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Muir Wall, El Cap
High Sierra, 5.10
Red Rocks, 5.10a
Tahoe Bouldering
Denali, Alaska
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	El Capitan viewed from Cathedral Spires.
	Photo: Chris Johns

Yosemite Big Wall Climbing Info
Yosemite is big wall paradise. The walls are enormous, the rock solid, and the weather ideal. Below I have offered a primer to help you plan a Yosemite big wall adventure. I have also included some personal tips and techniques and the gear I am currently using. Enjoy!

— Chris McNamara

P.S. email me if you have any beta that should be added to this page

Yosemite Big Wall Skills
Yosemite offers short practice aid routes, 3000-foot A5 nightmares, and everything in between. No matter what you plan to climb, you will need basic free climbing and aid climbing skills before you arrive in the Valley. Train in both a climbing gym and your local crag and read our How To Big Wall Climb Book. Consider purchasing Road to The Nose, a guidebook that offers advice on training for Yosemite big walls and also includes numerous topos for moderate routes. For a more complete selection of big wall routes, check out Yosemite Big Wall SuperTopos.

Good Practice Aid Climbs
Here are some El Capitan base routes to hone your aid skills and get you familiar with Yosemite granite. All these climbs are included in the Road to The Nose guidebook. Also, here are some Southern California practice areas

Good First Big Wall Climbs in Yosemite
Below are five moderate Yosemite big walls. None of these climbs is easy and you will need to have your aid skills wired before attempting one. Most of these climbs are included in the Road to The Nose guidebook.

Brief ad break: please help support this site by checking out the Yosemite Big Walls guidebook. There is a free sample download here

			View the Index and Introduction
			View a list of new routes since the Second Edition and read the Preface about What's New?

Good Long and Moderate Big Wall Climbs
After climbing a few shorter big wall routes, you may be ready to tackle the biggies: Half Dome and El Capitan. Listed below are some of the most classic Grade VI big walls in Yosemite. Take a look at the list of climbs to develop a good tick list of great Yosemite climbing routes. Check out our list of Yosemite's 40+ best big wall climbs

Climbing Safety
More than 100 climbing accidents occur every year in Yosemite. The two documents below include some helpful information to help you avoid an accident.

Staying Alive by John Dill, Yosemite Search and Rescue

Two Climbing Accident Summaries by Tyson Hausdoerffer

Climbing Ethics
The document below contains a number of tips that all big wall climbers should adhere to in order to keep Yosemite the climbing paradise it is today. Also, here is a great thread on making a poop tube or big wall waste system and a discussion on big wall passing ethics.

View Low Impact Climbing in Vertical Wilderness and Taking Care of the Big Stone by Jesse McGahee, Climbing Ranger, and Steve Grossman

Favorite Big Wall Links
OutdoorGearLab Big Wall Gear Reviews
Live El Cap and Half Dome Cams
Yosemite Climber's Information
National Park Service's Climbing Page

Chris McNamara's Aid Rack
Here are the two aid racks I use most often on Yosemite big walls (Here is the big wall gear list with links). I have also included a checklist of what to bring on multi-day walls. I did not include a rack for a sample A4 nailing route because nailing racks vary wildly depending on the route. Keep in mind that everyone prefers different gear and my rack not necessarily the best rack for you. Also, I tend to go light and you will probably carry more cams, nuts, pitons, etc. Here is a detailed description of basic wall gear and protection or a description of haul bags, portaledges, and bivy gear

Anchor Conditions
Since 1997 the American Safe Climbing Association has replaced more than 800 bolts in Yosemite. Some anchor information is available for certain climbs on the route beta pages. For the most up-to-date information on each route’s anchors conditions, visit the ASCA web site.

	The Leaning Tower at sunset.
	Photo: Chris McNamara

Yosemite Essentials
In the sections below, we attempt to list information that will help ensure that your climbing trip to Yosemite is enjoyable and hassle-free. For starters, let us note the location of the National Park system's web site for Yosemite:
Official Yosemite National Park Web site

Getting There
Travel information is available on the Yosemite Rock Climbing info page.

When to Climb
Yosemite has some of the best weather of any climbing area on earth. That said, note that it could storm at any time in Yosemite, and often heavily. Climbers should always prepare for the worst on big walls by bringing adequate bivy gear (see Staying Alive). The best times to climb are in the spring and fall. The summer can also be great once you get a few pitches up and out of the heat. In the winter, the Valley empties of both tourists and climbers, giving a much more pristine feel to the climbs. Winter can have good climbing weather but can also have months of uniquely wet and severe Sierra storms.

Current Weather and Road Conditions
Current road conditions and weather reports for Yosemite area destinations can be found below:
Yosemite Valley weather — five day forecast of Yosemite Valley
Yosemite road conditions — or call (209) 372-0200

Seasons
Nov. 15–March The walls and Valley are relatively empty with usually at least one five-day spell of good weather per month. On any winter ascent prepare for the absolute worst, as Pacific storms can last up to a week or longer and bring heavy snow and rain. The driest and most protected routes are on Washington's Column, Leaning Tower and the Southeast Face of El Capitan.

	Month	Average Rain	Max/Min Temp (F)
	January	6.35"	47/25
	February	6.64"	55/26
	March	5.87"	58/30
	April	3.29"	65/34
	May	1.48"	71/39
	June	0.51"	80/46
	July	0.29"	89/50
	August	0.06"	89/50
	September	0.55"	82/48
	October	1.68"	72/39
	November	3.49"	57/30
	December	7.10"	49/26

April–May 15 Walls and the Valley are still uncrowded, but there is a 50/50 chance of getting either good or miserable weather. This is also the time of some of the wettest Pacific storms. You should still stick to walls on Washington's Column, Leaning Tower and the Southeast Face of El Capitan.

May 15–June Perfect weather and big crowds both in the Valley and on the walls. Almost every route is dry.

July–Aug. The Valley is still crowed with tourists, but the walls are uncrowded. While Valley floor temperatures are often in the 90s and 100s, temperatures on the walls 500 feet above the Valley or higher are usually comfortable in the 70s and low 80s. Be prepared with plenty of extra water.

Sept.–Nov. 15 The Valley is crowded with tourists and walls are crowded. Mostly cooler weather with an occasional heat wave. The first winter storm usually arrives in late October or early November.

Staying in the Park
Information is Available on the Yosemite Rock Climbing Info Page

Related Big Wall Books
Camp 4 - Steve Roper's definitive book on Yosemite climbing history from the beginning to 1970. A must read.
Defying Gravity - This book is less personal and authoritative than Camp 4 but covers a broader period of time and has more photos.
El Capitan - Dan Duane picks a handful of Yosemite personalities and explores what made them tick.
Vertical World of Yosemite - A collection compiled by Galen Rowell of the best Yosemite first ascent accounts.
How to Big Wall Climbs - The most current "how to" aid climbing book written by Chris McNamara.
Yosemite Big Wall Obscurities - This free download includes hand-drawn topos of obscure Yosemite big walls. NOTE: these topos are of dubious accuracy.

SuperTopo rock climbing guidebooks for Yosemite Big Walls
Yosemite Big Walls: SuperTopos - The most detailed and informative guide to Yosemite's most popular big walls.
Road the The Nose: SuperTopos - A step-by-step guide to help you prepare for climbing a Yosemite big wall.