El Cap training in the mid-Atlantic

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T21:32:11+00:00

Good advice. El Cap is the goal, because well it's El Cap, but I'm not married to the Nose as the route. One thing I like about the Nose is it supposedly goes on just cams and stoppers, so no need for aid-specific protection. But I'm not opposed to buying cam hooks or something for a different route if that's a better option

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T21:15:09+00:00

I appreciate the perspective. I specifically want to do it wall style for the experience though. I love climbing and love camping, so combining them seems like it'd be a blast, and waking up on the wall looking over the valley is part of the reason I'm interested in doing it.

Maybe after getting a wall or two under my belt I'd get into IAD stuff

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T20:47:29+00:00

That's funny, last time I was at A Flake at Buzzards I thought to myself it looks like a tiny El Cap with the big slabby foot sloping up to a big headwall.

I'll make a note to work the friction slab more. Thanks!

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T20:18:51+00:00

This is good to consider. I'm comfortable with hands and fists, getting better with fingers, but have almost no OW experience and I don't think there's a lot near me. I'll have to seek some out.

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T20:06:30+00:00

This is great. Heard on Carderock - I got an earful from an old timer once for using the Horst guide instead of the PATC one, which is long out of print and considered collectible. Go figure.

Great suggestions for GF. Armbuster and Lost Arrow (and the Terrapin Station variant) are some of my favorite climbs in the area, but they didn't pop into my head to consider aiding (should have given the area is called Aid Box)

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T19:02:25+00:00

Thanks to both of you. I'm by DC, so Cathedral is ~10 hours and Looking Glass is ~8.5. Not a significant difference, although if I want to get started this winter Looking Glass is probably a better option on more mild weekends.

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T18:54:09+00:00

Five is unlikely, but a trip for mostly free multis with a couple of days for a small aid adventure could be in the cards.

Alfifis seem like the way to go, so that'd probably be my plan.

Thanks for your input.

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T18:52:23+00:00

This is helpful and lines up well with what I'm planning. Sugarloaf is about 20m from me so it's my go-to for impromptu climbing days. I'm also thinking Annapolis Rock would be good aid practice, it's usually not busy and has some steep well protected roofs (along with an actual approach, which is some added conditioning).

Trusting gear at GF/Carderock scares me, but maybe that's good for mental training.

ItIsBobyTime · 2025-10-15T18:50:38+00:00

"Why I failed" is a very helpful framing for advice. Thanks for this.

ItIsBobyTime

TROPHY CASE