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UpToTheOzone
Aug 16, 2012, 2:21 AM
Post #1 of 17
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I'm looking into taking a month trip to yosemite, jtree, lake tahoe, and several other areas out west. I'll have a partner for the first week, after that, he's back to work. How hard will it be for me to find a partner for the duration of my trip?
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gblauer
Moderator
Aug 16, 2012, 2:48 AM
Post #2 of 17
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How nice are you? What kind of a partner are you?
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tscampbell
Aug 16, 2012, 7:39 AM
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when, cause i'm kinda looking to do something rather similar
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markc
Aug 16, 2012, 1:58 PM
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During my incredibly brief trip to Yosemite, the climbers traveling solo didn't seem to have any problem picking up partners in Camp 4.
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Kartessa
Aug 16, 2012, 2:33 PM
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Other than at small local crags, I've never had a problem picking up partners... for climbing or otherwise
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jeepnphreak
Aug 16, 2012, 3:13 PM
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Show up at camp 4 with beer and be friendly. Talk to people and share climbing stories. Dont over hype you skills, there is nothing worse than picking up a climbing partner and having to bail from a climb because the unknown new guy cant/dosent have the skills. Off to take the lead on the crux.
For the most part it not too hard to find a group or other sinlgle goers to climb with.
I found that at times there are teams of 3 goign up, its easy then, just ask if you want to run two teams or two.
Wose thing that can happen it thet say no. other wise they might say yes and you would never know what oppertunity you just missed.
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cracklover
Aug 16, 2012, 6:39 PM
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I took a month-long solo roadtrip. I was able to line up a fair number of partners in advance, and picked up many others at destinations. A few partners who I had lined up bagged out on me (some for good reasons, others not so much). Not everyone I met up with were perfect soul mates, but I'm actually pretty easygoing, so it all worked out fine. In the entire trip, I had only one day when I had no partner, but that was due to a miscommunication. And I had a number of my best climbing days ever. And had a fantastic experience.
A lot of it comes down to you: do you know any people across the country? Not necessarily know them well - could just be people you've chatted with on forums like this. Are you easygoing? How skilled and strong are you? How willing are you to bust your butt to make phone calls and do what it takes?
In short, yeah, it's totally doable. But the experience you have will depend somewhat on luck, and somewhat on who you are and what you bring to it.
Good luck!
GO
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marc801
Aug 16, 2012, 6:42 PM
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UpToTheOzone wrote: I'm looking into taking a month trip to yosemite, jtree, lake tahoe, and several other areas out west. I'll have a partner for the first week, after that, he's back to work. How hard will it be for me to find a partner for the duration of my trip?
Are they safe and fun to climb with or will they get you killed? That's the major crap shoot.
BITD, a friend hooked up in Camp 4 to do the Nose. They went up one day to do the first 4 pitches to Sickle to see how they worked together. When he reached the P2 anchor, he found he had been jugging on a single pin driven upward under a small overhang with no back up to the main anchor!  He forced an immediate bail.
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cracklover
Aug 16, 2012, 6:53 PM
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marc801 wrote: UpToTheOzone wrote: I'm looking into taking a month trip to yosemite, jtree, lake tahoe, and several other areas out west. I'll have a partner for the first week, after that, he's back to work. How hard will it be for me to find a partner for the duration of my trip? One partner for the entire duration? Maybe, maybe not. Multiple partners, probably. In Camp 4? Not a problem. Are they safe and fun to climb with or will they get you killed? That's the major crap shoot. BITD, a friend hooked up in Camp 4 to do the Nose. They went up one day to do the first 4 pitches to Sickle to see how they worked together. When he reached the P2 anchor, he found he had been jugging on a single pin driven upward under a small overhang with no back up to the main anchor! He forced an immediate bail.
Also BITD, a friend hooked up in Camp 4 to do the Nose. It was both of their first walls, and they'd never met before. It went great, and they wound up being a partnership that climbed together for years, doing many of the classic FAs in Red Rocks (this was well before the Uriostes).
