I'd like to thank Sylvester and Andrea for giving you permission to film them trying. It is super important to see somebody strugle with something that looks easy before you actually try. This will definitely make more people practice before doing it for real
@19:28, I would like to take a moment to say a massive Thank You Andrea. Sometimes learning together with new people is a better not how to than watching someone who does all the right moves. That you are showing the less optimal way is still valid for someone new so they know what it will likely feel like.
Thank you for all of the great content you provide on your channel. At age 62 I started climbing again after a 30 year layoff. Super glad to have found your channel as it got me back up to speed on gear, technique, safety, community vibes, etc... I'm now 66 and still a Gumby 5.7 climber but always have a ton of fun. Your channel is not only informative, but entertaining as well! Thank you for everything! Oh, and I also have a lot of fun at that outdoor climbing wall where you shot this video! Cheers!
I literally wouldn’t mind a 3 hour video showing/demonstrating the transfer to the next, bigger swing out wall, as well as this stuff included. Huge props, hell yeah! 🤙
This is probably the best video of this channel. Showing uninexperienced peopletrying this for the first time was genius and added a great value. Congratulations man!
Alfifis are great for this, but Yates adjustable daisies are even better. They have the same buckle that can be released under load, but you have one on both bolts -- no need to hook fifi AND clip PA: just clip once per piece and you're done. Jugging with Grigri + one ascender is also easier here than using two ascenders. For example, that swing at 15:34 is a lot more chill when you're on an assisted braking device. I also find them a lot easier to use than Yosemite style jugging on free-hanging ropes since you can just pull on the redirected brake strand to pull yourself up with 2:1 advantage without even having to keep body tension (though that doesn't hurt). While you're crossing the roof, you can even pop off the top ascender and just re-aid with the GriGri as a self-belay (tie backup knots!), which is much simpler than moving that top ascender around all the time. Also, when leading something where the crux is clipping, maybe keep the aider clipped to the daisy so you don't have to make the reach an extra time.
I concur with everything that Jeff said. Those Metolius daisychains are primitive technology compared to the Yates. And yes, leading with a Gregory gives you an option for an easy lower out whenever needed.
I don't get it; when I google "Alfifi" all I get is the hooks from Petzl; but not the adjustable daisy with release button. Here in Germany I can't find the Yates one anywhere, so I'm hoping to find Ryans Purple product, but again: searching Alfifi doesn't find the lanyard. I'm probably missing something, so please forgive me :D
Another nice trick for roofs is using a short lower out cord, like 5 m or so of 6mm cord. This works especially well you are short, or the bolts are reachy like for Andrea. Tie the cord into your harness, pass the free end through the bolt, hoist yourself toward the bolt, hold tension for a moment, unclip the carabiner, and let go and take a little swing.
Aid climbing on top rope is a great way to learn as well as to build confidence making sketchy moves. It also is a great tool to use when you're teaching new trad leaders to place gear. I had a newbie top rope several aid pitches because they did not trust their gear. Bounce testing every piece is a real confidence booster as well as a great way to break gear fear. I hope that the biggest thing that everyone watching this course takes away is to practice, practice, practice, Whether it's for a big wall, doing your first multi pitch, or most importantly self rescue techniques. The last because while a lot of climbers have learned these things, but we seldom if ever, use them.
Nice! I did exactly one big wall in my climbing life: The Leaning Tower. Don't ask me how I got through leading the roof pitch because I no longer remember.
Hey Ryan, big fan of the channel! Just wanted to bring up the idea of a break test on Texora slings, as they seem like a solid piece of equipment for multiple applications and has a crazy MBS! Thanks man, keep up the good work!
Impressive and instructive video. A very naive question from someone who has never done aid climbing: certain clipsticks can both clip and unclip quickdraws (Pongoose, Simond, etc.). From seeing this and your other videos, it seems that a clipstick could solve a number of problems, both for leading and cleaning the route. Are clipsticks considered cheating in aid climbing?
As a non aid climber, my thoughts are just that it's extra weight and shit that you could drop. It might just be a case of not worth the extra gear. But I would love to hear it from someone experienced.
When you started following, you clipped into a knot in the rope right away, to limit the possible fall distance. But I was taught to keep tying knots as I go up, and clip into each one in turn. Each one limits the fall as I go. This applies even to a free ascend where you're not having to transfer ascenders past placements. (E.g. late yesterday you climbed a pitch above an awesome bivy ledge, so you fixed the rope and lowered back to the ledge for the night. Now it's morning, and you have to jug the fixed line.) Keep tying and clipping backup knots all the way up.
