Big wall climbing
Encyclopedia
Big wall climbing is a type of rock climbing
in which a long multi-pitch route, so sustained that an ascent normally requires more than a single day, is climbed. Big wall routes require the climbing team to live on the route often using portaledge
s and hauling equipment. It is practiced on 1500-feet tall or more vertical faces with few ledges and small cracks.
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 1950s 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 piton
s, jumar
s and hammock
s, 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.
Gear is usually spread over many haul bags (usually packed so that they weight between 30 to 40 kilograms) in order to maximize efficiency and prevent loss of equipment if a bag is lost. The hauling system usually consists of a self-locking pulley in order to capture the motion and prevent the bag from descending once hauling stops. Next an ascender clamped to the haul rope is used to pull the haul line through the pulley.
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
in which a long multi-pitch route, so sustained that an ascent normally requires more than a single day, is climbed. Big wall routes require the climbing team to live on the route often using portaledge
Portaledge
A portaledge is a deployable hanging tent system designed for rock climbers who spend multiple days and nights on a big wall climb. An assembled portaledge is a fabric-covered platform surrounded by a metal frame that hangs from a single point and has adjustable suspension straps...
s and hauling equipment. It is practiced 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 DolomitesDolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
and the European Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
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 1950s big wall climbing finally started. In Yosemite, the northwest face of Half Dome
Half Dome
Half Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, located in northeastern Mariposa County, California, at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley — possibly Yosemite's most familiar rock formation. The granite crest rises more than above the valley floor....
was climbed in 1957 and the southeast buttress of El Capitan
El Capitan
El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith extends about from base to summit along its tallest face, and is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers.The formation was...
in 1958. With the invention of hard iron piton
Piton
In climbing, a piton is a metal spike that is driven into a crack or seam in the rock with a hammer, and which acts as an anchor to protect the climber against the consequences of a fall, or to assist progress in aid climbing...
s, jumar
Jumar
An ascender is a mechanical device used for ascending on a rope. One such device is a Jumar, named after the Swiss factory which developed the first tool for sale in 1958. The device's name also leads to the term Jumaring for the process of using such a device...
s and hammock
Hammock
A hammock is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a woven network of twine or thin rope stretched with ropes between two firm anchor points such as trees or posts....
s, 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.
Hauling
In order to haul portaledges and other gear such as ropes, food, and water up a rock face, the gear is put in a bag ("haul bag" or "pig bag") and pulled up to the next belay station. There are many different mechanically advantageous systems that are utilized to make pulling up the "haul bag" easier than simply dragging it up the face. There are several available methods but most tend to employ a counterweight system or a hauling system.Gear is usually spread over many haul bags (usually packed so that they weight between 30 to 40 kilograms) in order to maximize efficiency and prevent loss of equipment if a bag is lost. The hauling system usually consists of a self-locking pulley in order to capture the motion and prevent the bag from descending once hauling stops. Next an ascender clamped to the haul rope is used to pull the haul line through the pulley.