GO
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marc801
Aug 16, 2012, 7:52 PM
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cracklover wrote: marc801 wrote: UpToTheOzone wrote: I'm looking into taking a month trip to yosemite, jtree, lake tahoe, and several other areas out west. I'll have a partner for the first week, after that, he's back to work. How hard will it be for me to find a partner for the duration of my trip? One partner for the entire duration? Maybe, maybe not. Multiple partners, probably. In Camp 4? Not a problem. Are they safe and fun to climb with or will they get you killed? That's the major crap shoot. BITD, a friend hooked up in Camp 4 to do the Nose. They went up one day to do the first 4 pitches to Sickle to see how they worked together. When he reached the P2 anchor, he found he had been jugging on a single pin driven upward under a small overhang with no back up to the main anchor! He forced an immediate bail. Also BITD, a friend hooked up in Camp 4 to do the Nose. It was both of their first walls, and they'd never met before. It went great, and they wound up being a partnership that climbed together for years, doing many of the classic FAs in Red Rocks (this was well before the Uriostes). GO
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shimanilami
Aug 16, 2012, 9:42 PM
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Kartessa wrote: ... I've never had a problem picking up partners... for climbing or otherwise
... says the cute blond chick.
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shimanilami
Aug 16, 2012, 9:48 PM
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UpToTheOzone wrote: I'm looking into taking a month trip to yosemite, jtree, lake tahoe, and several other areas out west. I'll have a partner for the first week, after that, he's back to work. How hard will it be for me to find a partner for the duration of my trip?
IMO, if you're going for more than a week, then it's better to go solo. Enjoy the solitude while you have the option. Pick up a partner when you need one. Make friends if you want company for a little while. Being tied to someone for a solid month can be a drag.
(Of course, I'm married and have two young kids. I get "alone time" and make my own agenda just about never.)
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UpToTheOzone
Aug 16, 2012, 11:35 PM
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Camp 4 sounds like the overall consensus here. For those asking, I'm still in the planning stages but I'd like to be in California mid/late September and through all of October. I'm a snowboard instructor in the winter, so I don't need to be back to Colorado until November.
I really like multipitch climbs, never done anything longer than 9 pitches. I've never slept half way up a climb, but would definitely like to! I like easier trad and sport in the 5.9 to 5.11- area. I'm really just in for the adventure.
As far as what kind of partner I am; I'm not a big fan of long/steep approaches, but if the climb is worth it I can suck it up. I strongly prefer to swing leads whenever possible. I started climbing 13 years ago, but that was on 5.easy toprope with a camp, I started leading and buying my own gear about 4 years ago. Never taken a fall on gear, never aid climbed (aside from cheating with my quickdraw on a roof that I still can't do...)
I'd like to learn simul climbing techniques, have my gear placements critiqued, and although I've been getting better, my rope management could use some work.
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areyoumydude
Aug 16, 2012, 11:46 PM
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Kartessa wrote: Other than at small local crags, I've never had a problem picking up partners... for climbing or otherwise
Yeah baby!
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Kartessa
Aug 18, 2012, 5:05 AM
Post #16 of 17
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UpToTheOzone wrote: Camp 4 sounds like the overall consensus here. For those asking, I'm still in the planning stages but I'd like to be in California mid/late September and through all of October. I'm a snowboard instructor in the winter, so I don't need to be back to Colorado until November. I really like multipitch climbs, never done anything longer than 9 pitches. I've never slept half way up a climb, but would definitely like to! I like easier trad and sport in the 5.9 to 5.11- area. I'm really just in for the adventure. As far as what kind of partner I am; I'm not a big fan of long/steep approaches, but if the climb is worth it I can suck it up. I strongly prefer to swing leads whenever possible. I started climbing 13 years ago, but that was on 5.easy toprope with a camp, I started leading and buying my own gear about 4 years ago. Never taken a fall on gear, never aid climbed (aside from cheating with my quickdraw on a roof that I still can't do...) I'd like to learn simul climbing techniques, have my gear placements critiqued, and although I've been getting better, my rope management could use some work.
I'll be down there the October 12-19 
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Kartessa
Aug 18, 2012, 5:05 AM
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Registered: Nov 18, 2008
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areyoumydude wrote: Kartessa wrote: Other than at small local crags, I've never had a problem picking up partners... for climbing or otherwise Yeah baby!
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