The greatest statement you ever made PRACTICE. I use to get frustrated with gym climbers as the third to transition to real rock. I never was a sports climber. So trying to have people think and PRACTICE belay anchors etc... was we......
Maybe a dump question. I’m preparing for my first bigwall and train with different setups to fogure out what works best for me. Wouldn’t it be easier to use 2 daisy‘s by Yates? the are releasable unter tension like the alfifi… In my understanding I just have to back them up with a clove hitch after finishing the pitch because the mbs is „only 7kn“ or not?
I noticed when you are cleaning that you are sometimes only on one ascender. That seems very dangerous to me as there’s no backup/redundant system. What am I missing ?
Also have you tried the frog method of as ending a vertical rope ? Fast AF. Used it on my boat to get to the top of the mast. Cavers use it all the time.
I’m tied into the end of the rope and tie in mid rope occasionally. It’s just hard to tell when I’m 8 feet off the ground in this demo that it would do any good haha
I love and use frog system all the time. It’s just not as practical for cleaning a pitch but when you just have a free hanging rope it’s the #1 best option for the little additional gear you have to bring
I totally hosed my self on the Leconte Boulder in the Valley the first time I tried this. Highly recommended getting it down there before you take on Kor.
Love this video! Great explanations "as its happening". I agree with this is how all youtube vids should be! Does this mean we should look forward to you refilming all of the past uploads? 🤪 LOVE THE CHANNEL!!!
Ryan mentions skipping the first bolt of roof when clipping. He said something about if you do, you’ll have more rope in the system. It seems important, but I don’t understand why. Can someone help me understand why to skip clipping rope into the first roof bolt?
Holeeee hell, those Metolius daisychains are holding you back. Get some Yates or Aideer ones that you can release with the buckle while under tension. That makes all the difference in the world.
Would it be an idea to use something like Petzl Zigzags/Zillion with rope instead of the yellow and blue lanyards? (They can be slackened under tension) I am a tree climber and use these every day...
Have you tried using grillons instead of these slack tape? I got feel like it would make whole process a bit faster. Of course they will be heavier in overall, but i suppose se don't care about weight as long as we are aid climbing
Honestly is a perfect way to do it..Let someone try it out with no instruction and no information just so they can see how bad it can get..Then have them attempt it again so they can think of solutions themselves..then teach a very good way to do it
This is really cool and I’m sure there’s a reason to do this as opposed to free climbing, but only because you seem smart and I can’t imagine you doing something so tricky if there wasn’t a good reason.
First time seriously watching aid climbing. Honestly, jesus ducking christ, why would ANYBODY, want to climb like this?? Seriously. This looks like 100% hassel, 0% fun and in the end, still 0% accomplishment because you didn't climb the ducking wall anyhow. I am having a mental breakdown right now. Is this a thing people do?? I'd no joke rather stand in a traffic jam than this. And how many thousands of dollars and tens of kilos of gear would you have to take with you for a 60-80m pitch?? Ok so I'm sorry, i obviously don't want to insult anyone. Seriously. If you have fun doing this, that's great :) But I'd genuinly love to know why you do this and what in all of that appeals to you.
Let me first say I respect your opinion, and you don't have to change it. I just want to give you a different perspective. Aid climbing can get you places you couldn't get to free, and maybe you get to do something after the misery that makes up for all the misery. Also, learning to aid can be extremely useful in a self-rescue situation, especially learning to improvise-aid without all the special aid gear. Ascending on prusiks will give you a deep, heartfelt appreciation of ascenders, but they can get the job done in a pinch. Also, it actually can be fun. At the very least, much less miserable. It's a skill you can improve greatly with practice, and getting good at something really can translate to enjoyment. If your first climbing experiences were all sport routes, trad can look pretty uninviting, with all the weight of the gear, and trusting the gear to hold a fall. But placing gear that will hold a fall is a skill, a craft, and if you learn it, you become a "craftsman". You can legitimately take pride in that. Ditto with aid.
That actually is a fair question, and a lot of people feel the same. With good technique there can be an elegance to it, but even then you’re right it’s expensive and you have a lot of gear on you. The antithesis of this is bouldering naked on the beach or deep water solo with just shoes and chalk bag. If that’s more your thing, then go for it. For me, aid climbing has been the mechanism to get to places, and portaledge bivy spots, that will remain locked in my memory forever. It takes a unique set of skills, that very few people have, to create this experience, and that makes it even more special. But it’s definitely not for everybody. Often in life, it’s good to have clarity of the things you do not want to do as well as the things you do want to do. 😀
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I'd like to thank Sylvester and Andrea for giving you permission to film them trying. It is super important to see somebody strugle with something that looks easy before you actually try. This will definitely make more people practice before doing it for real
After watching this it seems like it might be easier to train for 15 years and get strong enough to free climb the roof 🤣
@19:28, I would like to take a moment to say a massive Thank You Andrea. Sometimes learning together with new people is a better not how to than watching someone who does all the right moves. That you are showing the less optimal way is still valid for someone new so they know what it will likely feel like.
