Big Wall Bible - Planning for El Capitan

A = Hammer Aid and C = Clean Aid so follow along and try not to get lost here.

A0 = Bolt Ladder! Bolts took hammers but they are bomber. There is no C0

C1 = Every piece you place can take a whipper. With new gear technology, there is no need to use a hammer when it's this easy so there is now no A1.

C2 = You might have to hook once or twice or place something that may not hold you. Again, not hard enough to justify a hammer if you've purchased any gear in the last 30 years so there is no A2.

C3 = You're hooking and clipping some gnar shit. To do something pretty damn hard without smashing in the tiny gear with a hammer can feel tougher than an A3

A3 = Thin stuff that probably won't hold a fall but will most likely hold you, at least the hammer makes you feel that way. You might whip a few times but whatever.

A4 = Longer sections of thin shitty placements. To properly qualify, you have to be over a ledge or something where you can break at least a leg if you blow a piece and unzip the route. C4 technically exists but a hammer usually shows up eventually so it's not officially getting counted here.

A5 = Nothing is good and neither is your anchor. Some debate that if a team hasn't died from everything ripping out then it's just a A4+.

A6 = You already died and think you are still climbing. There is no A6.

If they put a free climbing grade on there, that means that is the minimum you have to climb unless they use the word "or". So The Nose is Grade VI 5.8 C2 or 5.14a. In English, plan on spending 2-4 nights on the wall, you better be GOOD at 5.8s and plan on clipping some thin stuff in the great roof; OR just cruise at 5.14a all the way up before dinner. If they add a + or an F labeled next to the difficulty of the pitch, like C2F+, this means assuming all the hard spots already have fixed gear but half the wires are frayed and you'll be scared shitless while you aid it.

YOSEMITE: In Erik Sloan's "Yosemite Bigwalls Ultimate Guide", he broke down the routes by beginner shorter and beginner longer. Then intermediate, advanced and expert of short and long routes as well. It is quite common for people to start at the easiest of all walls, South Face of Washington's Column at Grade V 5.8 C1. Just make sure you see Episode 13 to avoid bailing. Haul to pitch 3, fix one or two pitches and camp at dinner ledge. Blast to the top in the morning and rap back down to the ledge. Don't haul to the top and hike off! Stoke tip: If you want to make it worth hiking you shit up there and still have enough water, do Skull Queen. Fix one pitch of it after dinner and knock it out the next day.

Another common one is West Face of Leaning Tower at Grade V 5.7 A2/C3. Its only challenge is that it is 110 degrees overhanging at the beginning. Don't let that rating scare you, any hard aid is fixed and the 5th pitch might require one hook if you have offset aliens and totems. You have a plush ledge at pitch 4 and at the top so it's easy peasy. As you walk to the start of the route, look up at Roulette and see the endless A4 hooking first pitch that Sheridan did called "Pancake Potential" in this VIDEO.

Now for something taller, Lurking Fear El Capitan is a Grade VI 5.6 C2+. It's 2000ft tall and you are bringing a portaledge. It's up the west side (left side) and takes an hour and half to hike up a heavy load. This is where you can decide to do two trips and on your first one, fix two pitches. I know you'll be near the top after pitch 17, but 10 out of 10, you should sleep in that cave bivy. If you are up there too early, just fix your two ropes to the top and come back down. Thanksgiving ledge is just dope! You won't remember in 5 years what you did the next day, but you remember every night on every wall.

If you made it in one piece on those routes, feel free to climb The Nose, or just avoid the crowds and go climb one of the other hundreds of options!

ZION: Prodigal Son, Moonlight Buttress and Organism is rumored to be the starter pack here but if someone who has spent a lot of time there wants to chime in, HMU ryan@slackline.com

You don't get credit for RE-establishing a route so you might as well take the map. At the beginning of every topo, it shows you how to interpret their chicken scratch so take the time to read the details. Just know "OK Bivy for 2" means you're probably sliding out of your sleeping bag all night or have most of your legs hanging off the cliff.

Jeremiah shows you how to read a topo by going over The Nose in "Big Walls The Ultimate Guide"

Don't just take photos with your phones. Make physical copies! Put them in sandwhich size zip lock bags and fold them tall ways so you don't have to open the bag until end of each day, but instead just flip it over to see that day's quota. Keep one with each person and several spare in the haul bag.

Take the descent as serious as the climb. DON'T FORGET THE EAST LEDGES DESCENT TOPO IF YOU CLIMB EL CAP. I'm sure you are stoked to get down but if you've never done east ledges before, don't do it in the dark. Your best bet is to wait till morning to get down. Leaning Tower's gully that you rappel has a lot of loose shit and is pretty tricky at night as well. Hiking off the top of Washington Column can suck with a pig (haul bag) so sometimes it works out better if you don't haul the final day and rap down. Half dome is an obvious trail back to the valley.