Big wall climbing
The big wall climbing ( Engl. Big wall "Great Wall") refers to the mountaineering and climbing the climbing through by high rock walls that can not be climbed in a day normally, so go bivouacked need.
Big wall climbing originated in Yosemite Valley ( USA ), where the complete ascent of numerous high and steep granite walls each requires a bivouac, for which there are in some cases no suitable ledges or bands. For this reason, so-called portaledges were developed, in a sense tents with a stable base that can be hung on a hook at the top. In these, people may sleep hundreds of meters above the ground. All supplies for the entire tour, such as water and food, and the extensive climbing equipment are taken with you and pulled in a sack after you have climbed a pitch.
Big wall routes are mostly used in technical climbing , as free climbing is often not possible or would be very time-consuming.
literature
- John Long, John Middendorf: How to Climb: Big Walls . Chockstone Pr Inc, 1994, ISBN 978-0-934641-63-0 .
- Jared Ogden: Big Wall Climbing: Elite Technique . Mountaineers Books, 2005, ISBN 978-0-89886-748-0 , pp. 1 .
Web links
- John Middendorf's bigwalls.net Bigwall Site (English)
- Rex Pieper's bigwall.com Bigwall Site (English)
- A & A McNeely's rocknclimb.com Bigwall Site (English)
- Dr. Pitons Big Wall Checklist (English)