Exactly! It helps a lot to see her climbing. Seeing people figure things out is so helpful.
Mic redundancy
Oh I love that park.
4 mics hahaha
Thank you for all of the great content you provide on your channel. At age 62 I started climbing again after a 30 year layoff. Super glad to have found your channel as it got me back up to speed on gear, technique, safety, community vibes, etc... I'm now 66 and still a Gumby 5.7 climber but always have a ton of fun. Your channel is not only informative, but entertaining as well! Thank you for everything! Oh, and I also have a lot of fun at that outdoor climbing wall where you shot this video! Cheers!
I literally wouldn’t mind a 3 hour video showing/demonstrating the transfer to the next, bigger swing out wall, as well as this stuff included. Huge props, hell yeah! 🤙
What a fantastic explanation and illustration of "do's and don'ts " for working a roof!
This is probably the best video of this channel. Showing uninexperienced peopletrying this for the first time was genius and added a great value. Congratulations man!
Alfifis are great for this, but Yates adjustable daisies are even better. They have the same buckle that can be released under load, but you have one on both bolts -- no need to hook fifi AND clip PA: just clip once per piece and you're done.
Jugging with Grigri + one ascender is also easier here than using two ascenders. For example, that swing at 15:34 is a lot more chill when you're on an assisted braking device. I also find them a lot easier to use than Yosemite style jugging on free-hanging ropes since you can just pull on the redirected brake strand to pull yourself up with 2:1 advantage without even having to keep body tension (though that doesn't hurt). While you're crossing the roof, you can even pop off the top ascender and just re-aid with the GriGri as a self-belay (tie backup knots!), which is much simpler than moving that top ascender around all the time.
Also, when leading something where the crux is clipping, maybe keep the aider clipped to the daisy so you don't have to make the reach an extra time.
I concur with everything that Jeff said. Those Metolius daisychains are primitive technology compared to the Yates. And yes, leading with a Gregory gives you an option for an easy lower out whenever needed.
I don't get it; when I google "Alfifi" all I get is the hooks from Petzl; but not the adjustable daisy with release button. Here in Germany I can't find the Yates one anywhere, so I'm hoping to find Ryans Purple product, but again: searching Alfifi doesn't find the lanyard. I'm probably missing something, so please forgive me :D
Another nice trick for roofs is using a short lower out cord, like 5 m or so of 6mm cord. This works especially well you are short, or the bolts are reachy like for Andrea. Tie the cord into your harness, pass the free end through the bolt, hoist yourself toward the bolt, hold tension for a moment, unclip the carabiner, and let go and take a little swing.
That's a fantastic trick. Thank you for the information.
Aid climbing on top rope is a great way to learn as well as to build confidence making sketchy moves. It also is a great tool to use when you're teaching new trad leaders to place gear. I had a newbie top rope several aid pitches because they did not trust their gear. Bounce testing every piece is a real confidence booster as well as a great way to break gear fear. I hope that the biggest thing that everyone watching this course takes away is to practice, practice, practice, Whether it's for a big wall, doing your first multi pitch, or most importantly self rescue techniques. The last because while a lot of climbers have learned these things, but we seldom if ever, use them.
That roof is the exact place I learned how to climb/clean roofs. Love that area!
Where about?
@@xmrbumx Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA
So good to learn from the learning of others.
Nice! I did exactly one big wall in my climbing life: The Leaning Tower. Don't ask me how I got through leading the roof pitch because I no longer remember.
That place looks so cool and super handy for practicing. Wish we had one in NYC!
Hey Ryan, big fan of the channel! Just wanted to bring up the idea of a break test on Texora slings, as they seem like a solid piece of equipment for multiple applications and has a crazy MBS! Thanks man, keep up the good work!
Impressive and instructive video. A very naive question from someone who has never done aid climbing: certain clipsticks can both clip and unclip quickdraws (Pongoose, Simond, etc.). From seeing this and your other videos, it seems that a clipstick could solve a number of problems, both for leading and cleaning the route. Are clipsticks considered cheating in aid climbing?
Nothing is cheating in aid climbing. That’s the beauty.
