which is in the neighborhood of English Vdiff of VS.

-- Bob (degn@earthnet.com), February 21, 2001.

The approach to snake dike is long. 7 or 8 miles maybe?

Great moderates: munginella, manure pile climbs little harder: commitment, reeds pinnacle climbs

The Don Reid book is a MUST. jason

-- jason liebgott (jliebgott@hotmail.com), February 23, 2001.

Lucy,

For gear I'd take: 4-5 cams ranging in size from about 1cm to 3cm. (I'd skip the nuts, the cams will be more versatile and you don't need or have opportunity to place much gear anyhow.) 4 quickdraws 1 lightweight rope. 2 cordelettes to equalize and attach yourselves to the (mostly) bolted anchors.

Don't be tempted to take more "just in case" gear, because you won't use it.

I also recommend doing the climb round-trip from the valley floor in a day. You can do the approach in 3-4 hours and the chances are better than even that you'll have a little rest and recovery time at the base while you wait your turn to get on.

If you do this, bring a small, lightweight water filter. You can get more water on the approach at the river just before you leave the main trail. On the descent, you can get water when you meet up with the river again.

September is an excellent time to do this. The days are still reasonably long, the heat of the valley has started to abate somewhat, and the park tends to be slightly less crowded. Don't forget your camera!

John

-- John Laughlin (jlaughli@yahoo.com), February 24, 2001.

OOPS!

Bob's Right. Snake Dike is English VS. sorry 'bout that Lucy.

-- wayne (climbharder@hotmail.com), February 25, 2001.

More like a Snake Hike........ Good fun though. Very run out so would want to be confident climber on runout stuff. B

-- Brian Mc Glinchey (Brian.McGlinchey@esbi.ie), March 27, 2001.