Big wall climbing

Big wall climbing is multi pitch rock climbing which is so long and sustained that an ascent normally requires more than a single day. Big wall routes require the climbing team to live on the route often using portaledges and hauling equipment. It is practised on 1500-feet tall or more vertical faces with few ledges and small cracks.

History

In the early 20th century, climbers were scaling big rock faces in the Dolomites and the European Alps employing free- and aid- climbing tactics to create bold ascents. Yet, the sheer walls were waiting to be climbed by future generation with better tools and methods.

In the late 1950's big wall climbing finally started. In Yosemite, the northwest face of Half Dome was climbed in 1957 and the southeast buttress of El Capitan in 1958. With the invention of hard iron pitons, jumars and hammocks, wall climbing exploded in the 1960s and 1970s.

Following those pioneering achievements, parties began routinely setting off prepared for days and days of un-interrupted climbing on very long, hard, steep routes. The food, water, hardware and shelter necessary for such a climb could easily weigh well into the hundreds of pounds. Hauling systems were developed for managing these large loads.

In the last few decades, techniques for big wall climbing have evolved, due to greater employment of free-climbing and advances in speed climbing. The routes that used to routinely take days can be climbed in under 24 hours. Nevertheless, many parties still do make multi-day ascents of classic "trade routes" which have recently gone mostly free and very fast. Only a small handful of elite and exceptionally well-prepared climbers are capable of feats such as free-climbing the entirety of most classic Grade VI routes, or of speed-climbing such routes in a matter of hours.

Classic climbs in Yosemite National Park

El Capitan - The Nose – symbol of the Yosemite valley and the most popular big wall route

Half Dome - Northwest Face

Washington Column

Leaning Tower

References

• Army Alpine Association Retrieved October 30, 2008
• The climbing dictionary Retrieved October 30, 2008
• Yosemite National Park Retrieved October 30, 2008
• bigwalls.net Retrieved October 30, 2008
• Ogden, J.(2005). Big Wall Climbing:Elite Technique. The Mountaineers Books