As a non aid climber, my thoughts are just that it's extra weight and shit that you could drop. It might just be a case of not worth the extra gear. But I would love to hear it from someone experienced.
When you started following, you clipped into a knot in the rope right away, to limit the possible fall distance. But I was taught to keep tying knots as I go up, and clip into each one in turn. Each one limits the fall as I go. This applies even to a free ascend where you're not having to transfer ascenders past placements. (E.g. late yesterday you climbed a pitch above an awesome bivy ledge, so you fixed the rope and lowered back to the ledge for the night. Now it's morning, and you have to jug the fixed line.) Keep tying and clipping backup knots all the way up.
South face of Washington column was my first big wall!!! Slept on dinner ledge! Super fun. I prepared a ton and still learned so much on that route
At 3:31 do you know what date that shot was taken?
Yates adjustable daisy chain is releasable under weight. Really good.
after watching this, i feel ready to go big walling.
This all looks very Rope Access ish. Basically a series of rope to rope transfers, and horizontal aid climbs. Good stuff. Makes sense.
0:45 I didn't know Black Diamond had a Brian Shaw Edition chalk bag.
Thank you very much for the video explaining each step to do. I learned a lot! I hope one day to climb again. Greetings and I follow you!
Very good video! Thank you for your time and work for this.
Ryan is here doing god's work
good on you man!
Great video!
What is this outdoor climbing gym? That place is amazing!
Excellent demo .... The QUESTION is ... in real life ... who/how grouted the anchors first to allow following climbers to come flocking thereafter ?
Is the Petzl Connect Adjust a equivalent alternative for the adjustable dasy strap?
Petzl equivalent is the evolv. It's similar to the connect, but longer and two of them
Ayyy I need to know when you are filming there, I climb there all the time
I learned to climb on that wall! Love Marymoor
Fajna ścianka można dużo przećwiczyć na takiej konstrukcji 👍😊
That wall is marvelous 😍
The greatest statement you ever made PRACTICE. I use to get frustrated with gym climbers as the third to transition to real rock. I never was a sports climber. So trying to have people think and PRACTICE belay anchors etc... was we......
Maybe a dump question. I’m preparing for my first bigwall and train with different setups to fogure out what works best for me.
Wouldn’t it be easier to use 2 daisy‘s by Yates? the are releasable unter tension like the alfifi…
In my understanding I just have to back them up with a clove hitch after finishing the pitch because the mbs is „only 7kn“ or not?
Looks like your near Seattle. Fun place.
I noticed when you are cleaning that you are sometimes only on one ascender. That seems very dangerous to me as there’s no backup/redundant system. What am I missing ?
Also have you tried the frog method of as ending a vertical rope ? Fast AF. Used it on my boat to get to the top of the mast. Cavers use it all the time.
I’m tied into the end of the rope and tie in mid rope occasionally. It’s just hard to tell when I’m 8 feet off the ground in this demo that it would do any good haha
I love and use frog system all the time. It’s just not as practical for cleaning a pitch but when you just have a free hanging rope it’s the #1 best option for the little additional gear you have to bring
I totally hosed my self on the Leconte Boulder in the Valley the first time I tried this. Highly recommended getting it down there before you take on Kor.
I recently picked up the camp swing PAS and it's pretty hard to tighten under load, wish I'd just gone for the Alfifis, :(
Love this video! Great explanations "as its happening". I agree with this is how all youtube vids should be! Does this mean we should look forward to you refilming all of the past uploads? 🤪
LOVE THE CHANNEL!!!
If I showed up with 100lbs of climbing gear would you let me watch you break it? I'm in San Diego and having nothing to do for a while, let me know.
This is better than studying
Ryan mentions skipping the first bolt of roof when clipping. He said something about if you do, you’ll have more rope in the system.
It seems important, but I don’t understand why. Can someone help me understand why to skip clipping rope into the first roof bolt?
where is this park?
God I wish this had come across my feed just a few weeks ago... Would have made the pendulum on Prodigal Son so much better.
Holeeee hell, those Metolius daisychains are holding you back. Get some Yates or Aideer ones that you can release with the buckle while under tension. That makes all the difference in the world.
That was fun to watch. Thank you.
never thought i’d see ryan jenks on the marymoor slag
where is this wall located?
Where is that climbing wall at?
Is that the Marymoor park outdoor wall?
Yup
Nice system, wish the al fifi had a locker instead of a hook then you'd just need two al fifi's
Would it be an idea to use something like Petzl Zigzags/Zillion with rope instead of the yellow and blue lanyards? (They can be slackened under tension) I am a tree climber and use these every day...
