Big Wall Climbing: Elite Technique (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert)

By Jared Ogden

Book Overview

* Skills and strategies unique to big walls -- illustrated in full color
* Includes modern speed and free climbing tactics that have revolutionized wall climbing
* Key training exercises (practiced near the ground) and real life examples reinforce instruction

Dangling sweaty-palmed from a 3000-foot cliff for days on end, Jared Ogden taught himself to climb his first big wall by trial and error. Why should you have to do the same? Ogden, who has climbed El Capitan's Nose in less than twenty-four hours, wants to jump-start your education.

Whether you're a weekend warrior or a full-on wall addict, you'll learn the tools of the trade and how to use them; different leading and hauling scenarios and why some are better suited than others; multiple following set-ups for different terrain; how to choose your partners and routes; staying on route; how to live on a wall; the steps involved in doing first ascents; big wall style and ethics; and more. Ogden will have you racked and ready for prime big wall climbing destinations in North America including Yosemite, Zion, Rocky Mountain, and the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Parks; the Alaskan Range; and the Bugaboos of British Columbia.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0898867487
• ISBN13: 9780898867480
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books
• Length: 207 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.2" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Great book

This book covers tons of information about big wall and is both motivating and informative.

Required reading!

An invaluable guide to artificial and big wall climbing from one of the real masters. Very well written, friendly and comprehensive in its scope. HIghly recommended!

Reasonably detailed, good reference book

Provides a good background to the basic aid climbing process. Better than the Long/Middendorf book in my opinion, though some things are covered better in the latter. Long's book, as always, is a more enjoyable read.

Good for Multipitch and Beginner Big Wallers

Chapters are easy to read...color yes color pictures give clear examples of setups! Great book to review multipitch techniques and big wall climbing alike!

bigwall climbing is so simple...

I've read this book and the old one by Johns Long and Middendorf. While L/M have some charming line drawings with people who look like Keith Richards, it doesn't go into the same depth as Ogden's work. There are great photographs of people clipping in aiders, hauling, jumarring, etcetera. Also some illustrations that can make the trickier points of big wall climbing clear. Ogden also shares some good general points on multipitch climbs, like how to make quick transitions at belays using two Reversos. Most climbers do stuff like this from experience and the need for efficiency, but Ogden puts it all into his book. He also gives good tips on variations of big wall technique, like climbing with three parties. This book also has some of the best, clearest illustrations of various mechanical advantage systems for hauling or rescue. Good work, JO!