Your probably could use those with cord but the cost of both options is way higher than than the stuff made for climbing
does it ever happen that a fast group reaches a slow group? what happens then? can a slow group let the faster climbers pass them?
Have you tried using grillons instead of these slack tape? I got feel like it would make whole process a bit faster. Of course they will be heavier in overall, but i suppose se don't care about weight as long as we are aid climbing
where was this filmed? I want to climb that
Marymoor wall in Redmond WA
Honestly is a perfect way to do it..Let someone try it out with no instruction and no information just so they can see how bad it can get..Then have them attempt it again so they can think of solutions themselves..then teach a very good way to do it
Here I was expecting some cliffhanger stuff and what do I get, the reality that climbers are just climbing rope ladders all the way up mountains.🤣
I don't climb never have but I really enjoy the videos
Holy crap we live in the same area! I was just at this park a month ago!!
Where is this?
i really feel like i'll just try to free climb it because it's easier (and fail in the process of course) :D very interesting!
If there are no epics then just what is the point of big walling ?
Where is this wall? That's super cool
Looks like the one near Seattle. Its actually really cool place.
It is at Marymoor park just outside Seattle
Where is this practice wall???
Marymoor Park in WA
The skyhook story gets bigger each video he tells it in 😂.
9:16 barely an inconvenience
Set up that alcove swing while your at it
what shoe model is the girl wearing?
Moonlight Butt(ress)
22:01 😂🌑
Aid roofing climb is thinker than you hard
Aid is signing up for an obstacle course that is also a puzzle
Alright!
looks like aid climbing is the ice climbing of free climbing.
Do you not see being on a single hand ascender in potentially side loading terrain as an issue?
Side loading must be taken into account when placing gear, bolts should not cair or needs reset.
@@daviddroescher I didnt say anything about the bolt. If you side load a hand ascender it has the potential to pop off the rope.
And now the audio is not sync 😂😂
Even watching the correct way to do it looked difficult. Watching the people do it for the first time looked awful.
@27:27, Hey #Google, lets promote the shit out of this than idealism that people do lol
This is really cool and I’m sure there’s a reason to do this as opposed to free climbing, but only because you seem smart and I can’t imagine you doing something so tricky if there wasn’t a good reason.
It's for those that get off on technical density.
now do it without adjustable daisys
Mic problems. Spend more?
Sylvester is a woo girl
First time seriously watching aid climbing. Honestly, jesus ducking christ, why would ANYBODY, want to climb like this?? Seriously. This looks like 100% hassel, 0% fun and in the end, still 0% accomplishment because you didn't climb the ducking wall anyhow.
I am having a mental breakdown right now. Is this a thing people do?? I'd no joke rather stand in a traffic jam than this. And how many thousands of dollars and tens of kilos of gear would you have to take with you for a 60-80m pitch??
Ok so I'm sorry, i obviously don't want to insult anyone. Seriously. If you have fun doing this, that's great :)
But I'd genuinly love to know why you do this and what in all of that appeals to you.
Let me first say I respect your opinion, and you don't have to change it. I just want to give you a different perspective. Aid climbing can get you places you couldn't get to free, and maybe you get to do something after the misery that makes up for all the misery. Also, learning to aid can be extremely useful in a self-rescue situation, especially learning to improvise-aid without all the special aid gear. Ascending on prusiks will give you a deep, heartfelt appreciation of ascenders, but they can get the job done in a pinch. Also, it actually can be fun. At the very least, much less miserable. It's a skill you can improve greatly with practice, and getting good at something really can translate to enjoyment. If your first climbing experiences were all sport routes, trad can look pretty uninviting, with all the weight of the gear, and trusting the gear to hold a fall. But placing gear that will hold a fall is a skill, a craft, and if you learn it, you become a "craftsman". You can legitimately take pride in that. Ditto with aid.
That actually is a fair question, and a lot of people feel the same. With good technique there can be an elegance to it, but even then you’re right it’s expensive and you have a lot of gear on you. The antithesis of this is bouldering naked on the beach or deep water solo with just shoes and chalk bag. If that’s more your thing, then go for it.
For me, aid climbing has been the mechanism to get to places, and portaledge bivy spots, that will remain locked in my memory forever. It takes a unique set of skills, that very few people have, to create this experience, and that makes it even more special. But it’s definitely not for everybody. Often in life, it’s good to have clarity of the things you do not want to do as well as the things you do want to do. 😀
The romance of climbing is officially dead. This sucks.
Wow, you must be fun at parties.
Oh man! Gravity sux!!!